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Vowel and diphthong development in Cantonese-speaking children

Lookup NU author(s): Professor Stephanie Stokes

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Abstract

Spontaneous speech samples were collected from 40 Cantonese-speaking children aged between 10 and 27 months. Over 7, 000 vowels and diphthongs were transcribed and analysed to determine the accuracy of production of Cantonese vowels and diphthongs. A model of feature complexity was derived from the distinctive features of vowels to predict the route of development of vowels and diphthongs. Two factors were found to affect development: a linguistic factor (frequency of occurrence in the ambient language) and an articulatory factor (feature complexity). Early dependence on the feature complexity of segments at 15-18 months is superseded by ambient language influences by 24 months of age.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Stokes SF; Wong IM

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics

Year: 2002

Volume: 16

Issue: 8

Pages: 597-617

ISSN (print): 0269-9206

ISSN (electronic): 1464-5076

Publisher: Informa Healthcare

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0269920021000034967

DOI: 10.1080/0269920021000034967

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