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Ultrasound Images of the Tongue: A Tutorial for Assessment and Remediation of Speech Sound Errors
Published on: January 3, 2017
Optimality theory in phonological acquisition
1Department of Communicative Disorders, San Diego State University, CA 92182-1518, USA. jbarlow@mail.sdsu.edu
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR
|December 22, 1999
Summary
This tutorial introduces Optimality Theory (OT), a constraint-based linguistic framework. It explores OT's application to child language acquisition, explaining common phonological errors and clinical uses.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Psycholinguistics
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Optimality Theory (OT) provides a constraint-based framework for understanding language.
- This theory offers a novel perspective on grammatical structures and acquisition processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the Optimality Theory (OT) framework.
- To examine OT's application in phonological acquisition.
- To discuss clinical implications for children with phonological disorders.
Main Methods:
- Outline basic assumptions and formal notation of OT.
- Describe unique OT concepts like "emergence of the unmarked."
- Apply OT to analyze phonological acquisition patterns in children.
Main Results:
- OT explains common phonological error patterns such as fronting, stopping, final-consonant deletion, and cluster simplification.
- The theory accounts for inter- and intra-child variation and language change over time.
- Analysis reveals OT's utility in describing children's productive phonological processes.
Conclusions:
- Optimality Theory offers a robust framework for analyzing child phonology.
- OT provides insights into the diagnosis and treatment of functional phonological disorders.
- The theory has potential for clinical applications and further research.
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