Typical development, phonetics, and foundations - comps

Perlocutionary

Unintentional communication

0-8 months

Illocutionary

Intentional communication

9-12 months

Perlocutionary period

Reflexive vocalizations (0-2 months)

• Sounds reflect automatic responses of body

• Defined by anatomy of child (e.g., burping, crying, etc.)

• Nasalized vowel-like sounds with minimal resonance

Cooing (2-4 months)

• Sound made in the back of mouth

• Back vowels /u, o, a/ and consonants /k, g, ng, u/

Vocal Play (4-6 months)

• raspberries, growls, squeaks

• Begin to see CV syllables

Babbling (6+ months)

• Reduplicated babbling - CVCV syllable chaing (e.g., “dada”)

• Variegated babbling - CV chains (with variations in C’s and V’s) (ex - bagala)

Illocutionary period

Emergence of Speech Patterns (9+months)

• Jargon, longer strips of variegated babbling

• babbling is accompanied by sentence like intonation patterns

• Phonetically Consistent Form (PCFs)

Phonetically Consistent Forms (PCFs)

Word like vocalization that a child uses consistently to refer to the same object or action 

(ex- gaga = bottle always)

Brown’s Stages

1. - 12 -26 months

   1. About 50 words in vocabulary

   2. Basic Phrases (with communication intent)

2. 27-30 months

   1. Present progessive - ing

   2. “in” and “on”

   3. Regular plural -s

3. 31-34 months

   1. Irregular past tense

   2. Possessive’s

   3. Uncontractible copula

4. 35-40 months

   1. Articles (a, the)

   2. Regular past tense

   3. Third person regulars present tense

5. 41-46+ months

   1. Third person irregular

   2. Uncontractible auxiliary

   3. Contractible copula

   4. Contractible auxiliary

Uncontractible copula

verb can’t stand alone it is also the main verb

(ex - He is sick).

Uncontractible auxiliary

It is the secondary verb

Ex - (She is dancing)

Contractible copula

Ex - She’s happy

Where you can do ‘s (same definition tho)

Contractible auxillary

Ex- She’s dancing (same definition)

Bound morphemes

Bound morphemes

• Cannot stand alone; must attach to a free morpheme.

• Examples:

  • Prefixes: un- (unhappy), re- (redo)

  • Suffixes: -s (cats), -ed (jumped)

Free Morphemes

1. Free morphemes

• Can stand alone as a word.

• Examples: cat, run, happy, book

Mean Length of Utterance

MLU - Average number of morphemes per utterance

mlu = total # of morphemes/total # of utterances

White matter =

White matter = cortical changes

any change in the structure or function of the cerebral cortex

Gray matter = 

Gray matter = Volume loss

Presbycusis

• Age related hearing loss

• Sensorineural hearing loss ( inner ear cochlea/auditory nerve)

• high frequency loss (hair cell damage)

Presbyopia

• age related vision loss

• farsightedness

• treatment: reading glasses

Presbyphonia

• age-related voice changes

• weaker, breathy voice; more break/stops

• higher pitch in men, lower pitch in women

• reduced loudness, laryngeal (voice box) tension, tremor

Presbyphagia

• age-related swallow changes

• decreased strength and sensation (taste)

• slower swallow response

• laryngeal penetration is more common

Cortical changes

General slowing of motor skills

• voice changes

• smaller, slower, more fatigued muscles

• other health issues exacerbate(worsen) motor

Volume loss

Slowed processing

• language typically remains intact

• difficulty recalling new info/specific details

• difficulty with multitasking/executive funtion

Language

social, rule-governed tool used to send and receive messages

Receptive language

Language comprehension

• listening and reading

• develops before expression

• understanding of language

• vocabulary, questions, concepts, directions

Expressive Language

Language production

• Speaking and writing

• Expression of wants and needs

• words, nonverbal communication

• gestures, pointing, expressions, grammar

Form

how words and sentences are structured

• Phonology - speech sounds

• Syntax - Sentence structure and word order

• Morphology - word endings (smallest unit)

Content

the meaning of language

• Semantics - word meanings

• vocabulary

• how word meanings link

Use

how language is used in social contexts

• Pragmatics: social rules

• Matching language and situations

Nature (Nativist - Generative View)

Chomsky

• language is innate and pre-specified

• we are born with LAD (acquisition device)

• language is separate from other cog. systems

Nurture

(Constructionist-Interactionist View)

Vygotsky

• Environment guides language

• no processor in brain specific for language

• can’t separate language from cog. systems

Limitations of nativist view

• non-literal language (i.e., idioms); strict focus on syntax; no single grammar to account for all languages

• No evidence that children's need adult-like rules to acquire language

Evidence for nature

• deaf babies babble; speech and language deficits may be inheritable

• children follow sequence of developmental milestones

• language aspects learned without direct instruction (e.g., grammar rules)

• we are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD) which determines how we learn language

Evidence for Nurture

Operant conditioning

-A learning process in which behavior is shaped by consequences.

• Positive reinforcement: Adding something pleasant to increase a behavior.

  • Example: Giving a child a sticker for saying a new word.

• Negative reinforcement: Removing something unpleasant to increase a behavior.

  • Example: Turning off a loud noise when a child follows a command.

• Punishment: Adding or removing something to decrease a behavior.

  • Example: Taking away a toy when a child throws it.

Cognitive Theory

Piage

• Children learn language like other cognitive skills (concepts first, then language)

• Language is made possible by cognition and other intellectual processes

• Observe child in play to determine level of representaional thought

Semantic Theory

Filmore, Bloom

• Interpretation of messages requires consideration of meaning

• acquisition stimulated by child’s desire to communicate and knowledge

Behavioral Theory

Skinner

• Children learn language through conditioning (only when they are exposed to)

• Stimulus-response drives language acquisition; drill and practice - reinforcement

Social Interactionism

• encourage social interactions; desire to communication and use drives acquisition

• Incorporate caregivers and multiple environments into learning

Emergentist Theory

• data and pattern driven, child’s ability to use cues develops over time

• neurologically based

Critical period hypothesis

must have adequate stimuli before “critical age” (5-7 years old) or full language command cannot be achieved

Phonology

• shortest optimial/critcal period

• need exposure to phonology in first years of life to have native accent

Classification: Consonantal sounds (in English) are classified by 3 dimensions

• Voice

• Place

• Manner

Voice

Activity of vocal cords

• Voiced

• Voiceless

Place

Point of contact where sound is produced

• Bilabial

• Labiodental

• Interdental

• Alveolar

• Palatal

• Velar

• Glottal

Manner

configuration and interaction between articulators

• Stop

• Fricative

• Affricate

• Nasal

• Liquid

• Glide

Phonemes developed (Early 8 year)

Early 8 sounds: /m, b, j, n, w, d, p, h/ → usually mastered by 3 years

How to remember phonemes development (early 8 year)

A mnemonic device can help recall the Early 8 phonemes: "My Big Juice Needs Water, Delicious Peaches Help" represents /m, b, j, n, w, d, p, h/.

Phonemes developed (Middle 8 year)

Middle 8 sounds: /t, ŋ, k, g, f, v, tʃ, dʒ/ → usually mastered by 4–5 years

How to remember phonemes development (Middle 8 year)

A useful mnemonic for the Middle 8 phonemes is "Tigers and Kittens Give Fun Very Cheerful Joy," representing /t, ŋ, k, g, f, v, tʃ, dʒ/.

Phonemes developed (Late 8 year)

• Late 8 sounds: /ʃ, θ, s, z, ð, l, r, ʒ/ → usually mastered by 5–7 years

How to remember phonemes development (Late 8 year)

A helpful mnemonic for the Late 8 phonemes is "Shy Tiny Tiny Snakes Lick Zebra's Runny Jelly," representing /ʃ, θ, s, z, ð, l, r, ʒ/.

Bilabial place of articulation

Both lips

Labiodental place of articulation

upper front teeth + lower lip

Interdental place of articulation

tongue tip near/between teeth

Alveolar place of articulation

tongue tip on/near tooth ridge

Palatal place of articulation

tongue body to hard palate

Velar place of articulation

tongue body on/near soft palate

Glottal place of articulation

made in throat, between vocal folds

/p/

voiceless

stop

bilabial

/b/

voiced

bilabial

stop

/m/

voiced

bilabial

nasal

/w/

voiced

bilabial

glide (A glide is a sound made by moving the tongue quickly from one position to another.)

/f/

voiceless

labio-dental

fricative

/v/

voiced

labio-dental

fricative

/θ/

voiceless

inter-dental

fricative

/ð/

voiced

inter-dental

fricative

/t/

voiceless

alveolar

stop

/s/

voiceless

alveolar

fricative

/d/

voiced

alveolar

stop

/z/

voiced

alveolar

fricative

/n/

voiced

alveolar

nasal

/l/

voiced

alveolar

liquid

/ʃ/

voiceless

palatal

fricative

/tʃ/

voiceless

palatal

affricate

/ʒ/

voiced

palatal

fricative (A fricative is a sound made by squeezing air through a small gap, causing a hissy or noisy sound.)

/dʒ/

voiced

palatal

affricate

/r/

voiced

palatal

liquid

/j/ or the y sound

voiced

palatal

glide (A glide is a sound made by moving the tongue quickly from one position to another.)

/k/

voiceless

velar

stop

/g/

voiced

velar

stop

/ŋ/

voiced

velar

nasal

/h/

voiceless

glottal

fricative

Source-Filter Theory

sound source filtered and shaped by resonant vocal tract

Source–Filter Theory says that your voice starts as a buzzing sound from the vocal folds (source), and then your vocal tract shapes that sound into speech (filter).

Explain the process of Source-Filter Theory

✅ 1. Sound Source

Speech sounds come from two possible sources:

A. Glottal Source

• Comes from the vocal folds vibrating in the larynx.

• Produces a voiced sound.

• This is the primary source for:

  • Vowels

  • Sonorants (nasals, liquids, glides)

  • Voiced consonants (/b, d, g, v, z/)

Example:
For /a/ → vocal folds vibrate → glottal source.

---

B. Supraglottal Source

• Comes from turbulence or blockage above the vocal folds.

• Produced in the vocal tract, not at the glottis.

• This is the source for:

  • Voiceless fricatives (/s, f, ʃ/) → turbulence

  • Voiceless stops (/p, t, k/) → burst release

  • Affricates (/tʃ, dʒ/) → stop + fricative combo

Example:
For /s/ → no vocal fold vibration → noise created at the alveolar ridge → supraglottal source.

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✅ 2. Filter

After the sound source is created, it is shaped by the filter:

A. The Vocal Tract

This is the entire filter. It splits into:

1. Oral Tract

• Mouth: tongue, lips, jaw, palate

• Shapes vowels and most consonants

• Determines place of articulation (bilabial, alveolar, velar, etc.)

2. Nasal Tract

• When the velum is lowered, sound flows into the nose.

• Used for nasal sounds (/m, n, ŋ/).

Filter = changes the resonances.
Different shapes → different formants → different phonemes.

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✅ 3. Speech Sounds: Distinctive Features

Distinctive features = the tiny properties that describe how a sound is made.
They help distinguish one phoneme from another.

Common distinctive features:

A. Voicing

• +voice → glottal source (vocal fold vibration)

• –voice → supraglottal source only

B. Nasal

• +nasal → velum lowered, nasal filter used (/m, n, ŋ/)

• –nasal → oral-only sounds

C. Continuant

• +continuant → airflow continues (vowels, fricatives, glides)

• –continuant → complete blockage (stops)

D. Place features

• Labial → bilabial, labiodental

• Coronal → alveolar, palatal

• Dorsal → velar

E. Manner features

• Stop, nasal, fricative, affricate, liquid, glide

Distinctive features link directly to how the source + filter operate.

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⭐ Putting it all together in one simple summary:

• Sound source is either:

  • Glottal (vocal fold vibration)

  • Supraglottal (noise from constriction or bursts)

• Filter is the vocal tract:

  • Oral tract → most sounds

  • Nasal tract → nasal consonants

• Distinctive features describe how the sound is created:

  • Voicing, place, manner, nasality, continuancy, etc.

Sonorants

produced with uninterrupted air (no hiss noise - smooth and resonant)

Consonatal

Partial or complete obstruction of airflow

Continuants

flow of air is not blocked at any point (that hissing noise like in ssssss)

Sibilants

high frequency “hissing” sounds, air forced through narrow openingS

Stridents

produced with constriction, airstream hits 2 surfaces (intense noise)

Obstruents

Produced by some type of air obstruction/constriction

Stops

complete vocal tract closure (pressure build up) - sudden releaseF

Fricatives 

Partial blockage of vocal tract, air forced through narrow channel

Affricates

start as stop (air builds up), releases through narrow channel (fricative)

Nasals

velum lowers and airflows through nasal cavity (closure of oral cavity)L

Liquids

airstream flows around sides of the tongue (tip to mid alveolar ridge)

Glides

consonants with no stop or friction

Physiological Continuum of Speech Sounds (Vocal Tract)

This refers to the idea that speech sounds can be arranged on a spectrum based on how open or closed the vocal tract is during their production.

It’s a continuum from most open to most constricted.

Physiological Continuum of Speech Sounds (Vocal Tract) - The order

Vowels/Diphthongs

• Produced by selectively amplifying open vocal 

• F1 and F2 are important for perception 

• Classified as: front, central, back + high, middle, low

Liquids/Glides

• Produced with some constriction (oral semi-vowels, vowel-like) 

• Liquids: /r/ (palatal retroflex); /l/ (alveolar, only lateral in English)

• Glides: /j/ (palatal, high tongue); /w/ (starts at high back position)

Nasals

• Produced by occlusion of vocal tract and an open nasal

• air flow through nasal cavity 

• lower resonant frequencies; reduced intensity (nasal murmur)

Fricatives 

• Produced by airflow through a narrow constriction

• Creates turbulent noise

• Obstruent sounds

Affricates

• Produced by total occlusion of vocal tract and a slow release

• Combination of a stop (occlusion) and fricative (narrow constriction)

• may also be called semi-plosive

Stops

• produced by complete blockage of airflow and a sudden release

• Create a noise burst, may also be called plosive

• perceived based on: frequency of burst and formant transitions

• F1 and F3 (burst to vowel)

Vowel Quadrilateral

All diphthongs

Extralinguistic

everything outside of language itself that still influences communication.

These are the nonverbal things that help us communicate.

Examples of extralinguistic information:

• Facial expressions

• Gestures

• Body language

• Eye contact

• Tone of voice (paralinguistics)

• Physical distance (proxemics)

Simple definition:

Extralinguistic = communication beyond words.

3 subcategory

• Metalinguistic

• Paralinguistic

• Nonlinguistic

Metalinguistic

study of language and relationship with other behaviors

Examples of metalinguistic skills:

• Noticing that two words rhyme

• Knowing that a sentence “sounds wrong”

• Being able to define a word

• Explaining what a word means

Paralinguistic

communication aspects that are not words

(ex - gestures)