Phonological Framework Research Articles

Phonological Distinctiveness of Shina: Implications for Second Language Acquisition

This study seeks to unravel the phenomenon of aspiration with reference to Shina and its impact on English language learning by rendering the phonological characteristics of Shina. Aspiration, an attribute that is vital in differentiating English voiced and voiceless plosives, is used to differentiate Shina-speaking learners who were the subjects of this study. A combination of fifty Shina speaking English learners was studied through a detailed method who were largely homogeneous in their English Speaking proficiency. The study was based on two main approaches; perceptual test and phonetic study of speech output. These strategies were aimed at determining whether there were any transfer effects from Shina using the Shina speakers’ production and perception of the English plosives in comparison to native speakers’ production and perception. The results indicated differences in production of and perception of aspirated plosive neither of which could be devoid of the phonetic and phonological framework of Shina dialect. These results provide insight into how the native and second language phonologies interface thereby providing an understanding of the process of learning a second language and providing the necessary guidance on the phonetic teaching of Shina speaking students.

Gradient speech change during intervention for school-aged children and adults with cleft palate ± lip

ABSTRACT Gradient speech change, where speech sound production develops in a broadly step-wise fashion towards the standard adult form, is a well-recognised phenomenon in children developing typical speech, but is much less studied in speakers with developmental speech sound disorders. Instrumental techniques, such as electropalatography (EPG), may be useful for identifying gradient speech change and may supplement phonetic transcription in important ways. This study investigated whether gradient speech change occurred in six participants with cleft palate ± lip undergoing intervention within a usage-based phonology framework (2/6 participants with speech distortions; 4/6 with pattern-based speech substitutions; combined total of 25 speech sounds targeted for intervention). Participants received weekly therapy in a hospital setting and were aged 10–27 years. Gradient speech change with target speech sounds was examined using EPG analysis, which was undertaken after every fifth session of therapy. The presence of gradient change was determined by visually examining EPG palatograms and EPG indices for target speech sounds across successive EPG test points. This study found gradient speech change occurred in 22/25 target sounds over the course of intervention. This gradient change occurred for both speech distortions and pattern-based speech substitutions. The remaining 3/25 target sounds showed categorical change. Usage-based phonology was suggested as a theory with potential for explaining gradient speech change, with both typical and atypical speech, and with speech distortions and pattern-based speech substitutions. This finding adds to other research showing that the objective data provided by instrumental techniques, such as EPG, may be a valuable complement to phonetic transcription.

A government phonology analysis of assimilation in AnakỤ Igbo expressions: <i>“ǹgịvụ”</i> and <i>“gbaa egbè”</i>

Assimilation, no doubt, is a major co-articulatory feature of human language involving two segments in binary asymmetric relation. In the Igbo language, there are vowel-vowel assimilation, vowel-syllable assimilation, syllabic nasal-consonant assimilation, vowel-consonant assimilation, and consonant-vowel assimilation. Using the Government Phonology framework, this paper analyses assimilation in Anakụ Igbo expressions, ǹgịvụ ‘you’ and gbaa egbè ‘shot gun’, which are examples of syllabic nasal-consonant assimilation and vowel-vowel assimilation respectively. The results reveal a relation of government existing between the sounds in the context of assimilation in the two words, whereby one of the sounds is the governor that has charmed the other sound as its governee. It is confirmed that assimilation in Anakụ Igbo variety adheres to the tenets of the Government Phonology.

The Aesthetics of Sound: A Stylistic Exploration of J.P. Clark's Dramatic Texts

Previous research on J.P Clark’s “Ozidi” and “The Raft” primarily focused on literary elements like theme, characterization, and subject matter. These examinations often overlooked the significance of sound devices in emphasizing stylistic interpretations and the author's communicative goals, both essential for a thorough understanding and interpretation of the works. This analysis, in contrast, delves into the stylistic importance of phonological tools as indicators of meaning within the texts. Using M.A.K. Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar for analysis, this study explores sound devices, including alliteration, assonance, and repetition, to highlight specific meanings. The phonological framework is key to capturing the essence and aesthetic appeal of J.P. Clark’s dramatic works.

A Phonological Study of Consonants and Vowels Phonemic Merger in Hausa

This paper examined a phonological study of consonants and vowels phonemic merger in Hausa. The main objective of this research is to examine how phonological and morphological rules trigger phonemic merger of certain consonants and vowels phonemes in particular phonetic environments of a word as phonetic and phonemic entity, on the assumption that, phonological and morphological rules relate an underlying structure to its phonetic representation. The study employed generative phonological framework in the analysis of the data so that we can establish the set of rules that describe the changes of the underlying structure when they occur in speech. Also, for the data collection an ethnographic communication method is adopted. The findings of the research discovered three phonological processes that motivate consonants and vowels phonemic merger in Hausa. The identified phonological processes are: palatalization, rhotacization and deletion motivating phonemic merger. In addition, it is noted that phonemic merger is a rule-governed process because, we have clearly seen how a series of cumulative Hausa phonological and morphological rules operate on the underlying forms, and transform them into surface forms in realizing a phonemic merger in Hausa.

Segmental Features of English as Spoken by the Ilokanos

This paper documented the segmental features of English as spoken by the Ilokanos. It specifically characterized the vowel and consonant sounds evident in the English spoken by the Ilokanos in Regions I, II, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). Moreover, the participants were purposively limited to those who have been born and raised in their local provinces, who are using Ilokano as their first language, and who have been schooled in their respective regions.Using frequency counts, averages, and percentages, the study described the distinctive segmental features of English as spoken by the Ilokanos. Chi-square was used to establish significant differences in terms of region, age group, and language domain.Additionally, the study identified distinctive features as well as variation patterns by using Tayao’s (2004) 80% mathematical scheme.Overall results show complex patterns of variation on how the Ilokanos produce the segmental features of English. In terms of the study variables, significant differences are established in terms of age group and language domain. Geographical consideration does not indicate much of a difference as Ilokanos share a common phonological system. With the issue of variation as clearly revealed in the findings, more quantitative documentation across geographical, socio-cultural, and linguistic backgrounds should be conducted to come up with more stable results than what the present study has established. By doing this, the Ilokanos can contribute to the growing studies and documentation of Philippine English phonology as well as in constructing their own phonological framework.

A Phonological Structure of Dual and Salāmah Plural: Contemporary Linguistic Description For Non-Arabic Learners/ التشكيل الصوتيّ للمثنَّى وجموع السلامة: وصف لسانيّ معاصر لمتعلِّمي العربيّة من الناطقين بغيرها

Nowadays, Arabic language pedagogy has improved its content to align with the updated and revised global knowledge. However, most Arabic language morphology books learned and used by non-native speakers are designated based on conventional information. The content relies mainly on discussing Arabic words' physical characteristics rather than acoustic characteristics. For instance, some contemporary Arabic linguists have not revised how phonics is formed, for example, the dual and Salamah plural structure. On that note, this study investigates the phonological rules and their explanation of how the dual and salāmah plurals are formed, which can be beneficial in teaching Arabic morphology. The study utilizes the descriptive analytical approach by identifying all types of dual and salāmah plural in the Arabic language and analyses based on the phonological framework using international linguistics transliteration symbols. One of the most important findings of the study is that the vocal structure of dual and salāmah plural is formed by adding suffix in the single last word, namely for dual: āni, and, and for salāmah plural: ūna, īna, ātu, and āti. The most critical phonological rules that formed these structures are the Arabic language's dissimilation and the syllable system. The benefits of this study for teaching Arabic are to facilitate morphological descriptions for non-native Arabic learners and present an accurate analysis using symbols and phonological rules, which is more significant to comprehend the nature of human language based on modern scientific thinking.

The influence of word stress on segmental and cluster match: a Bulgarian three-year-old with protracted phonological development

ABSTRACT The current paper analyses speech data of a monolingual Bulgarian girl (“Etty”, aged 3;11) with protracted phonological development (PPD). Etty's profile demonstrates the strong effects of prohibitive word structure constraints on segmental and whole-word accuracy. Single-word utterances were audio-recorded by a native speaker and transcribed phonetically by three transcribers. Data were analysed within a constraints-based nonlinear phonological framework (Bernhardt & Stemberger, Introduction to this issue). Even though the child's segmental system met age-level expectations in stressed syllables, strong constraints against initial unstressed syllables and consonant sequences reduced her overall accuracy and intelligibility. The data highlight the importance of examining all aspects of the phonological hierarchy, and further define the scope of PPD for Bulgarian.

Individual profiles in protracted phonological development across languages: introduction to the special issue

ABSTRACT Although group studies provide necessary information about the range and frequency of phenomena in phonological development, individual profiles (case studies) can be used to describe entire phonological systems in detail. Profiles from different languages can highlight similarities and differences across languages that may be less obvious in group studies. The current issue presents profiles of children with protracted phonological development (PPD: speech sound disorders) from 16 languages (Akan, Kuwaiti Arabic, Bulgarian, Canadian English, Farsi, Canadian French, German, Greek, Icelandic, Japanese, Mandarin, Polish, European Portuguese, Slovenian, Granada Spanish, Swedish). Utilising a constraints-based nonlinear phonological framework, each profile describes a child’s strengths and needs in word structure, segments, features and their interactions and suggests an intervention plan. Where available, follow-up data from after clinical intervention are included. This introductory paper provides the theoretical background for the papers and reflects on the findings, drawing out particular themes and implications for phonological and developmental theories and clinical intervention.

Expanding the gestural model of lexical tone: Evidence from two dialects of Serbian

There is mounting evidence suggesting that temporal information is necessary in representations of lexical tone. Gestural models of tone provide a natural entry point to linking abstract association with physical realization, but remain underdeveloped. We present the results of two acoustic production studies on two dialects of Serbian, a lexical pitch accent language. In the Belgrade dialect, pitch accents are aligned relatively late in the tone-bearing unit, while in the Valjevo dialect, pitch accents are phonetically retracted, sometimes into the preceding syllable. We varied the phonetic duration of syllable onsets of candidate tone-bearing units in falling (experiment 1) and rising (experiment 2) pitch accents, and measured the effects on the timing of F0 excursions. Consistent interactions between F0 excursions and the segmental content indicate that the phonological system of abstract tone association is the same in both dialects, despite differences in temporal alignment. We argue that this apparent mismatch between association and alignment can be expressed straightforwardly in the Articulatory Phonology framework by allowing tone gestures to coordinate with other gestures in all the ways that segmental gestures can, rather than restricting tone to c-center coordination.

Word structure and consonant interaction in a French-speaking child with protracted phonological development

ABSTRACT This paper presents data from a Québec French-speaking child with protracted phonological development (PPD) who received phonological intervention based on a nonlinear phonological framework. At 5;3, he showed relative strengths in word structure compared with consonants (e.g., /s, f, v, k, ɡ/). Addressing segmental constraints in intervention led to higher overall accuracy and more consistent production of singleton consonants and word-medial consonant sequences and further gains in word structure. As part of a special cross-linguistic issue on individual profiles in PPD, the current paper provides an in-depth pre/post-treatment phonological analysis and contributes to emerging normative French-Canadian data on assessment and treatment.

Bracketing Paradoxes resolved

AbstractBracketing Paradoxes (BPs) have been the subject of many different analyses since the 1970s. Each of these analyses have included BP-specific machinery to account for the apparent mismatch between the syntactico-semantic and morpho-phonological structures argued to be necessary for a complete analysis of this phenomenon. This article proposes that independently necessary operations and structures in the morpho-syntactic and phonological modules allow for an analysis of BPs that avoids postulating ad-hoc tools. Specifically, a system that includes cyclic (phasal) interpretation of the morpho-syntax in combination with a flat (CVCV) phonological framework avoids the emergence of paradoxical structures altogether. The discussion therefore includes both current morpho-syntactic and phonological analyses of each construction proposed to give rise to a BP; comparatives (unhappier), Level-ordering BPs (ungrammaticality), Phrasal BPs (modular grammarian), Compound BPs (particle physicist), Particle-verbs (podžëg‘set fire’ [Russian]), and Reduplicated BPs (kwíita-kwíita‘to pour a bit’ [Kihehe]). The proposal that a flat phonological framework is key in avoiding the paradoxical nature of BPs has implications for the correct structure of phonological representations generally.

Phonological units for phonological change: synchrony shall provide them

The question of what types of units and domains are needed in order to capture phonological change is a reasonable one to ask. To answer this question, however, we first need to properly define how we understand phonological change, and the definition that we adopt for that clearly depends on the phonological framework that is assumed. I consider several influential frameworks here and then come to the conclusion that the same condition holds for all of them: change can only be described in terms of the same units (and domains) as are used for synchronic description. This leads to the following conclusion: the set of units for phonological change is a subset of the set of units that are needed for synchronic phonological description. However, it is also unlikely that some units needed for synchronic description can be fully ignored for all descriptions of changes, which leads us to the conclusion that the set of units that are needed for phonological change is also a superset of that set. The sets are thus equal: the phonological units needed for synchronic description are the units needed to account for phonological change, and the question above is meaningless.

Monitoring internal speech: an advantage for syllables over phonemes?

ABSTRACT Listeners generally detect syllables faster than phonemes in overt speech. This “syllable advantage” holds robustly for utterance-initial CV vs. C targets [Segui et al., 1981. Phoneme monitoring, syllable monitoring and lexical access. British Journal of Psychology, 72(4), 471–477]. We report a syllable advantage when monitoring inner speech. Spanish-speaking Argentinian participants presented with pictures were faster and more accurate at detecting CV than C targets at the beginning of the pictures’ names. This CV over C advantage maintained, although substantially weakened, after adding CV’ foils in CV-target trials, a manipulation logically more detrimental to CV- than C-detection. Our results converge with previous studies showing intriguing parallelisms between overt and inner speech perception and processing, supporting a restricted version of Levelt’s perceptual-loop hypothesis. We discuss what common basic units of processing could be, borrowing from the articulatory phonology framework and its proposal of a “common currency” between speakers and listeners.

A comparison of two phonological screening tools for French-speaking children

Purpose: To examine two screening tools for phonological production, the Evaluation Sommaire de la Phonologie chez l’enfant d’âge préscolaire (ESPP) and the Test de Phonologie du Français Canadien-Dépistage (TPFC-D), developed according to differing theoretical perspectives. The TPFC-D, designed according to nonlinear phonology, includes more words and contains a greater variety of segments across word structure as compared to the ESPP, which was guided by a linear phonological framework. The greater response rate to test items, time of administration, and phonological complexity were expected on the TPFC-D. Method: Each screening tool was administered to 14 4-year-old French-speaking children living in Central Canada. Paired samples t-tests compared children’s responses on the two tasks with regards to (a) response rate and time of administration, (b) an overall percentage of consonants correct (PCC) and percentage of vowel correct (PVC), and (c) complexity of productions (i.e. PCC and PVC in relation to word structure, Word Shape Match, Whole Word Match, Phonological Mean Length of Utterance (pMLU) and Proportion of Whole-Word Proximity). Result: Item response rates were higher for the TPFC-D whereas time of administration, PCC and PVC were similar for both the ESPP and TPFC-D. Complexity measures showed a higher proportion of deletions in clusters and higher pMLUs on the TPFC-D compared to the ESPP. Conclusion: Both screening measures are appropriate for speech-language pathologists who want to assess quickly pre-school-aged children. Since the TPFC-D is phonologically more complex, it is recommended for clinicians needing to screen children who likely present with multiple speech sound errors across their phonological system.

Variación de las róticas en el español de Costa Rica

The class of sounds classified under the umbrella term “rhotic” demonstrate considerable variability across, languages, dialects, and speech styles. This is no exception in Spanish, where rhotics have received considerable attention. Among dialects of Spanish, the pronunciation of rhotics in Costa Rican Spanish is a highly salient feature of this variety, where the standard trill /r/ and tap /ɾ/ are often assibilated or realized as fricatives. A number of studies have examined Costa Rican rhotics from both phonological and phonetic perspectives, yet the results of these studies have been inconclusive. Notably absent from these studies are acoustic analyses of rhotic production, instead relying on impressionistic transcriptions which risk glossing over phonetic detail. This pilot study revisits the question of rhotic variation in Costa Rican Spanish by analyzing five sociolinguistic interviews with native speakers of Costa Rican Spanish. Using acoustic analyses of rhotic tokens, I propose a rhotic inventory for this variety which includes approximant and fricative variants in addition to the standard tap and trill. Additionally, I propose a potential explanation for the distribution of rhotic variants through an Articulatory Phonology framework, suggesting that rhotic variation can be explained as a result of gestural weakening and co-articulation. The study presents preliminary conclusions regarding socioeconomic factors, suggesting areas for future research, including the effect of age and gender on rhotic variation. Overall this work contributes to the understanding of the Costa Rican variety of Spanish, considering both linguistic and extralinguistic factors as potential predictors of variation.

Palatalization in Central Bùlì

Palatalization is a process through which non-palatal consonants acquire palatality, either through a shift in place of articulation from a non-palatal region to the hard palate or through the superimposition of palatal qualities on a non-palatal consonant. In both cases, there is a front, non-low vowel or a palatal glide that triggers the process. In this paper, I examine the palatalization phenomena in Bùlì using Feature Geometry within the non-linear generative phonological framework. I argue that both full and secondary palatalization occur in Buli. The paper further explains that, the long high front vowel /i:/, triggers the formation of a palato-alveolar affricate which is realized in the Central dialect of Bùlì, where the Northern and Central dialects retain the derived palatal stop.

A Description of Phonological Processes in ỌRO Compound Nouns

Compounding is a word-formation process. Though compounding is a morpho-syntactic phenomenon, its morpho-phonology interface cannot be gainsaid, as well-formed lexical items must be regulated by some phonological processes to comply with the phonotactic constraints of the language. This study describes the phonological processes that occur as a result of compounding in the Ọrọ language. The data for the study were elucidated from three selected native speakers of Ọrọ using the 1700 SIL Comparative African Wordlist, as well as a structured wordlist. The data were carefully coded and transcribed for analysis. The results of the analysis show cases of weakening, vowel deletion and vowel assimilation processes in Ọrọ compound nouns. These processes entail that Ọrọ phonotactics play a major role in defining a structurally-preferred lexical item in the Ọrọ language. It is therefore opined that compounding in Ọrọ is defined by the phonotactic constraints of the language. Analyzing the data within the moraic phonological framework clearly brought out the modifications that segments undergo, thereby making explicit, the alteration in the syllable internal structure of the compounds as maintained in this paper. This work will provide the basis for an aspect of phonological analysis in Ọrọ, as well as providing more insights into the structural requirements of the Ọrọ language.

Word stress processing integrates phonological abstraction with lexical access – An ERP study

It is unclear whether word stress in a language is stored as part of the word or whether it is generated by a rule. We test the generativist hypothesis of lexical storage stating that only unpredictable stress is stored in long-term memory against the contrasting usage-based approach assuming that all phonetic information regardless of its (un)predictability is stored in the mental lexicon together with the word. In a correctness judgment task involving correctly and incorrectly stressed penults and antepenults, we found that incorrectly stressed penults do not evoke an N400 effect, whereas incorrectly stressed antepenults do: there is increased negativity with a peak latency around 350–600 ms from word onset. Only changes to words with exceptional stress cause lexical inhibition, hence exceptional but not default stress markers are stored in the lexicon. Additionally, differences in processing patterns between the N400 and the late positivity component window point to an integration of two stages of word processing: pre-lexical stress recognition and stress-to-meaning matching. The results of the study support the view that stress should be understood as abstract phonological information. • Changes to the original stress in exceptions, but not words with default stress cause lexical inhibition in Spanish. • Following the generative phonology framework, predictable stress information is not stored in the lexicon. • Combined N400 and positivity effects show integration of pre-lexical stress recognition and stress-to-meaning matching. • Electrophysiological data confirm that stress is an abstract phonological category.

Constraint cumulativity in phonotactics: evidence from artificial grammar learning studies

An ongoing debate in phonology concerns the treatment of cumulative constraint interactions, or ‘gang effects’, and by extension the question of which phonological frameworks are suitable models of the grammar. This paper uses a series of artificial grammar learning experiments to examine the inferences that learners draw about cumulative constraint violations in phonotactics in the absence of a confounding natural-language lexicon. I find that learners consistently infer linear counting and ganging cumulativity across a range of phonotactic violations.