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Distinctive features in speech pathology: phonology or phonemics?
The Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders
|February 1, 1976
Summary
Distinctive features in speech science require a production matrix to link phonology to speech production. This acknowledges that distinctive and production features do not always have a one-to-one relationship.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Speech Science
- Phonetics
Background:
- Distinctive features are central to linguistic theory, with two main bases: phonemic and generative theory.
- Phonemic theory posits a direct link between distinctive features and the speech signal, a view common in speech science but with limitations.
- Generative theory offers a more flexible approach, explaining phenomena beyond phonemic theory's scope, making it potentially superior for analyzing misarticulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the applicability of generative theory's distinctive features to misarticulation analysis.
- To address the gap in Chomsky and Halle's system concerning the link between linguistic structure and speech production.
- To propose a framework that accounts for the discrepancy between phonological structure and the actual speech signal.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of phonemic and generative theories of distinctive features.
- Examination of Chomsky and Halle's generative framework in the context of speech production.
- Introduction of a 'production matrix' concept to bridge phonetic and production levels.
Main Results:
- Chomsky and Halle's distinctive features, while powerful, do not fully account for speech production mechanisms in all misarticulation cases.
- A direct correspondence between distinctive features and the speech signal, as assumed by phonemic theory, is often incorrect.
- A production matrix, describing segments via production features, is necessary to link phonological structure with speech production.
Conclusions:
- A new framework is needed that integrates a production matrix below the phonetic matrix to accurately model misarticulation.
- The relationship between distinctive features and production features is not necessarily one-to-one, requiring a nuanced approach.
- This revised understanding is crucial for a comprehensive theory of speech production and the analysis of speech sound disorders.