Syllable Structure Processes Research Articles

A CONSTRAINT-BASED ANALYSIS OF THE SYLLABLE STRUCTURE OF IKHIN

This study investigates the syllable structure of Ikhin, an Edoid language in South-South, Nigeria. Being a phonological study, it is the first full-length investigation and analysis of Ikhin syllable structure which hitherto had not been studied to this depth. The previous study mainly dwells on the phonetics of the language. I examine the syllable structure of Ikhin at the phonetic and phonemic levels. The study observes that the Ikhin syllable structure types are CV and V at the phonemic level. Further reviews show that Ikhin does not have syllabic nasal as is found in some other Edoid languages. This paper observes that these phonemic syllable structure types, CV and V, sometimes have surface CCV structures. The study reveals that the C2, in CCV syllable is due to the creation of approximants and the possible C2 is [j] or [w]. As in the case of related Edoid languages that have been previously described, the study confirms that the created approximants are a result of the glide formation rule. In the case of [Cj], previous study on Ikhin language observes an assimilatory process known as palatalization. Therefore, this study undertakes some analyses of these suspicious segments [Cj] and [Cw] in Ikhin with a view to confirming that it is a sequence of a consonant and a glide, not a single segment. Thus, using a descriptive approach, the paper presents syllable structure processes such as glide formation, vowel elision and vowel insertion in Ikhin. Optimality theory is used in analyzing and presenting the data.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0567/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES AMONG GHANAIAN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: A CASE STUDY OF NEW ELITE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

The study focused on ascertaining the phonological processes that characterize the speech patterns of some selected preschool children. Data was collected from a sample of ten (10) pupils from ages 1-5 spanning the accepted age range for pupils to be in preschool in Ghana. Productions of the participants on words were recorded and later analyzed to determine the phonological processes present. It was found that the phonological processes that characterized the speech of the sample are syllable structure processes (e.g. cluster reduction); substitutions; and insertions. Further, it was found that age has a role to play in the presence of phonological processes in the speech of an individual. It was found however that some of the pupils were able to correctly articulate sounds when they were repeated to them. The study recommends that this study be extended to other school children in the country as well as teachers and other stakeholders towards ensuring the school-going children learn English pronunciation the right way.
 
 <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0897/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Phonological Processes in A 18-Months Bilingual Toddler

<em>The toddler’s first words were unintelligible speech by adult. This study was conducted to investigate the language development undergone by a 18-months bilingual toddler. The study of language development had two perspectives in terms of clinical and linguistic perspective. This study was a linguistic perspective to find out the language development processes especially in phonological processes undergone by a 18-months bilingual toddler. This study employed descriptive case study as the method with observation and video recording as the data collection. The participant of this study was a 18-months Javanesse-Indonesian toddler. The data were collected for 30 days. The data were categorized and analyzed based on </em><em>Ingram's theory (1976)</em><em>. The result revealed that there were three categories of phonological processes undergone by 18-months Javanesse-Indonesian toddler such as substitution, assimilatory, and syllable structure processes. The syllable structure processes with initial consonant deletion is the most dominant types of phonological processes. The results are expected to enrich the study of language development especially in a 18-months Javanesse-Indonesian toddler in which the information will benefit for the practicing clinicians.</em>

Articulation skills in bilingual children with a migration background: a comparison between bilingual Turkish-Dutch, Arabic-Dutch and monolingual Dutch children

Background/aimsThere is a lack of studies investigating articulation skills in bilingual children with a migration background. Therefore, the present study compared articulation skills in bilingual Turkish-Dutch/Moroccan Arabic-Dutch children with migration background and monolingual Dutch children without migration background. Moreover, possible factors influencing articulation skills were determined. Methods15 bilingual Turkish-Dutch, 15 bilingual Moroccan Arabic-Dutch and an age and gender matched group consisting of 15 monolingual Dutch children, all aged between 6 and 7 years and living in Flanders, were included in the present study. Articulation was evaluated using a picture naming test. Speech samples were transcribed phonetically and articulatory analysis, including a phonetic inventory and phonetic and phonological analyses, was performed. The phonetic analysis made a distinction between distortions, substitutions, additions, and omissions. For the phonological analysis, a distinction between syllable structure processes, substitution processes and assimilation processes was made. Moreover, parents were administered a self-report questionnaire to determine possible factors influencing articulation skills. ResultsA statistically significant difference in additions was found when comparing the three groups. Interestingly, both the Turkish-Dutch and Moroccan Arabic-Dutch groups used additions that were not present in the Dutch group (i.e. respectively addition of the [ə] and [ər]). Concerning phonological analysis, it was found that deletions of final consonants were more present in the bilingual groups compared to the monolingual group. Moreover, statistically significant effects of origin, home language, and language preference of the child were found on presence of both phonetic errors and phonological disorders. ConclusionFindings of the present study showed that some phonetic errors and phonological processes were more present in the group of bilingual children with migration background compared to the group of monolingual children without migration background. Interestingly, phonetic errors and phonological processes were more present when (1) the child had a Turkish origin, or (2) when the dominant language at the home environment was Turkish, or (3) when the preferred language of the child was Turkish. Given the increased attention to migration, findings of the present study are highly important for speech-language pathologists, teachers, and more generally, all professionals working with bilingual populations with a Moroccan Arabic or Turkish migration background.

Identification of phonological processes in Arabic–speaking Egyptian children by single-word test

PurposePhonological processes are systematic changes in sound classes, sound sequences or syllable structure. The aim of this study was to develop an assessment tool for identification of developmental phonological processes in Arabic-speaking Egyptian children in order to provide normative data of phonological processes in typically developing children and distinguish between normal children and children with phonological impairment. MethodThe study design was a cross-sectional descriptive one. Mansoura Arabic Test for Phonological Processes (MATPP) was developed to elicit children’s single–word productions through picture naming task. After being pilot-tested, the MATPP was presented to a group of 120 typically developing children in the age range 2–5 years and another group of 30 children with developmental language disorder (DLD) in the age range 2½ - 5years for test validation. ResultsAssimilation processes were the commonest phonological processes followed by syllable structure processes and substitution processes. In contrast to English language, prevocalic devoicing, backing of fricatives and glottal replacement were considered normal for Egyptian children. The face validity was demonstrated by judging all words of the MATPP for being completely relevant to the purpose for which it was meant and Criterion -related validity was demonstrated by higher scores of the DLD children in all phonological processes. MATPP presented test-retest reliability when re-administered by the same examiner or a different examiner to the same child within a two week interval. ConclusionMATPP is a valid and reliable assessment tool for identification of phonological processes in Arabic-speaking Egyptian children and can differentiate typically developing children from those with a phonological impairment.

A Comparison of Phonological Skills of Boys With Fragile X Syndrome and Down Syndrome

In this study, the authors compared the phonological accuracy and patterns of sound change of boys with fragile X syndrome, boys with Down syndrome, and typically developing mental-age-matched boys. Participants were 50 boys with fragile X syndrome, ages 3 to 14 years; 32 boys with Down syndrome, ages 4 to 13 years; and 33 typically developing boys, ages 2 to 6 years, who were matched for nonverbal mental age to both the boys with fragile X syndrome and the boys with Down syndrome. All participants were administered a standardized articulation test, and their sound accuracy, phonological process, and proportion of whole-word proximity scores were analyzed. Although boys with fragile X syndrome were delayed in their speech development, they did not differ from the typically developing, mental-age-matched boys in the percentage of correct early-, middle-, and late-developing consonants; phonological processes; or whole-word proximity scores. Furthermore, boys with fragile X syndrome had fewer errors on early-, middle-, and late-developing consonants; fewer syllable structure processes; and higher whole-word proximity scores than did boys with Down syndrome. Boys with Down syndrome also were delayed in their speech development, yet their phonological inventories, occurrences of phonological processes, and proportion of whole-word proximity scores indicated greater delays in their phonological development than the younger, typically developing boys. These results suggest that males with fragile X syndrome display phonological characteristics in isolated words similar to younger, typically developing children, whereas males with Down syndrome show greater delays as well as some developmental differences compared with both the males with fragile X syndrome and typically developing males.

Latin syllable structure in typological perspective

SummaryThree parameters are considered in the typology of Latin syllable structure: 1) phonotaxis of syllable structure; 2) correspondence of syllable structure with morpheme structure; 3) syllable structure processes. With respect to these parameters, Latin may be characterized as follows: 1) Latin allows moderate complexity of the onset, which, during its history, gets further reduced. Similarly, complexity of the nucleus is mostly reduced to a single short vowel. Latin allows relatively complex rhymes, which, however, get reduced in the language history; 2) Latin (as well as Romance languages) goes relatively far in blurring morphological boundaries, even left stem boundaries and, thus, word boundaries, by 'liaison'; 3. Latin phonology is relatively faithful to lexical representations. However, syllable structure is simplified, at the expense of the phonological manifestation of grammatical boundaries.

Length and syllable weight in Ibibio

This paper presents a study of segment length and its relationship to the syllable in Ibibio, a Lower Cross language spoken in Nigeria. Syllable structure processes such as consonant lengthening, lenition, vowel lengthening and truncation all occur to satisfy syllable weight requirements.