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Makale Özeti:
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Language development is an ongoing process. The understanding of
figurative expressions such as similes begins during the preschool years with
subsequent improvement throughout childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood.
Studies pertaining to the development of such higher language skills are limited,
especially in a multilingual setup like India.
Participants were divided into six groups (10-10.11,11-11.11, 12-12.11, 13-
13.11, 14-14.11 and 15–15.11 years), with each group consisting of 5 children each.
The groups selected for the present study were also classified into the Piaget’s
cognitive stages. The participants were required to fill in the incomplete figurative
expressions (similes). The responses were recorded. Univariate Analysis of Variance
was employed to determine the main significant difference across two variables -
chronological group and the cognitive stage.
Results revealed a significant main effect in the means of the accurate
responses for the simile completion tasks across the chronological as well as the
cognitive groups.
The results of the present studyrevealed a steady increase in the
comprehension of figurative expressions which was in accordance to other studies
that were done on similar lines.
The ability to understand similes follows a developmental pattern, and
probably continues to develop even after 15 years. The responses obtained by the
participants in the present study improved with age there by suggesting that the
amount and quality of knowledge that a child possesses concerning a figurative
expression, does play an important role in the child's comprehension of such higher
language aspects.
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