MondegreensExcuse me while I kiss this guyOlive, the other reindeer“I am heyv!” as a respone to “Behave!”“I don’t want to go to your ami” in reply to going to MiamiWhy is speech perception hard?Speech is fast and fleetingSpoken language unfolds at a rate or 150-200 words per minuteWritten words, however are left on the pageSpeech is a continuous streamNo info in the speech stream as to when a word begins and endsNo white space between the wordsSpeech is highly variableNo perfect exemplar of a phonemeConsiderable variability across phonological and linguistic contextsConsiderable variability across speakers (rate, accent, pitch)The invariance problemThe same phonmem can sound different depending on the surrounding phonemesAssimilation: when phonemes take on acoustic properties of their neighborsWhere /I/ becomes nasal in words like pin and singCo-articulation: as we produce one sound the vocal tract is moving into positionThe segmentation problemIwenttothestorelastnightandboughtsomemilkbutwhileiwasthereisawmyfriend…etc.I scream vs. Ice creamSegmentation strategiesPossible word constraintFill a green bucket vs fillagree n bucketDifferent languages economize in different waysCategorical PerceptionHow do we assign phonetic variants (allophones) to speech sound category (phonemes)?Voice onset timeF2 transitionFrequency patternsCan context help us perceive sounds?If language is interactive, how does the info flow?Top-down: perceive the whole then the individual parts as neededBottom-up: perceive the invidual parts and organize them into a whole if neededComprehensionPhrase processingWord processingLetter processingFeature processingRestoration effectEvident that we restore or fill in missing sounds1.It was found that the *eel was on the orange2. It was found that the *eel was on the axle…was on the shoe…was on the tableYes, semantic and syntactic info guide our perception of sounds!What about other forms of context? What other sources of info are available when we perceive speech in conversation?Does language experience guide speech perception?TheMcGurk EffectHow do we integrate multiple sources of information?Models of Speech RecognitionHow is speech processed so that it can be understood as words?Early accountsTemplate matchingBut too much variability and too little capacityAnalysis by synthesis/motor theory of speech perceptionRecognize speech by drawing on knowledge of speech productionSpeech sounds are represented as action patterns and perception entails matching acoustic signal to speech production plansThis theory has fallen out of favor, but is not making a comebackWhile it doesn’t account for all that is accomplished during speech perception growing recognition that motor processes play a roleThe Cohort Model (Marslen-Wilson, 1984; 1987)TerminologyMonolingualBilingual (or Multilingual)BidialectalNative/Non-native SpeakerEnglish Language Learner (ELL)English as a Second Language (ESL)Dual Language Learners (DLL)Social ContextMinority LanguageHeritage LanguageBeing BilingualFluent speakerDominant languageMonolingualBalanced bilingual—positive cognitive consequencesUnbalanced bilingual—neutral cognitivelySemi-lingualism—negative cognitive consequencesLittle/no English Use; Fluent English use inEnglish Primarily from many settings, includingEnvironment (ie. TV) academic and social----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fluent French use in Little/no French use;many setting, including French primarily fromAcademic and social environment (ie. TV)Code SwitchingCode SwitchingMoving between social registersMixing two or more languages or dialectsCan serve a variety of purposesFill lexical gapsReflect social normsFlags group membershipIs grammatically, socially, and culturally constrainedReflects proficiency (not deficiencies)Intra-utterance code switchingIs grammatically constrainedHappens at syntactic boundariesHappens at all levels of languageWords—estamos como marido y woman (we are like man and..)Phrase—I’m going with her a la esguina (…to the corner)Clauses—you know how to swim but no te tappa (…it won’t be over your head)Pragmatics—donne moi le cheval; le cheval : the horse! (give me the horse, the horse…)Simultaneous BilingualsSequential BilingualsFirst Language (L1)Second Language (L2)Early sequential bilingual (before age 5)Late sequential bilingual (after 13-14)Acquisition Processes in Simultaneous BilingualsLike monolinguals, rate and level of attainment depends on amount and quality of inputMay attain most language milestones slightly later than monolingualsShow similar proficiency levels if both languages are accounted for……but may appear weak if only one language is assessedconceptual vocabularymay show some cross-language interference, but this often resolvesStages of Sequential Language Acquisition (children)1. Home Language Use2. Silent Periodaccumulate receptive knowledge of L2May last 6 months – 1 year3. Telegraphic & Formulaic UseEngage in social interactionsElicit more L2 inputUse of simple schemas4. Productive language useInterlanguageFluent language useAdditive vs. Subtractive BilingualismSubtractive BilingualismLearning an L2 without sufficient continued exposure to an L1 can lead to language loss in the L1Additive BilingualismMust be supported by the community and the educational systemRequires continued exposure to both languagesSequential Language Acquisition (Post-puberty)Language of InstructionL1-Traditional/AudiolingualL2-Immersion/Submersion/DirectGoal of InstructionConversation first –Direct/AudiolingualWritten first—traditionalBoth—Immersion/SubmersionWhat makes a good (second) language learner?Phonetic coding abilityGrammatical sensitivityRote-learning abilityInductive learning abilityRecast as size, speed, efficiency of working memory?MotivationAcculturationPeer group identificationCongruent culturesTemperamentExtrovertHigh self-esteemAssertivenessLow anxietyPractice opportunitiesHow is language stored in the brain?Generally agreed that there is a common lexical store in simultaneous and early sequential bilingualscross language primingEvidence is less clear for late sequential bilinguals and for syntaxAll speakers need to suppress interference from the non-target languageSemantic PrimingWing – Director (no effect)Wing – Pig (slower)Wing – Swan (faster)This works cross-linguistically