Prosodic Phonology: The Theory and its Application to Language Acquisition and Speech Processing

Abstract In this article it is claimed that there is a set of universal speech processing constraints which applies to all types of second language acquisition. These constraints define the range of possible hypotheses about the structure of the L2 which a learner can create at a given stage of development and cannot be overridden by formal instruction or by other alterations in the linguistic input. These claims, however, do not imply that all types of language acquisition are identical or that teaching has no influence whatsoever on the way a second language develops in a formal context. It has been shown elsewhere (cf. Pienemann, 1984, 1985, 1987a) that under certain conditions teaching can influence formal L2 development. These demonstrable positive effects of teaching, however, remain inside the variational margin left open by the processing constraints. The present paper reports on the interlanguage development of one learner of German as a second language, selected from a broader longitudinal study of one year’s duration. It was found that the learner’s word order development was identical to the natural development of German as a second language despite the progression intended in the teaching. A similar result was obtained in the development of verbal morphology. It is also shown that agreement marking is acquired at the same time as specific word order rules.

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Individual Differences in First Language Acquisition

Annual Review of Linguistics ◽

10.1146/annurev-linguistics-011619-030326 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 319-340

Author(s):

Evan Kidd ◽

Seamus Donnelly

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Language Acquisition ◽

Speech Processing ◽

First Language ◽

Past Research ◽

First Language Acquisition ◽

Grammatical Development ◽

Linguistic System ◽

Tightly Coupled ◽

Developmental Dynamics

Humans vary in almost every dimension imaginable, and language is no exception. In this article, we review the past research that has focused on individual differences (IDs) in first language acquisition. We first consider how different theoretical traditions in language acquisition treat IDs, and we argue that a focus on IDs is important given its potential to reveal the developmental dynamics and architectural constraints of the linguistic system. We then review IDs research that has examined variation in children's linguistic input, early speech perception, and vocabulary and grammatical development. In each case, we observe systematic and meaningful variation, such that variation in one domain (e.g., early auditory and speech processing) has meaningful developmental consequences for development in higher-order domains (e.g., vocabulary). The research suggests a high degree of integration across the linguistic system, in which development across multiple linguistic domains is tightly coupled.

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When too many vowels impede language processing: An eye-tracking study of Danish-learning children

10.31234/osf.io/yknbz ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Fabio Trecca ◽

Dorthe Bleses ◽

Anders Højen ◽

Thomas O. Madsen ◽

Morten H. Christiansen

Keyword(s):

Language Acquisition ◽

Eye Tracking ◽

Real Time ◽

Language Processing ◽

Speech Processing ◽

Word Segmentation ◽

Word Boundary ◽

Early Language ◽

Acquisition Process ◽

Word Boundaries

Research has suggested that Danish-learning children lag behind in early language acquisition. The phenomenon has been attributed to the opaque phonetic structure of Danish, which features an unusually large number of non-consonantal sounds (i.e., vowels and semivowels/glides). The large amount of vocalic sounds in speech is thought to provide fewer cues to word segmentation and to make language processing harder, thus hindering the acquisition process. In this study, we explored whether the presence of vocalic sounds at word boundaries impedes real-time speech processing in 24-month-old Danish-learning children, compared to word boundaries that are marked by consonantal sounds. Using eye-tracking, we tested children’s real-time comprehension of known consonant-initial and vowel-initial words, when presented in either a consonant-final carrier phrase or in a vowel-final carrier phrase, thus resulting in the four boundary types C#C, C#V, V#C, and V#V. Our results showed that the presence of vocalic sounds around a word boundary—especially before—impedes processing of Danish child-directed sentences.

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Capturing Cross-linguistic Differences in Macro-rhythm: The Case of Italian and English

Language and Speech ◽

10.1177/0023830919835849 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 63 (2) ◽

pp. 242-263

Author(s):

Leona Polyanskaya ◽

Maria Grazia Busà ◽

Mikhail Ordin

Keyword(s):

Language Acquisition ◽

Speech Processing ◽

Speech Rhythm ◽

Language Differences ◽

Linguistic Differences ◽

Language Difference ◽

Relative Load ◽

Higher Regularity ◽

Cross Language

We tested the hypothesis that languages can be classified by their degree of tonal rhythm (Jun, 2014). The tonal rhythms of English and Italian were quantified using the following parameters: (a) regularity of tonal alternations in time, measured as durational variability in peak-to-peak and valley-to-valley intervals; (b) magnitude of F0 excursions, measured as the range of frequencies covered by the speaker between consecutive F0 maxima and minima; (c) number of tonal target points per intonational unit; and (d) similarity of F0 rising and falling contours within intonational units. The results show that, as predicted by Jun’s prosodic typology (2014), Italian has a stronger tonal rhythm than English, expressed by higher regularity in the distribution of F0 minima turning points, larger F0 excursions, and more frequent tonal targets, indicating alternating phonological H and L tones. This cross-language difference can be explained by the relative load of F0 and durational ratios on the perception and production of speech rhythm and prominence. We suggest that research on the role of speech rhythm in speech processing and language acquisition should not be restricted to syllabic rhythm, but should also examine the role of cross-language differences in tonal rhythm.

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FREQUENCY EFFECTS AND SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Studies in Second Language Acquisition ◽

10.1017/s0272263102002097 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 249-260 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Susan M. Gass ◽

Alison Mackey

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Language Acquisition ◽

Language Processing ◽

Speech Processing ◽

Language Use ◽

Frequency Effects ◽

Input And Output ◽

Target Article ◽

Processing Language

In this response to Ellis's target article on frequency in language processing, language use, and language acquisition, we argue in favor of a role for frequency in several areas of second language acquisition, including interactional input and output and speech processing. We also discuss areas where second language acquisition appears to proceed along its own route and at its own pace regardless of the frequency of the input, as well as areas where input is infrequent but acquisition appears to be unimpeded. Our response is intended to highlight the complexity of the task of deciphering the role and importance of frequency.

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How Does Early Brain Organization Promote Language Acquisition in Humans?

European Review ◽

10.1017/s1062798708000513 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 399-411 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

G. Dehaene-Lambertz ◽

L. Hertz-Pannier ◽

J. Dubois ◽

S. Dehaene

Keyword(s):

Language Acquisition ◽

Language Learning ◽

Speech Processing ◽

Functional Organization ◽

Word Segmentation ◽

First Year ◽

Brain Organization ◽

Verbal Stimuli ◽

Neuro Imaging ◽

First Year Of Life

Speech processing in adults relies on precise and specialized networks, located primarily in the left hemisphere. Behavioural studies in infants indicate that a considerable amount of language learning already takes place in the first year of life in the domains of phonology, prosody, and word segmentation. Thanks to the progress of neuro-imaging, we can move beyond behavioural methods and examine how the infant’s brain processes verbal stimuli before learning. These studies reveal a structural and functional organization close to what is described in adults and suggest a strong bias for speech processing in these regions that might guide infants in the discovery of the properties of their native language, although no evidence can be provided as yet for speech specificity of such networks.

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The Phonetics and Phonology of Geminate Consonants

10.1093/oso/9780198754930.001.0001 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Keyword(s):

Language Acquisition ◽

Speech Processing ◽

Original Data ◽

Loanword Phonology ◽

Interdisciplinary Approaches ◽

Wide Range ◽

The World ◽

Similarities And Differences ◽

Phonological Contrasts ◽

Different Parts

Geminate consonants, also known as long consonants, appear in many languages in the world, and how they contrast with their short counterparts, or singletons (e.g. /tt/ vs. /t/), is an important topic that features in most linguistics and phonology textbooks. However, neither their phonetic manifestation nor their phonological nature is fully understood, much less their cross-linguistic similarities and differences. As the first volume specifically devoted to the phonetics and phonology of geminate consonants, this book aims to bring together novel, original data and analyses concerning many individual languages in different parts of the world, to present a wide range of perspectives for the study of phonological contrasts in general by introducing various experimental (acoustic, perceptual, physiological, and electrophysiological) and non-experimental methodologies, and to discuss phonological contrasts in a wider context than is generally considered by looking also at the behaviour of geminate consonants in loanword phonology and language acquisition. Studying geminate consonants requires interdisciplinary approaches including experimental phonetics (acoustics and speech perception), theoretical phonology, speech processing, neurolinguistics, and language acquisition. Providing phonetic and phonological details about geminate consonants across languages will greatly contribute to research in these fields.

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