Acquistion of syllable structure in Spanish
-
Alfonso Morales-Front
Abstract
This paper examines the emergence and gradual spreading of syllable structures in Spanish from the perspective of Optimality Theory. Data from five children of the CHILDES project is analyzed and it is found that the different syllabic structures emerge in a consistent pattern that describes four stages (1) V, CV, (2) VC, CVC, (3) CGV, CGVC, and (4) CCV. The descriptive analysis also points out that this process of acquisition is gradual and that the frequency of syllable structures in the ambient language influences the order of acquisition. For instance, onsetless syllables in the first stage instead of a period of CV-only syllables can be justified in Spanish by taking into account the frequency of these types of syllables in the adult model. The formal analysis is presented in two sections. One discusses the Constraint Demotion Algorithm according to which acquisition can be captured through constraint demotion. The fact that the Constraint Demotion Algorithm cannot account for the progression from emergence to acquisition, as well as the fact that there is variation during the same stage in general and in the same individual producing different outputs, is a weakness of the Constraint Demotion Algorithm and motivates proposing a new alternative analysis using the Gradual Algorithm Constraint. This model results in a better account not only of the gradual process of learning, but also the individual variation of the same individual in a given stage.
Abstract
This paper examines the emergence and gradual spreading of syllable structures in Spanish from the perspective of Optimality Theory. Data from five children of the CHILDES project is analyzed and it is found that the different syllabic structures emerge in a consistent pattern that describes four stages (1) V, CV, (2) VC, CVC, (3) CGV, CGVC, and (4) CCV. The descriptive analysis also points out that this process of acquisition is gradual and that the frequency of syllable structures in the ambient language influences the order of acquisition. For instance, onsetless syllables in the first stage instead of a period of CV-only syllables can be justified in Spanish by taking into account the frequency of these types of syllables in the adult model. The formal analysis is presented in two sections. One discusses the Constraint Demotion Algorithm according to which acquisition can be captured through constraint demotion. The fact that the Constraint Demotion Algorithm cannot account for the progression from emergence to acquisition, as well as the fact that there is variation during the same stage in general and in the same individual producing different outputs, is a weakness of the Constraint Demotion Algorithm and motivates proposing a new alternative analysis using the Gradual Algorithm Constraint. This model results in a better account not only of the gradual process of learning, but also the individual variation of the same individual in a given stage.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
- Spanish complex onsets and the phonetics–phonology interface 15
- Phonological phrasing in Spanish 39
- Hiatus resolution and incomplete identity 62
- Depalatalization in Spanish revisited 74
- Upstepping vowel height 99
- The phonology of nasal consonants in five Spanish dialects 146
- Optimality-theoretic advances in our understanding of Spanish syllable structure 172
- Exceptional hiatuses in Spanish 205
- The Spanish stress window 239
- Morphological structure and phonological domains in Spanish denominal derivation 278
- Gender allomorphy and epenthesis in Spanish 312
- A paradigm account of Spanish number 339
- Prefix boundaries in Spanish varieties 358
- Optimality Theory and language change in Spanish 378
- Duration, voice, and dispersion in stop contrasts from Latin to Spanish 399
- The interaction between faithfulness constraints and sociolinguistic variation 424
- Sonority scales and syllable structure 447
- Foot, word and phrase constraints in first language acquisition of Spanish stress 470
- Acquistion of syllable structure in Spanish 497
- Constraint conflict in the acquisition of clusters in Spanish 525
- Subject index 549
- Index of constraints 559
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Introduction 1
- Spanish complex onsets and the phonetics–phonology interface 15
- Phonological phrasing in Spanish 39
- Hiatus resolution and incomplete identity 62
- Depalatalization in Spanish revisited 74
- Upstepping vowel height 99
- The phonology of nasal consonants in five Spanish dialects 146
- Optimality-theoretic advances in our understanding of Spanish syllable structure 172
- Exceptional hiatuses in Spanish 205
- The Spanish stress window 239
- Morphological structure and phonological domains in Spanish denominal derivation 278
- Gender allomorphy and epenthesis in Spanish 312
- A paradigm account of Spanish number 339
- Prefix boundaries in Spanish varieties 358
- Optimality Theory and language change in Spanish 378
- Duration, voice, and dispersion in stop contrasts from Latin to Spanish 399
- The interaction between faithfulness constraints and sociolinguistic variation 424
- Sonority scales and syllable structure 447
- Foot, word and phrase constraints in first language acquisition of Spanish stress 470
- Acquistion of syllable structure in Spanish 497
- Constraint conflict in the acquisition of clusters in Spanish 525
- Subject index 549
- Index of constraints 559
