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It has been debated whether preference for subject-extracted relative clauses in language processing is a universal rule, with evidence from both first and second language acquisition studies. But very few studies focus on learners of... more
It has been debated whether preference for subject-extracted relative clauses in language processing is a universal rule, with evidence from both first and second language acquisition studies. But very few studies focus on learners of Chinese as a second language. The current research studied Chinese subject/object-extracted relative clauses processing among the learners of Chinese as a second language by a self-paced reading experiment. The results demonstrate a faster and more accurate processing of subject-extracted relative clauses in both subject and object modifying conditions, adding more evidence to the universal preference for the subject-extracted relative clauses. Both Frequency-Based Accounts and Memory-Based Accounts are discussed related to the current findings.
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The study reported in this paper investigated the abilities of Greek speakers with dysarthria to signal lexical stress at the single word level. Three speakers with dysarthria and two unimpaired control participants were recorded... more
The study reported in this paper investigated the abilities of Greek speakers with dysarthria to signal lexical stress at the single word level. Three speakers with dysarthria and two unimpaired control participants were recorded completing a repetition task of a list of words consisting of minimal pairs of Greek disyllabic words contrasted by lexical stress location only. Fourteen listeners were asked to determine the attempted stress location for each word pair. Acoustic analyses of duration and intensity ratios, both within and across words, were undertaken to identify possible acoustic correlates of the listeners' judgments concerning stress location. Acoustic and perceptual data indicate that while each participant with dysarthria in this study had some difficulty in signaling stress unambiguously, the pattern of difficulty was different for each speaker. Further, it was found that the relationship between the listeners' judgments of stress location and the acoustic dat...
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ABSTRACT We discuss the use of the distinction between phonetics and phonology both in traditional descriptive linguistics and in psycholinguistic models of speech production and perception. We note that both these ways of using this... more
ABSTRACT We discuss the use of the distinction between phonetics and phonology both in traditional descriptive linguistics and in psycholinguistic models of speech production and perception. We note that both these ways of using this distinction have been applied to the description of speech and language disorders. We describe three problems in applying the terms phonetics and phonology to clinical data: one problem involved describing speech error data; one problem involved using a binary distinction in modeling speech production; and one problem derived from these two differing approaches to the terms, that is, the problem of disentangling the speaker's production from the listener's perception. We conclude by offering some suggestions for refining our classificatory systems while retaining the basic insight offered by the division into phonetic and phonological domains.
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... Martin J. Ball Nicole Miiller Holly L. Damico ... On entry to the university clinic, baseline scores were obtained on the Goldman-Fris-toe Test of Articulation (Goldman & Fristoe, 1986) of 37 errors on the sounds in words... more
... Martin J. Ball Nicole Miiller Holly L. Damico ... On entry to the university clinic, baseline scores were obtained on the Goldman-Fris-toe Test of Articulation (Goldman & Fristoe, 1986) of 37 errors on the sounds in words subtest and 29 er-rors on the sounds in sentences subtests. ...
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... show the importance of examining clusters separately from singletons, in that some realizations (such as ... contrastive phone is the equivalent of the client's phonemes (ie the functional units of ... to contrast word... more
... show the importance of examining clusters separately from singletons, in that some realizations (such as ... contrastive phone is the equivalent of the client's phonemes (ie the functional units of ... to contrast word meaning), but due to the variable nature of disordered speech, these ...
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ABSTRACT Our starting point in this response is the “elusiveness” of prosodic aspects of speech, commented on by the author of the lead article of this clinical forum (Peppe, 2009). We suggest that a useful strategy for coming to grips... more
ABSTRACT Our starting point in this response is the “elusiveness” of prosodic aspects of speech, commented on by the author of the lead article of this clinical forum (Peppe, 2009). We suggest that a useful strategy for coming to grips with this “elusiveness”, on the part of clinical professionals confronted with what presents as prosodic abnormalities, is the endeavour to transcribe prosody—an endeavour unfortunately dismissed in the lead article. We argue that the transcription is an analytic exercise, and as such an important part of clinical decision making. We illustrate this with an example from prosodic disturbances in hearing impaired clients.
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... We deliberately do not draw a distinct line between code-switching (or code-mixing) and nonce or spontaneous borrowing, since we ... Auer, P. (ed.) (1999) Code-switching in Conversation: Language, Interaction and Identity. ...... more
... We deliberately do not draw a distinct line between code-switching (or code-mixing) and nonce or spontaneous borrowing, since we ... Auer, P. (ed.) (1999) Code-switching in Conversation: Language, Interaction and Identity. ... Jacobson, R. (ed.) (1998) Codeswitching Worldwide. ...
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The methods of ethnography and action research have much to offer to the field of speech-language pathology, particularly as our clinical populations are becoming increasingly diverse. We suggest that practicing speech-language... more
The methods of ethnography and action research have much to offer to the field of speech-language pathology, particularly as our clinical populations are becoming increasingly diverse. We suggest that practicing speech-language pathologists and students, as well as researchers, will benefit from strategies that use the methods of participatory action research and ethnography as guiding principles to their work. Ethnography seeks to discover meaningful structures in a culture from the perspective of those whose culture it is. Action research, which shares a methodological basis with ethnography, is undertaken with the aim of improving the functioning of the social institution, practice, or structure investigated for the benefit of those most closely involved with that institution or practice. By way of illustration, we use data collected during fieldwork in Louisiana, involving persons with dementia from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds.
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Social isolation in dementia is a growing concern as the incidence and prevalence of dementing conditions is on the rise in many societies. Positive social interactions, which foster the construction and enactment of positive... more
Social isolation in dementia is a growing concern as the incidence and prevalence of dementing conditions is on the rise in many societies. Positive social interactions, which foster the construction and enactment of positive interpersonal relationships and therefore positive discursive identities, make an important contribution to emotional well-being. In this article, we investigate how two women diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer's type use language to relate to each other and two visiting graduate students. We use Systemic Functional Linguistics as an analytical framework, specifically investigating the use of vocatives and naming, and conversational moves and exchanges.
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... In positions other than stem-initial pre-vocalic, there appears to be no fortis-lenis contrast of consonants. ... Eleven pairs were included, and examples include [gabi:de] - [febi:da] 'lord' - 'forbid', [gabo:da]... more
... In positions other than stem-initial pre-vocalic, there appears to be no fortis-lenis contrast of consonants. ... Eleven pairs were included, and examples include [gabi:de] - [febi:da] 'lord' - 'forbid', [gabo:da] - [fBbo:ds] 'commandments' - 'forbidden'. ...
South Louisiana is home to long-established French and French-Creole speaking minorities of varied origin. This paper reports on fieldwork observation in a nursing home among whose residents were many French speakers. The research... more
South Louisiana is home to long-established French and French-Creole speaking minorities of varied origin. This paper reports on fieldwork observation in a nursing home among whose residents were many French speakers. The research question with which this context was approached was kept deliberately wide, namely, how bilingualism might feature in the lives of participants, or what the linguistic practices and preferences of participants might be. Thus, rather than impose pre-determined analytical categories on the research situation that could be formulated into a hypothesis to be tested by quantificational means, the work reported here is an attempt to describe the participants' practices, and perspectives on the phenomenon under investigation.
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Social isolation is a key concern for individuals with dementia in long-term care. A possible solution is to promote social interaction between residents. A first step toward facilitating positive relationships between residents with... more
Social isolation is a key concern for individuals with dementia in long-term care. A possible solution is to promote social interaction between residents. A first step toward facilitating positive relationships between residents with dementia is to understand the mechanisms behind their interactions with each other, and also how their relationships with each other are built through such interactions. Drawing on casual conversations between residents in a special care unit for dementia, this paper uses systemic functional linguistics to examine how people with dementia use language to enact and construct their role-relations with each other. Results suggest people with dementia are able and willing conversationalists. However, factors such as the extent of communication breakdown and compatibility of the interlocutors may influence whether positive relations develop or not. Casual conversation is suggested to be a promising activity to encourage positive interpersonal processes between individuals with dementia in residential care.
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... phonological acquisition. Among the most well known are Fantini (1985) and Leopold (1939 – 49). To ... than English. For instance, very little information exists on the normal development of Welsh phonology (Bellin, 1984; Siencyn,... more
... phonological acquisition. Among the most well known are Fantini (1985) and Leopold (1939 – 49). To ... than English. For instance, very little information exists on the normal development of Welsh phonology (Bellin, 1984; Siencyn, 1985). As ...
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This review examines the literature on the use of non-pulmonic egressive sounds in disordered speech. Studies are described that report the use of pulmonic ingressive speech, clicks, ejectives, and implosives. Broad trends are identified... more
This review examines the literature on the use of non-pulmonic egressive sounds in disordered speech. Studies are described that report the use of pulmonic ingressive speech, clicks, ejectives, and implosives. Broad trends are identified linking the use of each type of non-pulmonic-egressive airstream use with particular disorders. The importance of including these airstream types in both phonetic theory and practice classes in the training of speech-language pathologists is stressed.
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This paper discusses the contributions of informatics technology to the field of clinical linguistics and phonetics. The electronic publication of research reports and books has facilitated both the dissemination and the retrieval of... more
This paper discusses the contributions of informatics technology to the field of clinical linguistics and phonetics. The electronic publication of research reports and books has facilitated both the dissemination and the retrieval of scientific information. Electronic archives of speech and language corpora, too, stimulate research efforts. Although technology provides many opportunities, there remain significant challenges. Establishment and maintenance of scientific archives is largely dependent upon volunteer efforts, and there are few standards to ensure long-term access. Coordinated efforts and peer review are necessary to ensure utility and quality.
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After a brief introduction to Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type (DAT), its behavioral diagnostic symptom complex and a summary of communicative implications, we present data from two conversations... more
After a brief introduction to Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type (DAT), its behavioral diagnostic symptom complex and a summary of communicative implications, we present data from two conversations involving participants with and without DAT. We discuss the concept of "order" in conversation, and the central importance of interactional monitoring. Conversational success and problems in interactions with persons with DAT are seen as emergent from situationally embedded conversations in the presence of cognitive and linguistic impairments on the part of the person with DAT, and of contextually situated communicative impairment resulting therefrom.
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This paper discusses theoretical and clinical aspects of transcription practices in clinical linguistics and phonetics, and speech-language pathology. We consider the purpose of transcribing and transcripts, and distinguish between the... more
This paper discusses theoretical and clinical aspects of transcription practices in clinical linguistics and phonetics, and speech-language pathology. We consider the purpose of transcribing and transcripts, and distinguish between the transcript as a product and transcribing as a complex, cyclical process that forms an integral part of data analysis. Operational relationships between transcriber, data and data source, and the reader are addressed. We suggest a multi-layered toolkit approach to transcribing, based on six guiding principles.
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This study applies the tools provided by Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to the description of patterns in a conversation between a person with dementia and a person without. It shows how, in the presence of, on the one hand,... more
This study applies the tools provided by Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to the description of patterns in a conversation between a person with dementia and a person without. It shows how, in the presence of, on the one hand, considerable communicative and cognitive deficits, and on the other, a collaborative interlocutor, a person with dementia succeeds in leading and sustaining a lengthy conversation, and of constructing for himself a positive role in the interaction, namely that of the elder advising a much younger man.
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This brief article reflects on some pitfalls inherent in the learning and teaching of segmental phonetic transcription. We suggest that a gestural interpretation to disordered speech data, in conjunction with segmental phonetic... more
This brief article reflects on some pitfalls inherent in the learning and teaching of segmental phonetic transcription. We suggest that a gestural interpretation to disordered speech data, in conjunction with segmental phonetic transcription, can add valuable insight into patterns of disordered speech, and that a gestural orientation should form part of the understanding and interpretation of the process of transcribing and the use of transcripts. We illustrate our discussion with data from a case of moderately to severely unintelligible speech produced by a boy aged 5;9.