Tip of Tongue TOT and Tip of Finger TOF Phenomena

Research shows that information about a word is represented in discrete parts rather than as indivisible concepts (Lieberman, Borovsky, Hatrak, & Mayberry, 2015). The acquisition and learning of words are aspects that have been continuously debated among researchers. It is suggested that second language is considered acquired when a learner recognizes and understands a word and can use it naturally and appropriately in a situation. The learning process encompasses the conscious strategies used by a learner leading to acquisition. Therefore, acquisition is the end result of learning. Tip of Tongue (TOT) and Tip of Finger (TOF) Phenomena According to Thompson, Emmorey, & Gollan, (2005), memory can be frustrating in the sense that speakers temporarily won’t recall a word they are certain they know. This is known as the Tip of Tongue (TOT) phenomenon.

A similar state is found among the deaf and is referred to as the Tip of Finger (TOF) phenomenon. There is a common misconception that signers never experience difficulty in retrieving information. The nature of TOT is that it involves independent processing stages that retrieve word meanings. Time Processing of ASL Signs According to Lieberman et al. , (2015), the process of recognizing and understanding spoken linguistic input is intricate and inconsistent. When recognizing the words said, listeners interpret words by examining both the semantic and phonological aspects with the word. The mental lexicon for signers exposed to ASL from birth is structured through sign sublexical features but not for people who had delayed first language acquisition. The real-time dispensation of signs considers language background to be a crucial factor.

Studies demonstrate that native signers and late learners show different patterns on how they phonologically perceive signs. Lieberman et al. , (2015) further explained that in judging signs, native signers were influenced more by phonological characteristics while late learners relied predominantly on perceptual properties of signs. This advocates that native signers are very attentive to phonology during perception. Moreover, lexical errors show that native signers are quick to engage in deeper semantic sign processing. The analysis of language subunits occurring during acquisition is a proposed possible mechanism. During their first year of life, toddlers have a distinctive capability to perceive non-native phonetic differences that diminishes during that first year. Iconic and Semantic Signs According to Bosworth & Emmorey (2010), iconicity is the perceived analogy between the form and significance of a sign.

The meaning of an iconic sign resembles its form. It was found that lexical judgments to non-iconic signs were considerably quicker and more precise than lexical decisions to iconic signs. This is because signs that were iconic were not responsible for increased semantic priming in comparison to non-iconic signs. A post hoc analysis showed insignificant variation in reaction time for pairs sharing different type of iconic mapping to pairs sharing same type of iconic mapping. In the study, iconicity did not appear to assist in lexical priming when prime target pairs are strongly related or semantically unrelated. It was theorized that iconicity will only have an impact on semantic processing when it is relevant to the task. Conclusion In conclusion, we have found that the learning process encompasses the conscious strategies used by a learner leading to acquisition.