Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026
08:32
Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks
Published on: September 5, 2019
Cantonese consonantal development: towards a nonlinear account
1University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Journal of Child Language
|March 22, 2001
Summary
This study explores phonological development in Cantonese children, revealing a distinct order in acquiring sound system features. Higher-level tiers like words and syllables are mastered before finer segmental details.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Phonology
Background:
- Previous research on phonological development primarily focused on English.
- Understanding language-specific phonological acquisition is crucial for developmental linguistics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a preliminary description of phonological tier development in Cantonese-speaking children.
- To investigate the developmental order of hierarchical features in Cantonese phonology.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of picture naming data from eight Cantonese-speaking children aged 1;7 to 4;2 years.
- Examination of word, syllable, onset-rime, skeletal, and segmental tiers.
- Application of a feature geometry model to describe feature acquisition.
Main Results:
- A developmental hierarchy in phonological tier acquisition was observed.
- Accuracy decreased in the order: word = syllable > onset-rime = skeletal > segmental.
- The laryngeal feature (aspiration) was acquired incrementally with place contrasts.
Conclusions:
- Cantonese children exhibit a predictable developmental sequence in their phonological systems.
- The findings support a hierarchical model of phonological feature acquisition.
- The study highlights unique aspects of Cantonese phonological development, such as feature integration.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:13The Cochlea
The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
01:03Modes of Standing Waves - I
A close look at earthquakes provides evidence for the conditions appropriate for resonance, standing waves, and constructive and destructive interference. A building may vibrate for several seconds with a driving frequency matching the building's natural frequency of vibration; this produces a resonance that results in one building collapsing while the neighboring buildings do not. Often, buildings of a certain height are devastated, while other taller buildings remain intact. This phenomenon...
01:26Linear Approximation in Frequency Domain
Linear systems are characterized by two main properties: superposition and homogeneity. Superposition allows the response to multiple inputs to be the sum of the responses to each individual input. Homogeneity ensures that scaling an input by a scalar results in the response being scaled by the same scalar.
In contrast, nonlinear systems do not inherently possess these properties. However, for small deviations around an operating point, a nonlinear system can often be approximated as linear.
In contrast, nonlinear systems do not inherently possess these properties. However, for small deviations around an operating point, a nonlinear system can often be approximated as linear.
01:24Components of Language
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs. “eh”). Phonemes combine to...
01:22Language Development
Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
01:26Linearization and Approximation
Linearization is a mathematical technique used to approximate complex, nonlinear functions with simpler linear models in the vicinity of a chosen reference point. The method is based on the idea that, although a function may be difficult to evaluate exactly, its behavior near a specific input value can often be closely approximated by the tangent line at that point. This approach is particularly useful when small deviations from a known value are involved.Consider the square root function, for...