Phonological Development

3 credits · Undergraduate

This class will explore phonological development, focusing primarily on first language acquisition. How do young children acquire the phonological and phonetic patterns of the language surrounding them? It is well-established that children exhibit pronunciation patterns that differ from those of adult speakers. We will examine a range of factors that might contribute to this: perceptual, articulatory, speech-planning, grammatical. In the last part of the course we will briefly discuss phonological delays and second-language acquisition. Students will gain knowledge of phonological development, experience in reading, critiquing and presenting journal articles, and hands-on experience analyzing transcribed acquisition data.