When language-general and language-specific processes are in conflict: The case of sub-syllabic word segmentation in toddlers.

Abstract

Infants use statistics-based word segmentation strategies from the preverbal stage. Statistical segmentation is, however, constrained by the Onset Bias, a language-universal principle that disfavors segmentation that harms syllable integrity. Children eventually learn language-specific exceptions to this principle. For instance, sub-syllabic parsing occurs for vowel-initial words in French liaison contexts, that is, when a word's final consonant surfaces as the following word's syllabic onset (e.g., /n/ in un /n/éléphant). In past research, French-learning 24-month-olds succeeded in parsing a vowel-initial pseudo-word surfacing with variable liaison consonants. This study further investigated infants' liaison representation, its potential impacts on parsing, and its interaction with the Onset Bias. In Experiments 1 and 2, French-learning 24-month-olds were familiarized with pseudo-words with variable liaison-like versus nonliaison-like onset consonants, preceded by words that cannot trigger those onsets (e.g., un zonche; un gonche). We found no mis-segmentation as vowel-initial and successful segmentation as consonant-initial. In Experiment 3, when the preceding words could trigger a liaison consonant that matched the onset of the following word (e.g., un nonche), infants showed a vowel-initial mis-interpretation, against the Onset Bias, revealing an effect of liaison knowledge. These results demonstrate that toddlers balance their use of language-general principles/strategies and language-specific knowledge during early acquisition.