title: The encoding of word forms into memory may be challenging for college students with developmental language impairment.
abstract: To describe the word-learning problems characteristic of developmental language impairment (LI).
  
  
  
  College students with LI (n = 39) or normal language development (ND, n = 40) attempted to learn novel word forms. Training for half of the words was meaning-focused; training for the other half was form-focused. Form recognition and stem completion tasks administered immediately after training tapped encoding of the lexical configuration and a repetition of the stem completion task one week later tapped consolidation. A visual world paradigm tapped lexical engagement.
  
  
  
  At the immediate post-test, the LI group was poorer at recognition and completion of word forms than their ND peers, suggesting a deficit in encoding the lexical configuration. However, the gap between the LI and ND groups in stem completion did not grow over the week, suggesting intact consolidation. Form-focused training yielded better performance than meaning-focused training at immediate- and one week tests. For both groups, newly trained words slowed the recognition of familiar English words, revealing lexical engagement.
  
  
  
  The encoding of word-form configurations is challenging for some, but not all, college students with LI. Training that encourages a focus on the form may be a useful part of vocabulary intervention for those affected.
authors.affiliation: a University of Iowa , Iowa City , USA.
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McGregor
authors.affiliation: a University of Iowa , Iowa City , USA.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arbisi-Kelm
authors.affiliation: a University of Iowa , Iowa City , USA.
authors.forename: Nichole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Developmental language impairment; memory; word learning