Segmental distribution patterns of English infant- and adult-directed speech

This study compared segmental distribution patterns for consonants and vowels in English infant-directed speech (IDS) and adult-directed speech (ADS). A previous study of Korean indicated that segmental patterns of IDS differed from ADS patterns (Lee, Davis & MacNeilage, 2008). The aim of the cu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of child language 2010-09, Vol.37 (4), p.767-791
Main Authors: LEE, SUE ANN S., DAVIS, BARBARA L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adults
Biological and medical sciences
Child development
Child Language
Comparative Analysis
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Cultural Influences
Developmental psychology
English
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Infant
Infants
Korea
Korean
Language
Language Acquisition
Language Development
Language Patterns
Language Research
Language Universals
Male
Mother-Child Relations
Newborn. Infant
Phonemes
Phonetics
Play and Playthings
Production and perception of spoken language
Psycholinguistics
Psychology, Child
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Semantics
Speech
United States
Verbal Behavior
Vowels
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Summary:This study compared segmental distribution patterns for consonants and vowels in English infant-directed speech (IDS) and adult-directed speech (ADS). A previous study of Korean indicated that segmental patterns of IDS differed from ADS patterns (Lee, Davis & MacNeilage, 2008). The aim of the current study was to determine whether such differences in Korean are universal or language-specific. Results indicate that consonant distribution patterns of English IDS were significantly different from English ADS. Speakers who used IDS produced fewer fricatives, affricates, nasals and liquids, but more stops and glides, than speakers who used ADS. In terms of vowels, IDS speakers produced more high-back vowels /u Ʊ/ and /ɔI/ diphthongs than ADS speakers. These results indicate both general trends and language-specific segmental distribution patterns in IDS. When compared to previous findings on ADS and IDS in Korean, these results for English give support to a more general assertion that segmental distribution patterns in IDS seem to be mediated by linguistic and cultural factors across languages.
ISSN:0305-0009
1469-7602
DOI:10.1017/S0305000909009568