30th January SSF talk by Dr Piers Messum

In the first seminar of term 2, Dr Piers Messum of Speech Science Ltd. will deliver a talk entitled, "Where do the distinctive timing phenomena of English (and other West Germanic languages) come from?"

Talk abstract:

Phoneticians currently assume that timing phenomena like pre-fortis clipping and the different ‘rhythms’ of languages are replicated by children through temporal modelling processes, albeit ones that are not yet understood. This account predicts monotonic development from the child to the adult states, but this is not found in practice.

Those working in the field have been unaware that there is no continuity in development for either speech breathing or speech aerodynamics. Speech breathing in a young child operates on a different mechanical basis from the adult skill and the variables of speech aerodynamics scale asymmetrically; so the young child cannot be considered in any way as a ‘small adult’.

A child’s speech breathing does not afford the stable platform for articulatory activity that adult speakers enjoy. It therefore has the potential to condition the downstream output. Reconsidering production with this developmental perspective accounts for a range of ‘timing’ phenomena, particularly those that characterise West Germanic languages.

SSF talks are open to all staff and students. Following the talk there will be wine and nibbles in the atrium from 17:00 - 18:00