The Role of a Domain-specific Language Mechanism in Learning Natural and Unnatural Stress
In an artificial language-learning task, two groups of English and French participants learned one of two language rules: 1) stress the first heavy (CVC) syllable, else the first syllable, or, 2) stress the first light (CV) syllable, else the first syllable. French and English participants were chos...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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De Gruyter
2016-03-01
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| Series: | Open Linguistics |
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| Online Access: | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/opli.2016.2.issue-1/opli-2016-0006/opli-2016-0006.xml?format=INT |
| _version_ | 1819021067375607808 |
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| author | Carpenter Angela C. |
| author_facet | Carpenter Angela C. |
| author_sort | Carpenter Angela C. |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In an artificial language-learning task, two groups of English and French participants learned
one of two language rules: 1) stress the first heavy (CVC) syllable, else the first syllable, or, 2) stress the first
light (CV) syllable, else the first syllable. French and English participants were chosen to compare learning
outcomes by speakers of different native stress systems, fixed and variable. Participants were trained on
the target language by listening to a set of nonsense familiarization words exemplifying the stress rule.
This was followed by a forced-choice task to choose the correct version of the words they had just learned.
Following the training procedure, participants were tested on novel words with the same stress pattern to
which they were familiarized. The result of the novel word testing was that the natural rule with stress on
heavy syllables was learned significantly better than the unnatural, stress light syllables, rule. To account
for the learnability of both the natural and the unnatural rules, I argue for the interaction of a general
cognitive mechanism that facilitates learning in general and a domain-specific language mechanism that
can access universal phonological principles to aid in learning a natural language rule. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T04:01:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1a953014da3f446e8e52bf590c35d695 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2300-9969 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T04:01:12Z |
| publishDate | 2016-03-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Linguistics |
| spelling | doaj.art-1a953014da3f446e8e52bf590c35d6952022-12-21T19:16:42ZengDe GruyterOpen Linguistics2300-99692016-03-012110.1515/opli-2016-0006opli-2016-0006The Role of a Domain-specific Language Mechanism in Learning Natural and Unnatural StressCarpenter Angela C.0Cognitive & Linguistic Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA 0248In an artificial language-learning task, two groups of English and French participants learned one of two language rules: 1) stress the first heavy (CVC) syllable, else the first syllable, or, 2) stress the first light (CV) syllable, else the first syllable. French and English participants were chosen to compare learning outcomes by speakers of different native stress systems, fixed and variable. Participants were trained on the target language by listening to a set of nonsense familiarization words exemplifying the stress rule. This was followed by a forced-choice task to choose the correct version of the words they had just learned. Following the training procedure, participants were tested on novel words with the same stress pattern to which they were familiarized. The result of the novel word testing was that the natural rule with stress on heavy syllables was learned significantly better than the unnatural, stress light syllables, rule. To account for the learnability of both the natural and the unnatural rules, I argue for the interaction of a general cognitive mechanism that facilitates learning in general and a domain-specific language mechanism that can access universal phonological principles to aid in learning a natural language rule.http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/opli.2016.2.issue-1/opli-2016-0006/opli-2016-0006.xml?format=INTphonology stress artificial language learning domain-general domain-specific French stress 'deafness' |
| spellingShingle | Carpenter Angela C. The Role of a Domain-specific Language Mechanism in Learning Natural and Unnatural Stress Open Linguistics phonology stress artificial language learning domain-general domain-specific French stress 'deafness' |
| title | The Role of a Domain-specific Language Mechanism in Learning Natural and Unnatural Stress |
| title_full | The Role of a Domain-specific Language Mechanism in Learning Natural and Unnatural Stress |
| title_fullStr | The Role of a Domain-specific Language Mechanism in Learning Natural and Unnatural Stress |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of a Domain-specific Language Mechanism in Learning Natural and Unnatural Stress |
| title_short | The Role of a Domain-specific Language Mechanism in Learning Natural and Unnatural Stress |
| title_sort | role of a domain specific language mechanism in learning natural and unnatural stress |
| topic | phonology stress artificial language learning domain-general domain-specific French stress 'deafness' |
| url | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/opli.2016.2.issue-1/opli-2016-0006/opli-2016-0006.xml?format=INT |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT carpenterangelac theroleofadomainspecificlanguagemechanisminlearningnaturalandunnaturalstress AT carpenterangelac roleofadomainspecificlanguagemechanisminlearningnaturalandunnaturalstress |