Phonetica was published by Karger Publishers up to and including 2020. If you or your institution subscribed to Phonetica during that period, you might still have access to the full text of this article on the Karger platform if you cannot access it here.
Abstract
Previous studies of infants’ babbling have reported contradictory results as to the extent and timing of discernible phonetic influences of the ambient language. In the present experiment, five experienced phoneticians were asked to listen for ambient language effects on vocalizations produced by American and Swedish 12- and 18-month-olds (with 8 children in each language and age group), and to motivate their decisions in terms of word or phonetic cue perception. Group results indicated that listeners did not perceive effects of ambient language on pure babbles for either of the two age groups, whereas a clear effect appeared in both age groups given a more liberal definition of babbling. This is taken to suggest that results of ambient language listening tests may depend crucially on judgments of vocalizations’ word status. As compared to the group trends, listener responses to individual children’s vocalizations did not indicate that a majority of either 12- or 18-monthers were sufficiently native-sounding to be reliably identified on the basis of ambient language. A closer analysis of listeners’ use of phonetic cues indicated that one single phonetic property, the grave tonal word accent, was discerned by most listeners in vocalizations produced by the Swedish 18-monthers; this property was also discerned by one listener in vocalizations produced by Swedish 12-monthers. This result is consistent with the generally held belief in the primacy of tonal features in phonetic acquisition, and with experimental evidence indicating that Swedish mothers tend to enhance word accent contours in baby talk. In the final section of the paper, the results are discussed with a view to reconcile competing theories of babbling development, notably the ‘babbling drift’ and the ‘independence’ hypotheses.
verified
References
1 Atkinson, K.; MacWhinney, B.; Stoel, C.: An experiment on the recognition of babbling. Language behavior research laboratory working paper, University of California, Berkeley 14 (1968).Search in Google Scholar
2 Boysson-Bardies, B.; Halle, P.; Sagart, L.; Durand, C.: A crosslinguistic investigation of vowel formants in babbling. J. Child Lang. 16: 1–18 (1989).10.1017/S0305000900013404Search in Google Scholar
3 Boysson-Bardies, B.; Sagart, L.; Durand, C.: Discernible differences in the babbling of infants according to target language. J. Child Lang. 11: 1–15 (1984).10.1017/S0305000900005559Search in Google Scholar
4 Boysson-Bardies, B.; Sagart, L.; Halle, P.; Durand, C.: Acoustic investigation of crosslinguistic variability in babbling; in Lindblom, Zetterström, Precursors of early speech (Stockton Press, New York 1986).10.1007/978-1-349-08023-6_9Search in Google Scholar
5 Boysson-Bardies, B.; Vihman, M.M.: Adaptation to language: evidence from babbling and first words in four languages. Language 67: 297–319 (1991).10.1353/lan.1991.0045Search in Google Scholar
6 Boysson-Bardies, B.; Vihman, M.M.; Roug-Hellichius, L.; Durand, C.; Landberg, I.; Arao, F.: Material evidence of infant selection from the target language: a cross-linguistic phonetic study; in Ferguson, Menn, Stoel-Gammon, Phonological development: models, research, implications (York Press, Timonium, 1992).Search in Google Scholar
7 Browman, C.P.; Goldstein, L.: Articulatory phonology – an overview. Phonetica 49: 155–180 (1992).10.1159/000261913Search in Google Scholar
8 Brown, R.: Words and things (Free Press, Glencoe, 1958).Search in Google Scholar
9 Buhr, R.D.: The emergence of vowels in an infant. J. Speech Hear. Res. 23: 62–94 (1980).10.1044/jshr.2301.73Search in Google Scholar
10 Eady, S.J.: The onset of language-specific patterning in infant vocalization; masters thesis, Ottawa (1980).Search in Google Scholar
11 Engstrand, O.: Phonetic interpretation of the word accent contrast in Swedish: Evidence from spontaneous speech. Phonetica 54: 61–75 (1997).10.1159/000262211Search in Google Scholar
12 Engstrand, O.; Krull, D.: Effects of inventory size on the distribution of vowels in the formant space: preliminary data from seven languages. Phonetic Experimental Research, Institute of Linguistics, University of Stockholm (PERILUS) 13: 15–18 (1991).Search in Google Scholar
13 Engstrand, O.; Williams, K.; Strömqvist, S.: Acquisition of the Swedish tonal word accent contrast. Proceedings from the 12th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, Aix-en-Provence, vol. 1, pp. 324–327 (1991).Search in Google Scholar
14 Fernald, A.; Simon, T.: Expanded intonation contours in mothers’ speech to newborns. Dev. Psychol. 20: 104–113 (1984).10.1037/0012-1649.20.1.104Search in Google Scholar
15 Hallé, P.A.; Boysson-Bardies, B.; Vihman, M.M.: Beginnings of prosodic organization: intonation and duration patterns of disyllables produced by Japanese and French infants. Lang. Speech 34: 299–318 (1991).10.1177/002383099103400401Search in Google Scholar
16 Hua, Z.; Dodd, B.: The phonological acquisition of Putonghua (Modern Standard Chinese). J. Child Lang. 27: 3–42 (2000).10.1017/S030500099900402XSearch in Google Scholar
17 Kent, R.D.; Murray, A.D.: Acoustic features of infant vocalic utterances at 3, 6, and 9 months. J. the acoust. Soc. Am. 72: 353–365 (1982).Search in Google Scholar
18 Koopmans van Beinum, F.J.; van der Stelt, J.M.: Early stages in the development of speech movements; in Lindblom; Zetterström, Precursors of early speech, pp. 37–50 (Macmillan Press, Basingstoke 1986).10.1007/978-1-349-08023-6_4Search in Google Scholar
19 Kuhl, P.; Williams, K.A.; Lacerda, F.; Stevens, K.N.; Lindblom, B.: Linguistic experience alters phonetic perception in infants by 6 months of age. Science 255: 606–608 (1992).10.1126/science.1736364Search in Google Scholar
20 Kuhl, P.K.; Meltzoff, A.N.: Vocal learning in infants: development of perceptual-motor links for speech. Proceedings from the 13th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, Stockholm, vol. 1, pp. 146–149 (1995).Search in Google Scholar
21 Li, C.N.; Thompson, S.A.: The acquisition of tone in Mandarin-speaking children. J. Child Lang. 4: 185–199 (1977).10.1017/S0305000900001598Search in Google Scholar
22 Lieberman, P.: On the development of vowel production in young children; in Yeni-Komshian, Kavanagh, Ferguson, Child Phonology, vol. 1: Production, pp. 113–142 (Academic Press, New York 1980).10.1016/B978-0-12-770601-6.50012-7Search in Google Scholar
23 Lindblom, B.: Explaining phonetic variation: a sketch of the H & H theory; in Hardcastle, Marchal, Speech Production and Speech Modeling, pp. 403–439 (Dordrecht, Kluwer 1990a).10.1007/978-94-009-2037-8_16Search in Google Scholar
24 Lindblom, B.: On the notion of ‘possible speech sounds’. J. Phonet. 18: 135–152 (1990b).10.1016/S0095-4470(19)30398-5Search in Google Scholar
25 Lindblom, B.; Krull, D.; Stark, J.: Phonetic systems and phonological development; in Boysson-Bardies et al., Developmental Neurocognition: speech and face processing in the first year of life, pp. 399–409 (Dordrecht, Kluwer 1993).10.1007/978-94-015-8234-6_32Search in Google Scholar
26 Lindblom, B.; Maddieson, I.: Phonetic universals in consonant systems; in Hyman, Li, Language, speech and mind. Studies in honour of Victoria A. Fromkin, pp. 62–78 (Routledge, London 1988).Search in Google Scholar
27 Lindblom, B.; Engstrand, O.: In what sense is speech quantal? J. Phonet. 17: 107–121 (1989).10.1016/S0095-4470(19)31516-5Search in Google Scholar
28 Locke, J.L.: Phonological acquisition and change (Academic Press, New York 1983).Search in Google Scholar
29 Locke, J.L.: The child’s path to spoken language (Harvard University Press, Cambridge 1993).Search in Google Scholar
30 Maddieson, I.: Patterns of Sounds (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1984).10.1017/CBO9780511753459Search in Google Scholar
31 Mitchell, P.R.; Kent, R.D.: Phonetic variation in multisyllable babbling. J. Child Lang. 17: 247–265 (1990).10.1017/S0305000900013751Search in Google Scholar
32 Oller, D.K.: The emergence of the sounds of speech in infancy; in Yeni-Komshian, Kavanagh, Ferguson, Child Phonology, vol. 1: Production, pp. 93–112 (Academic Press, New York 1980).10.1016/B978-0-12-770601-6.50011-5Search in Google Scholar
33 Oller, D.K.: Metaphonology and infant vocalization; in Lindblom, Zetterström, Precursors of early speech, pp. 21–35 (MacMillan Press, Basington 1986).10.1007/978-1-349-08023-6_3Search in Google Scholar
34 Oller, D.K.; Eilers, R.E.: Similarity of babbling in Spanish- and English-learning babies. J. Child Lang. 9: 565–577 (1982).10.1017/S0305000900004918Search in Google Scholar
35 Oller, D.K.; Eilers, R.E.: The role of audition in infant babbling. Child Dev. 59: 441–449 (1988).10.2307/1130323Search in Google Scholar
36 Oller, D.K.; Eilers, R.E.; Urbano, R.; Cobo-Lewis, A.B.: Development of precursors to speech in infants exposed to two languages. J. Child Lang. 24: 407–425 (1997).10.1017/S0305000997003097Search in Google Scholar
37 Olney, R.L.; Scholnik, E.K.: Adult judgments of age and linguistic differences in infant vocalization. J. Child Lang. 3: 145–155 (1976).10.1017/S0305000900001410Search in Google Scholar
38 Paolillo, J.: Analyzing linguistic variation: statistical models and methods (CSLI Lecture notes, Standford 2002).Search in Google Scholar
39 Roug, L.; Landberg, I.; Lundberg, L.-J.: Phonetic development in early infancy: a study of four Swedish children during the first eighteen months of life. J. Child Lang. 16: 19–40 (1989).10.1017/S0305000900013416Search in Google Scholar
40 Smith, B.L.; Brown-Sweeney, S.; Stoel-Gammon, C.: A quantitative analysis of reduplicated and variegated babbling. First Lang. 9: 175–190 (1989).10.1177/014272378900900605Search in Google Scholar
41 Stark, R.E.: Stages of speech development in the first year of life; in Yeni-Komshian, Kavanagh, Ferguson, Child Phonology, vol. 1: Production, pp. 73–93 (Academic Press, New York 1980).Search in Google Scholar
42 Stevens, K.N.: On the quantal nature of speech. J. Phonet. 17: 3–45 (1989).10.1016/S0095-4470(19)31520-7Search in Google Scholar
43 Stevens, K.N.; Keyser, S.J.: Primary features and their enhancement in consonants. Language 65: 81–106 (1989).10.2307/414843Search in Google Scholar
44 Stoel-Gammon, C.: Prelinguistic vocal development: measurements and predictions; in Ferguson, Menn, Stoel-Gammon, Phonological development: models, research, implications, pp. 439–456 (York, Timonium 1992).Search in Google Scholar
45 Stoel-Gammon, C.; Otomo, K.: Babbling development of hearing-impaired and normally hearing subjects. J. Speech Hear. Disord. 51: 33–41 (1986).10.1044/jshd.5101.33Search in Google Scholar
46 Sundberg, U.: Child directed speech. A quantitative study of Swedish tonal accent II. Nordic Prosody VI. Papers from a symposium, pp. 199–206 (Almkvist & Wiksell International, Stockholm 1993).Search in Google Scholar
47 Sundberg, U.: Segmental and suprasegmental aspects in infant-directed speech. Proceedings from FONETIK 98. 11th Swedish Phonetics Conference, Stockholm, pp. 52–55 (Department of Linguistics, Stockholm University, Stockholm 1998a).Search in Google Scholar
48 Sundberg, U.: Mother tongue – phonetic aspects of infant-directed speech; thesis, Stockholm (1998b).Search in Google Scholar
49 Thevenin, D.M.; Eilers, R.E.; Oller, D.K.; Lavoie, L.: Where’s the drift in babbling drift? A cross-linguistic study. Appl. Psycholinguist. 6: 3–15 (1985).10.1017/S0142716400005981Search in Google Scholar
50 Traunmüller, H.: Paralinguistic variation and invariance in the characteristic frequencies of vowels. Phonetica 45: 1–29 (1988).10.1159/000261809Search in Google Scholar
51 Vihman, M.M.: Variable paths to early word production. J. Phonet. 21: 61–82 (1993).10.1016/S0095-4470(19)31321-XSearch in Google Scholar
52 Weir, R.W.: Some questions on the child’s learning of phonology; in Smith, Weismer, The genesis of language, pp. 153–168 (MIT Press, Cambridge 1966).Search in Google Scholar
53 Whalen, D.H.; Levitt, A.G.; Wang, Q.: Intonational differences between the reduplicative babbling of French- and English-learning infants. J. Child Lang. 18: 501–516 (1991).10.1017/S0305000900011223Search in Google Scholar
54 Willerman, R.: The phonetics of pronouns: articulatory bases of markedness; PhD thesis, Austin (1994).Search in Google Scholar
© 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel