The first steps in Tashelhiyt Berber language acquisition: a longitudinal case study Kern, Sophie & Mohamed Lahrouchi Laboratoire Dynamique du Langage (UMR5596, Lyon) & Structure Formelle du Langage (UMR 7023, Paris8). [email protected] & [email protected] Goal Describe the earliest stages of vocal development in one Tashelhiyt learning child from 7 to 25 months of age Theoretical background 1) Similarities in the earliest stages of vocal development for production output pattern - Isolated sounds : stops, nasals and glides labials and coronals mid and low front and central vowels - CV cooccurrences : labial consonants + central vowels coronal consonants + front vowels dorsal consonants + back vowels - Across syllable (in CVCV) : more high-low variegation than front-back vowel variegation more manner than place consonant variegation - Syllable types: more open than closed syllables, few consonant clusters 2) Diversification and complexification of production output pattern with age 3) Cross-language differences in the late babbling and first word periods Method Language: Berber belongs to the Afroasiatic family. Tashelhiyt is one of the three main varieties spoken in Morocco, whose native speakers are estimated at 3 millions (Chaker 1992) Tashelhiyt phonemic system: consonants Tashelhiyt phonemic system: vowels Data collection: Longitudinal study of 1 Tashelhiyt-speaking child (Agadir). Audio-video recording of spontaneous vocalizations (one hour every two weeks) from 7 to 24 months Data processing: >> IPA broad phonetic transcription conventions >> LIPP data analysis (Oller & Delgado, 1990) Data analysis Two types of productions: BABBLING and WORDS >> Consonant types >> Vowel types >> CV cooccurrences >> Across Syllable Patterns (CVCV forms) Consonants: manner vs place change for C Vowels: height vs front-back change for V >> Syllable types Conclusion • Tashelhiyt child followed the same preferences : stops (oral and nasal), labial and coronal place of articulation, vowels from the lower left part of vocalic space, open syllables, manner over place and height over backness changes in CVCV, CVco: coronal+front, labial+central, dorsal+back >> No influence of target language • Few differences between Babbling and Words: More nasal stops and labials, more duplicated babbling, more manner changes, more open syllables in Words than in Babbling >> Continuity between Babbling and Words >> Simplification of vocal input in Words Babblin g Words Total Cons 5605 3813 9418 Vowels 5933 4027 9960 Syllable 4385 3868 9253 Consonant Place in Babbling and W ords 49 12 18 21 46 11 7 36 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 labials coronals dorsals gutturals Percentages babbling w ords More oral stops, nasals and glides than other manners of articulation in Bab and Words Increase of nasals and decrease of glides and glottal fricatives in Words More labials and coronals than other places of articulation in Bab and Words Increase of labials and decrease of dorsals and gutturals in Words Consonant M anner in Babbling and W ords 38 17 18 18 10 37 36 11 10 8 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 stops nasals glides glottal fricatives others Percentages babbling words Language acquisition : interaction of biomechanical development and learning from ambient language More vowels from the left inferior part of vocalic space than others in Bab and Words V ow els: left inferior part vs.others in Babbling and W ords 76 24 77 23 0 20 40 60 80 100 V<Left O thers Percentages babbling words CV CV : m anner vs. place changes in Babbling and W ords 67 33 23 77 0 20 40 60 80 100 M anner Place Percentages babbling words CV CV : backness vs. height changes in Babbling and W ords 36 64 33 67 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Backness Height Percentages babbling words CV CV : duplication vs. variegation in Babbling and W ords 57 43 71 29 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Duplication Variegation Percentages babbling words S yllable types in Babbling and W ords 63 37 85 15 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 O pen syllables Closed syllables Percentages babbling words Babbli ng Words Coronal C + Front V 1.03 1.04 Labial C + Central V 1.33 1.34 Dorsal C + Back V 2.00 0.95 More duplication than variegation in Babbling and Words Increase of duplication in words More manner than place changes in Babbling and words Manner to place ratio higher in Words than Babbling More height changes than backness changes in Babbling and words Height to backness ratio higher in Words than babbling More open than closed syllables in Babbling and Words Open to closed syllables ratio higher in Words than in Babbling Preference for Coronal/front and Labial/central (ratio over 1) in Babbling and Words Preference for Dorsal/back only in Babbling Labials 21% (4) Coronals 52.5% (10) Dorsals 16% (3) Guttural s 10.5% (2) Oral stops 31.5% (6) Nasals 10.5% (2) Glides 10.5% (2) Fricatives 37% (7) Liquids 10.5% (2) Front 33.33 (1) Central 33.33 (1) Back 33.33 (1) High 66.5% (2) Low 33.5% (1)