Comparing the representation of iambs by monolingual German, monolingual Spanish and bilingual German-Spanish children
-
Javier Arias
Abstract
This article examines the production of iambic-shaped words by two monolingual German, two monolingual Spanish and two German-Spanish bilingual children, aiming to contribute to the understanding of stress acquisition in early childhood. Target iambic words produced at ages 1;0 to 2;6, have been auditorily and acoustically analyzed, focusing on rhyme duration. Results show that whereas German monolinguals at first often truncate the unstressed syllable, Spanish monolinguals hardly show any truncation, but at about 1;8 convert iambs to trochees. These diverging behaviors respond to different analyses, based on target language differences: Whereas German monolinguals analyze iambic words as comprising a moraic trochee preceded by an unfooted syllable, Spanish monolinguals analyze them as quantity insensitive iambs. The bilinguals show some interaction between both systems.
Abstract
This article examines the production of iambic-shaped words by two monolingual German, two monolingual Spanish and two German-Spanish bilingual children, aiming to contribute to the understanding of stress acquisition in early childhood. Target iambic words produced at ages 1;0 to 2;6, have been auditorily and acoustically analyzed, focusing on rhyme duration. Results show that whereas German monolinguals at first often truncate the unstressed syllable, Spanish monolinguals hardly show any truncation, but at about 1;8 convert iambs to trochees. These diverging behaviors respond to different analyses, based on target language differences: Whereas German monolinguals analyze iambic words as comprising a moraic trochee preceded by an unfooted syllable, Spanish monolinguals analyze them as quantity insensitive iambs. The bilinguals show some interaction between both systems.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Challenges to accepted views of convergence and divergence in language contact situations
- Divergence, convergence, contact 13
- Increases in complexity as a result of language contact 41
- Converging genetically related languages 53
-
Part II. Convergence and divergence in different varieties in oral and written discourse
- Converging languages, diverging varieties 73
- Converging verbal phrases in related languages 101
- Convergence and divergence of communicative norms through language contact in translation 125
- On the importance of spontaneous speech innovations in language contact situations 153
-
Part III. Phonological processes of variation and change in bilingual individuals
- Gradient merging of vowels in Barcelona Catalan under the influence of Spanish 185
- Comparing the representation of iambs by monolingual German, monolingual Spanish and bilingual German-Spanish children 205
- Author index 235
- Subject index 239
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Challenges to accepted views of convergence and divergence in language contact situations
- Divergence, convergence, contact 13
- Increases in complexity as a result of language contact 41
- Converging genetically related languages 53
-
Part II. Convergence and divergence in different varieties in oral and written discourse
- Converging languages, diverging varieties 73
- Converging verbal phrases in related languages 101
- Convergence and divergence of communicative norms through language contact in translation 125
- On the importance of spontaneous speech innovations in language contact situations 153
-
Part III. Phonological processes of variation and change in bilingual individuals
- Gradient merging of vowels in Barcelona Catalan under the influence of Spanish 185
- Comparing the representation of iambs by monolingual German, monolingual Spanish and bilingual German-Spanish children 205
- Author index 235
- Subject index 239
