Asynchronization at the phonology-morphology interface: A case study of an atypically developing Hebrew-acquiring boy

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Developmental Psychology
• Child Language Acquisition

Background:

• Language acquisition involves the interplay of phonology (sound system) and morphology (word formation).
• Typically, phonological development precedes or synchronizes with morphological development in children.
• Atypical language development may arise from asynchronous maturation of linguistic modules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the phonological and morphological development of verbal suffixes in an atypically developing Hebrew-acquiring child.
• To compare the child's development with typically developing peers, focusing on the interface between phonology and morphology.
• To identify the specific mechanisms underlying atypical language development in this case study.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal case study of one Hebrew-acquiring boy (YV) with atypical development.
• Comparative analysis with three typically developing Hebrew-acquiring boys.
• Examination of the acquisition of two verbal suffixes (-im, -ti) and their associated prosodic structures (word-final codas, trisyllabic words).

Main Results:

• YV's phonological and morphological development were independently similar to controls.
• Deviant phenomena occurred at the phonology-morphology interface.
• YV acquired suffixed forms before mastering corresponding phonological structures in bare stems, reversing the typical order observed in controls.

Conclusions:

• Atypical development in YV stemmed from asynchronization between phonological and morphological development.
• Phonological development lagged behind morphological development, but did not impede it.
• This suggests that morphological development can proceed even with delayed phonological maturation at their interface.