Connected speech processes in phonological development : "word glue and other sticky situations"
Most research and phonological assessment of child speech has focussed on single-word production. However, children with phonological difficulties may have difficulty glueing words together in connected speech. It is therefore important to consider connected speech and to know about normal development of between-word phonological processes. The thesis consists of three linked studies, investigating assimilation, consonant cluster reduction (elision), liaison and production of articles preceding vowel-initial nouns. The first, a normative study, involved 94 children aged between three and seven. Their spontaneous speech was recorded, and they carried out specially-prepared tasks: sentence repetition and story re-telling, containing process environments. Results show no developmental trend for assimilation, elision or liaison. However, use of the appropriate form of the articles increases with age. Though both apply across word boundaries, children treat the articles and the other processes as different phenomena. Second, a longitudinal case study investigated the speech of a normally-developing child aged between 2;4 and 3;4. Spontaneous speech samples were recorded fortnightly. Results indicate that adult-like
Newton, Caroline Mary
Connected speech processes in phonological development : "word glue and other sticky situations". Most research and phonological assessment of child speech has focussed on single-word production. However, children with phonological difficulties may have difficulty glueing words together in connected speech. It is therefore important to consider connected speech and to know about normal development of between-word phonological processes. The thesis consists of three linked studies, investigating assimilation, consonant cluster reduction (elision), liaison and production of articles preceding vowel-initial nouns. The first, a normative study, involved 94 children aged between three and seven. Their spontaneous speech was recorded, and they carried out specially-prepared tasks: sentence repetition and story re-telling, containing process environments. Results show no developmental trend for assimilation, elision or liaison. However, use of the appropriate form of the articles increases with age. Though both apply across word boundaries, children treat the articles and the other processes as different phenomena. Second, a longitudinal case study investigated the speech of a normally-developing child aged between 2;4 and 3;4. Spontaneous speech samples were recorded fortnightly. Results indicate that adult-like
connected speech process phonological_development word situation phonological assessment child speech focus_single word production however child_phonological difficulty may difficulty word together connect_speech therefore important consider connect_speech know normal development between word phonological_process consists_three link study_investigate assimilation consonant_cluster reduction liaison production article precede vowel initial noun first normative study involve child_age spontaneous_speech record carry specially prepared task sentence repetition story telling contain process environment show developmental trend assimilation liaison however use appropriate form article increase age though apply across word_boundary child treat article process different phenomenon second longitudinal case_study investigate speech normally developing child_age spontaneous_speech sample record indicate adult like