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Fluency variation in adolescents.
Claudia Regina Furquim de Andrade1, Vanessa de Oliveira Martins
1University of São Paulo, SP, Brazil. clauan@usp.br
Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics
|September 14, 2007
Summary
Adolescent speech fluency in Brazilian Portuguese shows no gender differences but significant changes during adolescence. Speech disruptions decrease and rate increases as neurolinguistic maturation progresses.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Speech Science
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Understanding speech fluency in adolescents is crucial for identifying developmental patterns.
- Previous research has explored speech fluency but often overlooks neurolinguistic maturation in Brazilian Portuguese speakers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the speech fluency profile of fluent adolescent speakers of Brazilian Portuguese.
- To investigate variations in speech fluency concerning gender and neurolinguistic maturation across different adolescent phases.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of speech samples from 130 male and female adolescents (aged 12-17).
- Evaluation of speech disruption types, speech rate, and frequency of disruptions.
- Statistical comparison across genders and adolescent phases (early vs. late).
Main Results:
- No significant gender-based differences were found in speech fluency variables.
- Significant statistical differences were observed between early and late adolescent phases for all variables.
- Neurolinguistic maturation correlated with a decrease in speech disruptions and an increase in speech rate.
Conclusions:
- Speech fluency in adolescents is more influenced by developmental and neurolinguistic maturation than by gender.
- The study highlights distinct speech fluency profiles in early versus late adolescence.
- Maturation of motor and linguistic processes significantly impacts speech fluency development.
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