to be applied to a variety of four legged animals (sheep, cows, cats). The theory was also
able to explain later confusions in children’s speech. Children when learning contrasting
words like more I less, high / low, in / on, seem to know what the relevant dimension of
the word is (quantity, height, position) but will usually acquire the positive expression
before the negative one (i.e. more before less). The semantic feature hypothesis predicts
that children first acquire what could be considered the more simple dimension (e.g. the
positive dimension).
Nevertheless, Clark's theory was criticized for the lack of specification of what
constituted semantic features and how they could be defined (Richards, 1979). For
example, Clark supposed that children are able to choose a semantic feature (e.g. four
legs) that is a relevant characteristic of a group of entities (e.g. dogs). However, it is not
enough to say that children simply see that dogs have four legs and so they assume that the
word dog refers to all animals with four legs. Any theory has to explain why a child
chooses to form a concept based on the characteristic of having four legs from all the
perceptual possibilities that are available. Therefore, there is a real problem of explaining
how children break into what appears to be a circular process.
2.2.3.2.2 Functional Core Theory
Nelson (1974) proposed the Functional Core Theory. She supposed that the development
of a new concept begins with the first experience of a new object. That provides a set of
relations which an object has with other entities (e.g. a book may be held by a child, may
be positioned on the bookshelf or on the table). Once a list of functions has been
identified, then other objects which possess the same characteristics are categorised as
belonging to the same concept. With experience, a refinement of the functional core
happens and irrelevant dimensions are discarded. Nelson suggested that children identify
the perceptual characteristics of an object, as concepts being formed (e.g. balls are round,
coloured, smooth etc). That makes them able to recognise new instances of a concept
without having to see the functional use made of the object.
Nelson like Clark hypothesized that children have already formed concepts about objects
in the world, before they acquire the words. Words are acquired by children,
understanding that a word is constantly associated with a particular concept. Then, they
35