The Speech Chain

The Anthropic Principle

Since human life exists on earth it is not surprising that the earth is favourable for human life

The Anthropic Principle... of language?

Since language exists in humans it is not surprising that humans are favourable for language

The contingency of human speech

It is occuring and existing only if certain conditions are met- true by virtue of the way things in fact are not by logical necessity

If there is a sound that can’t be produced by the vocal tract... it won’t be a part of human language!

If there is a sound that can’t be perceived by the auditory system... it won’t be a part of human language!

Chimpazee have mostly the same vocal tract of humans but only us use it. Hman lanuage is also relatively new. (200 000 to 50 000), written language 5000

Human contigency brain and sign language

Humans brains are much bigger than a chimps, so we have more cognitive functions, so we are able to use languages.

Our hands have other purposes but we use them in sin language because we are able to use mre cognitive funtcions

Human spoken language re-uses mammalian anatomy and physiology for vocalization and hearing to create a communication system of complexity beyond any other animal. The form of speech is thus contingent on the nature of our vocal apparatus, our hearing, our cognition, and our social structures.

the speech chain

The speech chain is a simple model of spoken communication that highlights the transformation of an intention in the mind of the speaker to an understanding in the mind of the listener.

speech science

Speech science seeks explanations for the form of spoken language in the speech chain through physiological production, the acoustic signal, auditory perception, and speech cognition.

Speech Chain: Articulatory Plan → Articulation

Silence is atmospheric pressure , sound is energy going trough the air into the listener’s ears . Changes in pressure.

Speech Chain: Articulation → Sound

the base is the normal atmospheric sund

Speech Chain: Sound → Auditory Response

Speech cognition is probabilistic

Speech Chain: Auditory Response → Sounds/Words

bottom not e is silence. The column with three consecutive bars, is the probability that those sounds are being produced. The brain then decides. This is why you mishear.

In the speech chain, language is transferred from speaker to listener through the process of:

First articulation, then acoustics, then audition, then cognition