The adaptable speaker: A theory of implicit learning in language production

Area of Science:

• Psycholinguistics
• Cognitive Science
• Speech Production

Background:

• Language production involves continuous learning and adaptation.
• Both recent and lifetime experiences shape the language system.
• Implicit learning of phonotactic patterns occurs during syllable production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a theory explaining implicit phonotactic learning in speech production.
• To demonstrate how speech errors reveal phonotactic learning.
• To integrate diverse psychological phenomena under a unified theoretical framework.

Main Methods:

• Review of over 30 empirical phenomena related to phonotactic learning.
• Presentation of four linked mini-theories: production, learning, consolidation, and developmental.
• Analysis of speech errors as evidence for implicit learning.

Main Results:

• Speech errors consistently reflect learned phonotactic regularities.
• Phonotactic learning is implicit and integrated within the production system.
• Learning is influenced by experience, consolidation periods (e.g., sleep), and developmental stage.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive theory links speech error patterns to implicit phonotactic learning.
• The theory accounts for the dynamic nature of language acquisition and use.
• This work bridges production, learning, consolidation, and developmental aspects of psycholinguistics.