Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

The aim of this module is to introduce students who are interested in language development in general to the study of the child’s developing sound system and its relation to other aspects of the grammar, namely lexical and grammatical advance. The module explores what it means for a child to develop a phonological system from different theoretical approaches. The assumed earliest units of production and perception are explored and so is the input that the child receives and its role in phonological development.

Outline Of Syllabus

Theoretical approaches to phonological development (weeks 1-3)
      Formal models (structuralist; generative; non-linear phonology; prosodic phonology; OT)
      Functional models (biological; self-organising; emergentist; connectionist)

Segmenting the speech signal, and role of frequency within that (week 4)

Transition from babbling to early words (week 5)

Difference between phonetic and phonological development and within that, units of development (weeks 6-8)
Early phonological units: features, segments, syllables
The prosodic structure or early words
The role of attention, articulatory constraints, and the child’s own production

Single word versus later stages, including the transition to lexicon and grammar (week 9)

Longitudinal case studies vs Large scale normative studies (week 10)

Crosslinguistic studies of development and individual differences within the same language (week 11)

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Students who have successfully completed the module will be able to:
1. demonstrate knowledge of the key theoretical issues relating to the acquisition of phonology
2. apply a range of techniques for the phonological analysis of babbling and early words
3. be familiar with a range of techniques for longitudinal and crosslinguistic types of data collection
for phonological development
4. have a critical awareness of methodological issues relating to crosslinguistic comparisons of
phonological development

Intended Skill Outcomes

Students who have successfully completed the module will be able to:
1. collect spontaneous data of child language for the purpose of studying the child’s phonological
development
2. phonetically transcribe children’s speech
3. use the PHON programme to transcribe and analyse speech

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The mix of teaching methods is geared to develop knowledge of key theoretical concepts and enable to deliver practical elements of the programme

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The project requires the students to collect audio and/or visual recordings of child data, to demonstrate their ability to transcribe children’s speech and carry out word identification if needed, and to explore general trends and/or individual differences in child development. Students may also decide to carry out acoustic analyses on parts of the data in order to explore the acquisition of language-specific fine phonetic detail or to investigate crosslinguistic differences in children’s acquisition of comparable sound categories.

General Notes

N/A