A study on Tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) states in Turkish EFL learners: On cognate and non-cognate words

Date

2023-7

Author

Çelik, İpek

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TOT states are common and experienced by people from all language backgrounds. Bilinguals have been found to experience more TOT states compared to monolinguals. Cross-lexical similarities play a role in the occurrences of TOT states. The present study aimed to reveal the effect of proficiency and cognateness status on TOT state occurrences and the effect priming on TOT state resolution. A picture naming task with 26 cognate and 26 noncognate words along with 52 filler cognate and noncognate words was conducted with 102 Turkish learners of English. Reaction times were analyzed so as to assess latency caused by TOT states. Cognate versus noncognate words were compared along with high versus low proficiency. Regarding the resolution of TOT states, the first syllables of words were used. The findings of this study showed a significant proficiency effect such that higher proficient group had faster reaction times and experienced less TOT states. No significant cognateness effect was found although noncognates were revealed to cause less TOT states. More TOT states were resolved after seeing the first syllable. Regarding the effect of condition and proficiency on the resolution, more tot states were revealed to be experienced with cognate word. Also, the low proficient group were found to resolve more from their TOT states. In conclusion, the findings of this study revealed a significant proficiency effect while no significant effect of cognateness was revealed. Considering the use of first syllable priming for resolution, TOT states were found to resolve upon seeing the syllables.

Subject Keywords

Tip-of-the-tongue states, cognateness, lexical retrieval, reaction time, picture-naming task

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/104471

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis