Phonological acquisition and ambient language : a corpus based cross-linguistic exploration
This study explores the relationship between phonological acquisition and ambient language. By utilising corpora of spoken adult language(as an indicator of ambient language characteristics), an empirical rather than a theoretical approach is adopted for this research and through the development of a method of assessment (FUSE) it is proposed that a novel way of observing and illuminating this relationship can be made. The concept of FUSE aims to combine previous measures of functional load, which are system based, with the recognition of the relative usage of particular phonemes by speakers of the language to differentiate between words. The phonemic systems of the two historically unrelated languages of Finnish and English have been assessed and phonemic usage data compiled. Child data samples for five children over three ages of development for each of the languages have been likewise assessed so that the similarity in usage between adult and child data samples could then be compared. This study shows that the characteristics of the ambient language that the child needs to acquire varies for the two languages in terms of length of words (Finnish has longer words), the nature of syllables tructures and phonological
Warren, Sandra
Phonological acquisition and ambient language : a corpus based cross-linguistic exploration. This study explores the relationship between phonological acquisition and ambient language. By utilising corpora of spoken adult language(as an indicator of ambient language characteristics), an empirical rather than a theoretical approach is adopted for this research and through the development of a method of assessment (FUSE) it is proposed that a novel way of observing and illuminating this relationship can be made. The concept of FUSE aims to combine previous measures of functional load, which are system based, with the recognition of the relative usage of particular phonemes by speakers of the language to differentiate between words. The phonemic systems of the two historically unrelated languages of Finnish and English have been assessed and phonemic usage data compiled. Child data samples for five children over three ages of development for each of the languages have been likewise assessed so that the similarity in usage between adult and child data samples could then be compared. This study shows that the characteristics of the ambient language that the child needs to acquire varies for the two languages in terms of length of words (Finnish has longer words), the nature of syllables tructures and phonological
phonological_acquisition language corpus_base cross_linguistic exploration study_explore relationship phonological_acquisition language utilise corpus speak adult language indicator language characteristic empirical rather theoretical adopt development method assessment fuse propose_novel way observe illuminate relationship make concept fuse aim combine previous measure functional load system base recognition relative usage particular phoneme speaker language differentiate word phonemic system historically unrelated language finnish english assess phonemic usage data compile child data sample child development language likewise assess similarity usage adult_child data sample could compare study_show characteristic language child need acquire varies two_language term length word finnish long word nature syllable phonological