Advertisement

Ontogeny of Language-Specific Syllabic Productions

Chapter
Part of the NATO ASI Series book series (ASID, volume 69)

Abstract

Cross linguistic analyses of syllables in dissyllabic productions of infants from four different linguistic communities were used to test the role of the perceptual and selective factors in the early organisation of infants’ vocal productions. The differences in the V1V2 height relations and the favored co-ocurrences in CV associations closely reflect the language-specific characteristics exhibited by the dissyllabic words infants will utter some months later. These results support the Interaction Hypothesis which claims that early perceptual experience with language already shaped the phonetic and syllabic organization of 10–12 months old infants’ vocal productions.

Keywords

Stop Consonant Linguistic Community Vocal Production Front Vowel Back Vowel 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Boysson-Bardies, B. de (1991) ‘Early selection of phonetic repertoire: Cross-linguistic differences’, Proceedings of the XIIth International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, Aix-en-Provence, August 19–24 1991, vol 1, 320–323.Google Scholar
  2. Boysson-Bardies, B. de, Hallé, P., Sagart, L. and Durand, C. (1989) ‘A crosslinguistic investigation of vowel formants in babbling’, Journal of Child Language 16, 1–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  3. Boysson-Bardies, B. de and Vihman, M.M. (1991) ‘Adaptation to language: Evidence from babbling and first words in four languages’, Language 67, 297–319.Google Scholar
  4. Changeux, J.P. and Dehaene, S. (1989) ‘Neuronal models of cognitive functions’, Cognition 33, 63–109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Davis, B.L. and MacNeilage, P.F. (1990) ‘Acquisition of correct vowel production: a quantitative case study’, Journal of Speech and Hearing Research 33, 16–27.Google Scholar
  6. Greenough, W. T. and Black, J. E. (1992). Induction of brain structure by experience: Substrates for cognitive development. In M. Gunnar and C. Nelson (Eds.), The Minnesota Symposia on Child Psychology, 24: Developmental Behavioral Neuroscience, 155–200. Erlbaum: Hillsdale, N.J.Google Scholar
  7. Grieser, D. and Kuhl, P. (1989) ‘Categorization of speech by infants: Support for speech-sound prototypes’, Developmental Psychology 25(4): 577–588.Google Scholar
  8. Jusczyk, P. (this volume) Sometimes it pays to look back before you leap ahead.Google Scholar
  9. Kiparsky, P. and Menn, L. (1977) ‘On the acquisition of phonology’, in J. Macnamara (ed.), Language Learning and Thought, Academic Press, New York, pp. 47–78.Google Scholar
  10. Kuhl, P. (1991) ‘Human adults and human infants show a “perceptual magnet effect” for the prototypes of speech categories, monkeys do not’, Perception and Psychophysics 50, 93–107.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Macken, M.A. and Ferguson, C.A. (1983) ‘Cognitive aspects of phonological development: Model, evidence and issues’, in K.E. Nelson (ed.), Children’s Language, 4, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ, pp. 256–282.Google Scholar
  12. MacNeilage, P.F. and Davis, B.L. (1991) ‘Acquisition of speech production: Frames, then content’, in M. Jeannerod (ed.), Attention and Performance XIII: Motor representation and control, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ, pp. 453–476.Google Scholar
  13. Menn, L. (1983) ‘Development of articulatory, phonetic, and phonological capabilities’, in B. Butterworth (ed.), Language Production, vol II: Development, writing and other processes, Academic Press, London-New York, pp. 1–43.Google Scholar
  14. Stoel-Gamon, C. and Cooper, J.A. (1984) ‘Tatterns of early lexical and phonological development’, Journal of Child Language 11, 247–271.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  15. Vihman, M.M. (1992) ‘Early syllables and the construction of phonology’, in CA. Ferguson, L. Menn and C Stoel-Gamon (eds.), Phonological Development: Models, Research, Implications, York Press, Timonium, MD, 393–422.Google Scholar
  16. Vihman, M.M., Ferguson, CA. and Elbert, M. (1986) ‘Phonological development from babbling to speech: Common tendencies and individual differences’, Applied Psycholinguistics 7, 3–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Werker, J.F. and Tees, R.C (1984) ‘Cross-language speech perception: Evidence for perceptual reorganization during the first year of life’, Infant Behavior and Development 27, 49–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1993

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Laboratoire de Psychologie Expérimentale EHESS, EPHE, CNRS URA 316Université René DescartesParisFrance

Personalised recommendations

Cite chapter

Buy options