PSYCHOLINGUISTICS

LANGUAGE PERCEPTION/COMPREHENSION

THE LECTURER:

Dr. SHOLIHATUL HAMIDAH DAULAY, M.Hum

ARRANGED BY: GROUP I

ANBAR KHALISAH NIM 0304181052

ANNISA FITRI NIM 0304183192

RODINA RIZKY NASUTION NIM 0304183213

NAINA SUMITA NIM 0304183233

NURAINUN NIM 0304183206

YENI EMILIANI NIM 0304181016

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF TARBIYAH SCIENCE AND TEACHER TRAINING

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF NORTH SUMATERA

MEDAN
2021
 PREFACE

Praise and thanks the authors say to the presence of Allah SWT who has
given his blessings and graces, so that the authors can complete a paper entitled
“Language Perception/Comprehension” precisely and accordance with a
predetermined time.
The authors also thanks to Ma’am Dr. Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay, M. Hum
as the lecturer of Psycholinguistics class in TBI-2 who has given her confidence
to the authors to compile this paper. The preparation of this paper aims to improve
the ability to enrich and to enlarge our knowledge about Language
Perception/Comprehension.
Nobody is perfect but Allah SWT. The authors realize that the preparation
of this paper still has errors and is not perfect. Therefore, the authors expect input
in the form of constructive critism and suggestions for further improvement of the
paper.
Hopefully, this paper can be useful for all friends. Finally, the authors
apologize if there are many mistakes. Thank you.

Medan, 20th of September 2021

The Author

Group 1

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface ........................................................................................................ i

Table of Contents ...................................................................................... ii

Chapter I Inroduction .............................................................................. 1

A. Issue Background ............................................................................ 1

B. Problem Identification ..................................................................... 1
C. Purpose of Writing .......................................................................... 1

Chapter II Discussion ............................................................................... 2

A. Definition of Language ................................................................... 2

B. Defenition of Language Comprehension ........................................ 2
C. Components of Language Comprehension ..................................... 3
D. Vocabulary and Comprehension ..................................................... 5
E. Memory ........................................................................................... 6
F. Issues on Language Comprehension ............................................... 7

Chapter III Closing ................................................................................... 10

A. Conclusion ...................................................................................... 10
B. Suggestion ....................................................................................... 10

References .................................................................................................. 11

ii
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Issue Background
Language has long piqued the curiosity of psychologists, but
psycholinguistics as a discipline did not exist until the 1960s. Chomsky's work in
linguistics inspired it, as did his contention that language's unique qualities
necessitate unique systems to handle them (e.g., Chomsky, 1959). Humans can
construct and understand novel sentences that carry novel messages if they have a
grammar, or syntax. We do so in a way that is extremely attentive to the
language's structure.
Language itself is a systematic system of communication used by humans
that is based on speech and gestures (spoken language), sign language, and, in
many cases, writing. The grammar of a language is its structure, whereas the
vocabulary is its free component.
The process of understanding language, often referred as language
comprehension, involves using stored knowledge to interpret new input.
Individuals in hearing a set of sounds and processing it to make it meaningful use
their extensive knowledge of sounds, words, language rules and the world around
them. This paper will discuss about language comprehension, start from the
definition and issues on language comprehension.

B. Problem Identification
A. What are the definition of language and language comprehension?
B. What are components of language comprehension?
C. What are the issues on language comprehension?

C. Purpose of Writing
A. To understand the definition of language and language comprehension.
B. To understand the components of language comprehension.
C. To understand the issues on language comprehension.

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 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION

A. Definition of Language
How much time do you devote to considering the words you use? If you're
like the majority of people, you probably don't give it much thought. Speaking
comes as naturally to many of us as getting up each day: it's an automatic
behavior that we don't even realize we're performing. As a result, we rarely
consider our language to be a tool of power, a source of discussion, or even a
source of war. In reality, language may function in all of these ways. Language
has an impact on many aspects of human society, including religious, political,
social, and economic aspects, as these instances demonstrate. Many of the
scenarios presented are upsetting. The prohibition of particular languages or the
need that one be used over another has resulted in tension and anxiety, accusations
of isolationism, and even racism and discrimination.
Language is first and foremost a tool for communication, and conversation
nearly always takes place in a social setting. This is why effective communication
requires an understanding and recognition of the connections between a language
and the people who use it. They instruct you when to use slang with a friend or
formal language with a boss, how to assess a candidate's campaign speeches, and
whether to shorten an email, among other things. All of these actions need a
thorough understanding of the language as well as the cultural and social
influences that shape it.1
Language is a way for individuals to communicate with one another.
Language is a collection of symbols that may express ideas, emotions, and
aspirations. Language, according to Verderber is the corpus of words and the
method for communicating with them that are shared by persons from the same
community or nation, geographical location, or cultural heritage. Language,
according to Richards and Platt is a system of human communication that consists
of the organized organization of sounds (or their written representation) into
bigger units. Then there's language, which is any method of human
1
Putri, Er. 2014. "Definition of Language"
http://eprints.polsri.ac.id/1453/3/CHAPTER%202.pdf , accessed 18 September 2021 pukul 20.00.

2
communication. A language may be spoken by the majority of people in a
country, but it may also be spoken by only a portion of the population, as in the
case of Tamil in India. On the other hand, Halliday defines a language as a
semiotic system, or a system of meaning. The most complex semiotic system we
have is almost probably language.2
It may be inferred from the previous description that language is used to
communicate amongst humans by employing ideas, emotions, and desires that can
be expressed through symbols. They communicate with others from the same
community or nation, the same geographical location, or the same cultural
tradition using the language.

B. Definition of Language Perception/Comprehension

Language comprehension is apparently something which is done
unconsciously by most humans. It happens when a listener builds a mental
representation of information contained within the language that a speaker is
using. Language comprehension, according to Dardjowidjojo, is how we
comprehend the meaning of words, phrases, clauses, sentences, or discourse we
hear.3 Fonteneau et al. further state that the model of language comprehension
aims to offer information processing that guides the listener from sensory input to
interpretation. As a result, language comprehension (receptive process) takes
place inside the listener, who receives meaningful language codes via listening
equipment.4

C. Components of Language Comprehension

When it comes to language comprehension, it is impossible to separate its
various components, which can be stated as follows:

2
Amberg, Julie S. 2010. "American English: History,Structure,and Usage". Cambridge
University Press.
3
Dardjowidjojo, S. (2005). Psikolinguistik: Pengantar Pemahaman Bahasa Manusia.
Jakarta: Yayasan Obor Indonesia.
4
Fonteneau, et.al (1998). “On the contribution of ERPs to the study of language
comprehension” Bulletin suisse de linguistique appliquee, 68, p.111-124.

3
1. Speech processing
According to Treiman, it includes the segmentation and classification of
sensory information. In reality, sensory input is used to generate a sequence of
abstract (auditory, phonetic, and phonological) representations in speech
processing.5 In the listener's mind, the continuous input representations in the
form of speech signals are interpreted as being made up of separate units.
2. Lexical processing
Lexical processing is a process of recognizing individual words and gaining
access to the various forms of data associated with them. During speech
processing, input representations make contact with internally stored lexical
representations, according to Marslen-Wilson quoted in Fonteneau et al. The
procedure is in charge of selecting the lexical representation that best matches the
input. The syntactic and semantic information connected with that term will
emerge if the correct lexical representation has been placed.
3. Sentential processing
Sentential processing is the process of extracting and combining syntactic
information from individual words and their sequence in order to create a
syntactic representation and knowledge that can be used to comprehend a
sentence. Three aspects of sentence comprehension will be processed during
sentential processing: extracting the syntactic structure and semantic
representation of a phrase, interpreting the representation of the previous
linguistic context, and storing the necessary information in the persistent memory.
The process of generating a representation of a sentence based on the information
supplied will be strongly connected to the function word and the word order,
according to Frazier in Fonteneau et.al.
4. Discourse Processing
The act of combining the interpretations of successive phrases to form a
discourse representation is known as discourse processing. Listeners are required
to employ a range of methods to interpret the incoming speech during discourse
processing. According to Singer in Fonteneau et al., , when a listener tries to

5
Treiman, R., Clifton, C., Jr, Meyer, A. S., & Wurm, L. H. (2003). Language
Comprehension and Production. Comprehensive Handbook of Psychology, 4, p.527-548.

4
comprehend a speech, he must make inferences in order to enhance the coherence
of the speaker's messages.

D. Vocabulary and Comprehension

Many experts believe that vocabulary is the most significant component of
language comprehension issues. "The study of vocabulary lies at the heart of
language instruction in terms of syllabus structure, evaluation of learner
performance, and supply of learning sources," says Candlin cited from Ylvisaker.
Vocabulary is no longer a main focus in the classroom, something to be taught
and assessed, but rather something that kids pick up on their own as they go about
their daily lives.6
Knowing the meaning of words (e.g., comprehending them when they are
uttered) as well as numerous interpretations of ambiguous words are all part of
vocabulary (word knowledge). Furthermore, according to Ylvisaker,
understanding the meaning of a word entails possessing a broad range of meaning
connections that undermine the word's complete meaning. Knowing the definition
of the term 'apple,' for example, entails understanding that apples are fruits with
various applications, particular parts, color, form, and other qualities found in
certain areas. Furthermore, world knowledge is necessary in this case since it
involves a comprehension of the realities in the world that words relate to and
describe, such as people, relationships, and so on. If someone does not know how
to use a phone, for example, it will be hard for them to comprehend the term
"smart phone." All of this demonstrates that language comprehension is constantly
included in the process of learning vocabulary.
The capacity to comprehend and use what you've read or studied is known
as comprehension. The body of words is referred to as vocabulary. Vocabulary is
the go-to location in our memory system since it is the knowledge foundation of
words and their meanings. To make meaning of words, our brain sifts through our
memory store. Making associations is one of the ways it accomplishes this. It is
simpler for us to recall when we create an association.

6
Mar, Ylvisaker. What is Languange Comprehension?. Retrieved on 8th March 2014.

5
E. Memory
Memory is a procedure that can stores what we realize for some time later in
our life7, memory is an integral part of the underlying human existence language
and thought. Most of what is known about this world does not originate when
humans are born but acquired through experiences that have been stored in his
memory. The study of memory is an important part of psycholinguistics.
Likewise, thoughts are still related to language.
Human memory has been analyzed from an assortment of points of view,
going from brain science to designing. Human memory is fallible and unreliable
depending upon circumstances8. Memory involves two forms of recall: perfect
and imperfect. Perfect recall involves a conjunction between memory of previous
actions and memory of previous knowledge.
Human memory consists of three essential capacities that is: encoding,
storing, and retrieving information. Memory represents a “biological process”
incorporating a spread of cognitive attributes9. Encoding is the demonstration of
getting data into our memory framework through programmed or effortful
handling. Storage helps to retain the information for longer period of time.
Retrieving information is the stage where the stored information is recollected.
Language is a method for correspondence and individuals use language as an
instrument to pass on the thoughts and interpret the message10.
a. The Kinds of Memories

Memory does not consist of only one kind, the first is memory of the
experience, namely memory relating to things in the past. More meaning
experience, the longer the memory is stored and remembered. Secondly is

7
Indah R. N. & Abdurrahman, Psikolinguistik: konsep & isu umum, (Malang: UIN Press,
2008), p. 6
8
Doss, D.A., Glover Jr, W.H., Goza, R.A., & Wigginton Jr, M, The foundations of
communication in criminal justice systems, (CRC Press, 2014).
9
Parkin, A.J., Memory: Phenomena, experiment, and theory, (East Sussex, UK:
Psychology Press, 1993), P. 22
10
V. Vijayalakshmi & S. Patchainayagi, Role of Memory in Language Learning,
(International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education (INT-JECSE), 2020) p. 68-76

6
 memory conceptual, namely the memory used to build a concept based on
the incoming facts. Third, word memory is memory that remembers
concepts with the sound form of concepts the. Human will forget the name
of an object if he fails to utilize word memory. Memory can also be
categorized into two types, namely:

1. Declarative Memory

Declarative memory is memory for events, facts, words, faces, music

and all forms of events and experiences gained in life. There are many
factors that cause this declarative memory to be acquired. Among them:

 The frequency factor, the more often the event is repeated,

the bigger it is the memory is embedded.
 The relevance factor, an event that in terms of experience
felt relevant will be very impressive and will foster a good
memory long enough.
 A significant factor, a thing that is very significant in
general will be remembered for a long time.
2. Non-declarative Memory

Non-declarative memory is the recall of information related to an event

or an object that affects actions and thoughts that done without conscious
effort. Non-declarative memory is called back unconsciously. This method
asks the subject to read or listen to information and then test whether the
information affects the performance of the subject. Non-declarative memory
is a memory system that influences our perception and behavior today
without our knowledge, awareness, or interest.

F. Issues on Language Comprehension

1. Phenomena common to reading and listening comprehension

It may be hard to understand in written and spoken language as the phrases

of a sentence and how they connect are not always easy to recognize. The position
of a given component might be momentarily or permanently unclear within the
grammatical framework. Studies of how individuals deal with grammatical

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ambiguity gave insights into language understanding processes. For example, he
is waiting in front of the bank for the sentence. At least two interpretations will be
made of this statement. The first is someone is waiting at a bank which may save
money in a building, or someone is waiting along the river's edge. This
misunderstanding arises because the lexical term bank has two meanings: a
location to keep money and the river's edge. According to this point of view, the
sentence processor creates a single analysis of a sentence and attempts to
understand it. The initial analysis is the one that requires the fewest grammatical
rules to link each incoming word to the structure being created; it is the natural
result of a hasty endeavor to establish some analysis as quickly as feasible.
2. Phenomena specific to the comprehension of spoken language

Language comprehension theories and phenomena can be utilized to grasp

both spoken and written language. One unique hearing problem stems from the
ephemeral nature of communication. People are unable to re-hear what they have
just heard in the same manner that readers may move their gaze back into the text.
However, the fact that humans have evolved to absorb auditory language implies
that this may not be such a big deal. Because auditory sensory memory may store
information for many seconds, language that is heard may last longer than
language that is read, allowing for effective correction. The auditory structure can
also assist short-term spoken language recall. Setting a rhythm on the things in the
list can help individuals to remember them and prosody can also help to recall
phrases.
3. Phenomena specific to the comprehension of written language

Indeed, written language contains certain information which is not present

in the auditory signal.11 For example, in many languages, word borders are plainly
stated and readers typically suffer the types of sign quality damage that listeners in
noisy situations commonly encounter. However, the entire range of grammatically
important prosodic information accessible in speech is lacking in writing. The
point value of punctuation is that some information is restored. Readers can use

11
Treiman, R., Clifton, C., Jr, Meyer, A. S., & Wurm, L. H., Language
Comprehension and Production. Comprehensive Handbook of Psychology, 4, (2003), pg.
527-548.

8
the comma, for instance, My mom avoided eating to prevent misunderstandings
when he came. Readers must also be alert to line breaks or markings for
paragraphs. For example, when line breaks in the text correspond to key
component boundaries, their understanding increases.
4. Gesture on language comprehension

A gesture is a component that frequently accompanies words and aids

understanding of the topic being spoken. Gestures are bodily motions used to
assist communicate the meaning of an idea. Kelly researched to explore the
impact of gestures on language comprehension. They present a notion that the link
between gesture and language is bidirectional and happens concurrently to aid in
language comprehension. Their logical hypotheses were shown to be supported in
this investigation, which included two experiments.12 When gesture and language
work together to communicate the same thing, it is easier to grasp and humans
make fewer mistakes than when they say contradictory things. The outcomes of
this study provide substantial evidence that gesture improves understanding when
combined with words. This makes logical sense since people utilize and interpret
gestures on an as-needed basis.

12
Kelly, S., Maris, E., & Ozyure A. Two sides of the same coin: speech and gesture
mutually interact to enhance comprehension. Psychology Science. 21, (2009), pg. 260-
267.

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 CHAPTER III
CLOSING

A. Conclusion
Language is a systematic system of communication used by humans that is
based on speech and gestures (spoken language), sign language, and, in many
cases, writing. The grammar of a language is its structure, whereas the vocabulary
is its free component.
The process of understanding language, often referred as language
comprehension, involves using stored knowledge to interpret new input.
Individuals in hearing a set of sounds and processing it to make it meaningful use
their extensive knowledge of sounds, words, language rules and the world around
them.
There are several components of language comprehension, they are: speech
processing, lexical processing, sentential processing, and discourse processing.
The capacity to comprehend and use what you've read or studied is known
as comprehension. The body of words is referred to as vocabulary. Vocabulary is
the go-to location in our memory system since it is the knowledge foundation of
words and their meanings. To make meaning of words, our brain sifts through our
memory store. Making associations is one of the ways it accomplishes this. It is
simpler for us to recall when we create an association.
There are several issues on language comprehension, they are included in
Phenomena common to reading and listening comprehension, Phenomena specific
to the comprehension of spoken language, Phenomena specific to the
comprehension of written language, and Gesture on language comprehension.

B. Suggestion
Language comprehension is important to learn because language
comprehension is critical to day-to-day functioning. The capacity to correctly
comprehend word and phrase meanings, sentence syntax, and discourse or text
structure is required for comprehension of written and spoken language.

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 REFERENCES

Dardjowidjojo, S. (2005). Psikolinguistik: Pengantar Pemahaman Bahasa

Manusia. Jakarta: Yayasan Obor Indonesia.
Doss, D.A., Glover Jr, W.H., Goza, R.A., & Wigginton Jr, M, The foundations of
communication in criminal justice systems, (CRC Press, 2014).
Fonteneau, et.al (1998). On the contribution of ERPs to the study of language
comprehension. Bulletin suisse de linguistique appliquee, 68, p.111-124.
Indah R. N. & Abdurrahman, Psikolinguistik: konsep & isu umum, (Malang: UIN
Press, 2008), p. 6
Parkin, A.J., Memory: Phenomena, experiment, and theory, (East Sussex, UK:
Psychology Press, 1993), P. 22
Kelly, S., Maris, E., & Ozyure A. (2009). Two sides of the same coin: speech and
gesture mutually interact to enhance comprehension. Psychology Science.
21.
Treiman, R., Clifton, C., Jr, Meyer, A. S., & Wurm, L. h. (2003). Language
Comprehension and Production. Comprehensive Handbook of Psychology,
4.
V. Vijayalakshmi & S. Patchainayagi, Role of Memory in Language Learning,
(International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education (INT-JECSE),
2020) p. 68-76
Ylvisaker, Mar. What is Languange Comprehension?. Retrieved on 8th March
2014. 16:32.

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