Korean word frequency and commonality study for augmentative and alternative communication

Background Vocabulary frequency results have been reported to design and support augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions. A few studies exist for adult speakers and for other natural languages. With the increasing demand on AAC treatment for Korean adults, identification of high-frequency or core vocabulary (CV) becomes essential. Aims The overall objective was to identify the frequency and commonality of spoken Korean words that occurred in spontaneous conversations for the development of AAC interventions. The specific aims were: (1) to generate a Korean CV list based on the conversations of Korean adults; (2) to address the characteristics of the identified words; and (3) to determine whether a quantitative data analysis procedure, based on a grouped frequency distribution, would support identifying high- and low-frequency words. Methods & Procedures Language samples were collected from 12 native Korean-speaking adults during conversation. CV words were identified based on a grouped frequency distribution analysis and a word commonality analysis. Outcomes & Results Results established a Korean CV list of 219 words with high frequency and commonality accounting for 60.82% of the total sample. Analysis of word types showed a wide range of particles and verb endings in the CV list. Finally, a distinct distribution pattern was identified from a frequency of 0.2‰ to support high-frequency word selection. Conclusions & Implications The CV list and consideration of the linguistic characteristics of Korean are expected to be used to develop Korean AAC interventions. The grouped frequency distribution revealed a robust method to distinguish high-frequency words and to improve AAC vocabulary selection and organization.