The effects of allomorphic variation on children’s acquisition of plural morphology

Benjamin Davies; Nan Xu Rattanasone; Katherine Demuth

The effects of allomorphic variation on children’s acquisition of plural morphology

Benjamin Davies, Nan Xu Rattanasone, Katherine Demuth

Centre for Language Sciences (CLaS)

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding contribution › peer-review

Abstract

While children begin producing plural words in their natural
speech from around two years, it is unclear when they acquire
a full understanding of plural morphology. Two intermodal
preferential looking (IPL) experiments using eye-tracking
examined the effect of allomorphic variation on children’s
acquisition of English plural morphology. Experiment One
looked at 24-month-olds’ understanding of segmental plural
allomorphs /s/ and /z/. It was found that, while children at this age did not understand the number condition of nonce CVC singular words, or for nonce plural words inflected with voiced plural /z/, they did demonstrate understanding of the voiceless plural allomorph /s/. Experiment Two then tested 36-month olds’ understanding of the syllabic plural /əz/, finding that at this age children are able to demonstrate understanding of CVC singular nonce words, and of nonce words inflected with syllabic plural /əz/. These results add to our understanding of how allomorphic variation affects children’s acquisition of nominal plural morphology.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology
Subtitle of host publication	SST 2016
Editors	Christopher Carignan, Michael D. Tyler
Place of Publication	Canberra
Publisher	Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA)
Pages	101-104
Number of pages	4
Publication status	Published - 2016
Event	Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology (16th : 2016) - Parramatta, Australia Duration: 6 Dec 2016 → 9 Dec 2016 Conference number: 16th

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology
ISSN (Electronic)	2207-1296

Conference

Conference	Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology (16th : 2016)
Abbreviated title	SST2016
Country/Territory	Australia
City	Parramatta
Period	6/12/16 → 9/12/16

Keywords

language acquisition
morphology
plural

Cite this

Davies, B., Xu Rattanasone, N., & Demuth, K. (2016). The effects of allomorphic variation on children’s acquisition of plural morphology. In C. Carignan, & M. D. Tyler (Eds.), Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology: SST 2016 (pp. 101-104). (Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology). Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA).

Davies, Benjamin ; Xu Rattanasone, Nan ; Demuth, Katherine. / The effects of allomorphic variation on children’s acquisition of plural morphology. Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology: SST 2016. editor / Christopher Carignan ; Michael D. Tyler. Canberra : Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA), 2016. pp. 101-104 (Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology).

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title = "The effects of allomorphic variation on children{\textquoteright}s acquisition of plural morphology",

abstract = "While children begin producing plural words in their naturalspeech from around two years, it is unclear when they acquirea full understanding of plural morphology. Two intermodalpreferential looking (IPL) experiments using eye-trackingexamined the effect of allomorphic variation on children{\textquoteright}sacquisition of English plural morphology. Experiment Onelooked at 24-month-olds{\textquoteright} understanding of segmental pluralallomorphs /s/ and /z/. It was found that, while children at this age did not understand the number condition of nonce CVC singular words, or for nonce plural words inflected with voiced plural /z/, they did demonstrate understanding of the voiceless plural allomorph /s/. Experiment Two then tested 36-month olds{\textquoteright} understanding of the syllabic plural /əz/, finding that at this age children are able to demonstrate understanding of CVC singular nonce words, and of nonce words inflected with syllabic plural /əz/. These results add to our understanding of how allomorphic variation affects children{\textquoteright}s acquisition of nominal plural morphology.",

keywords = "language acquisition, morphology, plural",

author = "Benjamin Davies and {Xu Rattanasone}, Nan and Katherine Demuth",

year = "2016",

language = "English",

series = "Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology",

publisher = "Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA)",

pages = "101--104",

editor = "Carignan, {Christopher } and Tyler, {Michael D. }",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology",

note = "Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology (16th : 2016), SST2016 ; Conference date: 06-12-2016 Through 09-12-2016",

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Davies, B , Xu Rattanasone, N & Demuth, K 2016, The effects of allomorphic variation on children’s acquisition of plural morphology. in C Carignan & MD Tyler (eds), Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology: SST 2016. Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology, Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA), Canberra, pp. 101-104, Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology (16th : 2016), Parramatta, Australia, 6/12/16.

The effects of allomorphic variation on children’s acquisition of plural morphology. / Davies, Benjamin ; Xu Rattanasone, Nan ; Demuth, Katherine.
Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology: SST 2016. ed. / Christopher Carignan; Michael D. Tyler. Canberra: Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA), 2016. p. 101-104 (Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - The effects of allomorphic variation on children’s acquisition of plural morphology

AU - Davies, Benjamin

AU - Xu Rattanasone, Nan

AU - Demuth, Katherine

N1 - Conference code: 16th

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - While children begin producing plural words in their naturalspeech from around two years, it is unclear when they acquirea full understanding of plural morphology. Two intermodalpreferential looking (IPL) experiments using eye-trackingexamined the effect of allomorphic variation on children’sacquisition of English plural morphology. Experiment Onelooked at 24-month-olds’ understanding of segmental pluralallomorphs /s/ and /z/. It was found that, while children at this age did not understand the number condition of nonce CVC singular words, or for nonce plural words inflected with voiced plural /z/, they did demonstrate understanding of the voiceless plural allomorph /s/. Experiment Two then tested 36-month olds’ understanding of the syllabic plural /əz/, finding that at this age children are able to demonstrate understanding of CVC singular nonce words, and of nonce words inflected with syllabic plural /əz/. These results add to our understanding of how allomorphic variation affects children’s acquisition of nominal plural morphology.

AB - While children begin producing plural words in their naturalspeech from around two years, it is unclear when they acquirea full understanding of plural morphology. Two intermodalpreferential looking (IPL) experiments using eye-trackingexamined the effect of allomorphic variation on children’sacquisition of English plural morphology. Experiment Onelooked at 24-month-olds’ understanding of segmental pluralallomorphs /s/ and /z/. It was found that, while children at this age did not understand the number condition of nonce CVC singular words, or for nonce plural words inflected with voiced plural /z/, they did demonstrate understanding of the voiceless plural allomorph /s/. Experiment Two then tested 36-month olds’ understanding of the syllabic plural /əz/, finding that at this age children are able to demonstrate understanding of CVC singular nonce words, and of nonce words inflected with syllabic plural /əz/. These results add to our understanding of how allomorphic variation affects children’s acquisition of nominal plural morphology.

KW - language acquisition

KW - morphology

KW - plural

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T3 - Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology

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BT - Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology

A2 - Carignan, Christopher

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Davies B , Xu Rattanasone N , Demuth K. The effects of allomorphic variation on children’s acquisition of plural morphology. In Carignan C, Tyler MD, editors, Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology: SST 2016. Canberra: Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA). 2016. p. 101-104. (Proceedings of the Sixteenth Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology).

The effects of allomorphic variation on children’s acquisition of plural morphology

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