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The development of language-specific and language-independent talker processing
Susannah V Levi1, Richard G Schwartz
1New York University, NY, USA. svlevi@nyu.edu
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR
|January 1, 2013
Summary
Language development impacts talker information processing, showing a trade-off between general perceptual skills and language-specific phonology. Children with specific language impairment (SLI) performed similarly to typical peers, suggesting intact auditory processing.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Auditory Perception
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Understanding how language ability influences auditory perception is crucial.
- Talker information processing is vital for effective communication.
- Investigating age-related changes and language impairments provides insights into auditory processing development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between language ability and processing talker information.
- To compare performance in a native language (English) versus an unfamiliar language (German).
- To assess the impact of age and specific language impairment (SLI) on talker discrimination.
Main Methods:
- Participants included children and adults with typical language development (TLD) and children with SLI.
- Listeners evaluated word pairs in English and German to identify same or different talkers.
- Performance was analyzed across different age groups and language abilities.
Main Results:
- Talker discrimination improved with age in English.
- In German, performance improved with age for children but declined in adults.
- No significant differences in talker discrimination were observed between TLD and SLI children.
Conclusions:
- Language development involves a trade-off between general perceptual abilities and language-specific phonological processing.
- General auditory processing appears intact in children with SLI, as evidenced by comparable performance to TLD children.
- These findings highlight the complex interplay between linguistic experience and auditory perception across the lifespan.
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