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Chapter 15. Get the focus right across languages

Acquisition of prosodic focus-marking in production
  • Aoju Chen
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The Development of Prosody in First Language Acquisition
This chapter is in the book The Development of Prosody in First Language Acquisition

Abstract

Languages differ in both the use of prosody in focus marking and prosodic systems. In the light of recent studies of acquisition of prosodic focus marking in typologically different languages, we argue that typological differences have direct influences on acquisition of prosodic focus marking. More specifically, differences in reliance on phonetic uses of prosody and transparency of how prosody is used phonologically to encode focus can lead to cross-linguistic differences in rate of acquisition. Differences in whether the prosodic means involved are also used for lexical purposes and in interface between prosody and word order can trigger cross-linguistic differences in route of acquisition.

Abstract

Languages differ in both the use of prosody in focus marking and prosodic systems. In the light of recent studies of acquisition of prosodic focus marking in typologically different languages, we argue that typological differences have direct influences on acquisition of prosodic focus marking. More specifically, differences in reliance on phonetic uses of prosody and transparency of how prosody is used phonologically to encode focus can lead to cross-linguistic differences in rate of acquisition. Differences in whether the prosodic means involved are also used for lexical purposes and in interface between prosody and word order can trigger cross-linguistic differences in route of acquisition.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  4. Part 1. Early sensitivity to prosody
  5. Chapter 2. Early perception of phrasal prosody and its role in syntactic and lexical acquisition 17
  6. Chapter 3. Early sensitivity and acquisition of prosodic patterns at the lexical level 37
  7. Chapter 4. The role of prosody in early word learning 59
  8. Chapter 5. The role of prosody in early speech segmentation and word-referent mapping 79
  9. Part 2. Learning to produce prosody
  10. Chapter 6. Set in time 103
  11. Chapter 7. Speech rhythm in development 125
  12. Chapter 8. Early development of intonation 145
  13. Chapter 9. Prosodic phonology in acquisition 165
  14. Chapter 10. The development of prosodic structure 185
  15. Chapter 11. Understanding the development of prosodic words 207
  16. Part 3. Moving to meaning: Prosody and pragmatic development
  17. Chapter 12. Early development of the prosody-meaning interface 227
  18. Chapter 13. Gradual development of focus prosody and affect prosody comprehension 247
  19. Chapter 14. Children’s development of internal state prosody 271
  20. Chapter 15. Get the focus right across languages 295
  21. Part 4. Prosody in bilingualism and in specific populations
  22. Chapter 16. Bilingual children’s prosodic development 317
  23. Chapter 17. Prosodic development in atypical populations 343
  24. Index 363
https://doi.org/10.1075/tilar.23.15che

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  4. Part 1. Early sensitivity to prosody
  5. Chapter 2. Early perception of phrasal prosody and its role in syntactic and lexical acquisition 17
  6. Chapter 3. Early sensitivity and acquisition of prosodic patterns at the lexical level 37
  7. Chapter 4. The role of prosody in early word learning 59
  8. Chapter 5. The role of prosody in early speech segmentation and word-referent mapping 79
  9. Part 2. Learning to produce prosody
  10. Chapter 6. Set in time 103
  11. Chapter 7. Speech rhythm in development 125
  12. Chapter 8. Early development of intonation 145
  13. Chapter 9. Prosodic phonology in acquisition 165
  14. Chapter 10. The development of prosodic structure 185
  15. Chapter 11. Understanding the development of prosodic words 207
  16. Part 3. Moving to meaning: Prosody and pragmatic development
  17. Chapter 12. Early development of the prosody-meaning interface 227
  18. Chapter 13. Gradual development of focus prosody and affect prosody comprehension 247
  19. Chapter 14. Children’s development of internal state prosody 271
  20. Chapter 15. Get the focus right across languages 295
  21. Part 4. Prosody in bilingualism and in specific populations
  22. Chapter 16. Bilingual children’s prosodic development 317
  23. Chapter 17. Prosodic development in atypical populations 343
  24. Index 363
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