Post on 19-Jan-2016
description
The first steps in Tashelhiyt Berber language acquisition: a longitudinal case study
Kern, Sophie & Mohamed LahrouchiLaboratoire Dynamique du Langage (UMR5596, Lyon) & Structure Formelle du Langage (UMR 7023, Paris8).
Sophie.Kern@univ-lyon2.fr & Mohamed.Lahrouchi@univ-paris8.fr
GoalDescribe the earliest
stages of vocal development
in one Tashelhiyt learning child
from 7 to 25 months of age
Theoretical background 1) Similarities in the earliest stages of vocal development for production
output pattern - Isolated sounds :
stops, nasals and glideslabials and coronals mid and low front and central vowels
- CV cooccurrences :labial consonants + central vowels
coronal consonants + front vowels dorsal consonants + back vowels
- Across syllable (in CVCV) : more high-low variegation than front-back vowel variegation more manner than place consonant variegation
- Syllable types: more open than closed syllables, few consonant clusters
2) Diversification and complexification of production output pattern with age
3) Cross-language differences in the late babbling and first word periods
MethodLanguage:
Berber belongs to the Afroasiatic family. Tashelhiyt is one of the three main varieties spoken in Morocco, whose native speakers are estimated at 3 millions (Chaker 1992)
Tashelhiyt phonemic system: consonants
Tashelhiyt phonemic system: vowels
Data collection:Longitudinal study of 1 Tashelhiyt-speaking child (Agadir).Audio-video recording of spontaneous vocalizations (one hour every two weeks) from 7 to 24 months
Data processing:>> IPA broad phonetic transcription conventions>> LIPP data analysis (Oller & Delgado, 1990)
Data analysisTwo types of productions: BABBLING and WORDS>> Consonant types >> Vowel types >> CV cooccurrences >> Across Syllable Patterns (CVCV forms)Consonants: manner vs place change for C Vowels: height vs front-back change for V>> Syllable types
Conclusion• Tashelhiyt child followed the same preferences : stops (oral and nasal), labial and coronal place of articulation, vowels from the lower left part of vocalic space, open syllables, manner over place and height over backness changes in CVCV, CVco: coronal+front, labial+central, dorsal+back
>> No influence of target language
• Few differences between Babbling and Words:
More nasal stops and labials, more duplicated babbling, more manner changes, more open syllables in Words than in Babbling
>> Continuity between Babbling and Words
>> Simplification of vocal input in Words
Babbling Words Total
Cons 5605 3813 9418
Vowels 5933 4027 9960
Syllables 4385 3868 9253
Consonant Place in Babbling and Words
49
12 1821
46
117
36
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
labials coronals dorsals gutturals
Perc
enta
ges babbling
words
More oral stops, nasals and glides than other manners of articulation in Bab and Words
Increase of nasals and decrease of glides and glottal fricatives in Words
More labials and coronals than other places of articulation in Bab and Words
Increase of labials and decrease of dorsals and gutturals in Words
Consonant Manner in Babbling and Words
38
17 18 18 10
37 36
11 108
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
stops nasals glides glottalf ricatives
others
Perc
enta
ges babbling
words
Language acquisition : interaction of biomechanical development and learning from ambient language
More vowels from the left inferior part of vocalic space than others in Bab and Words
Vowels: left inferior part vs.others in Babbling
and Words
76
24
77
23
0
20
40
60
80
100
V<Lef t Others
Perc
enta
ges
babbling
words
CVCV: manner vs. place changes in
Babbling and Words
67
3323
77
0
20
40
60
80
100
Manner Place
Perc
enta
ges
babbling
words
CVCV: backness vs. height changes in
Babbling and Words
36
64
33
67
0
10
20
3040
50
60
70
80
Backness Height
Perc
enta
ges
babbling
words
CVCV: duplication vs. variegation in
Babbling and Words
5743
71
29
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Duplication Variegation
Perc
enta
ges
babbling
words
Syllable types in Babbling and Words
63
37
85
150
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Open syllables Closed syllables
Perc
enta
ges
babbling
words
Babblin
g Words
Coronal C + Front V 1.03 1.04
Labial C + Central V 1.33 1.34
Dorsal C + Back V 2.00 0.95
More duplication than variegation in Babbling and Words
Increase of duplication in words
More manner than place changes in Babbling and words
Manner to place ratio higher in Words than Babbling
More height changes than backness changes in Babbling and words
Height to backness ratio higher in Words than babbling
More open than closed syllables in Babbling and Words
Open to closed syllables ratio higher in Words than in Babbling
Preference for Coronal/front and Labial/central (ratio over 1) in Babbling and Words
Preference for Dorsal/back only in Babbling
Labials 21% (4)
Coronals 52.5% (10)
Dorsals 16% (3)
Gutturals 10.5% (2)
Oral stops 31.5% (6)
Nasals 10.5% (2)
Glides 10.5% (2)
Fricatives 37% (7)
Liquids 10.5% (2)
Front 33.33 (1)
Central 33.33 (1)
Back 33.33 (1)
High 66.5% (2)
Low 33.5% (1)