Phonetic diversity, statistical learning, and acquisition of phonology

摘要: In learning to perceive and produce speech, children master complex language-specific patterns. Daunting variation is found both in the segmental domain of prosody intonation. This article reviews challenges posed by results phonetic typology sociolinguistics for theory language acquisition. It argues that categories are initiated bottom-up from statistical modes use space, sketches how exemplar can be used model updating once they initiated. also initiation successful thanks perception-production loop operating speech community. The behavior this means superficial properties available infant indirectly reflect contrastiveness discriminability adult grammar. developing system refined using internal feedback type statistics over lexicon, lexicon well-developed. application a with surface does not cause fundamental reorganization system. Instead, it exploits confluences across levels representation which characterize human make bootstrapping possible.