Bernhardt B May, Hanson R, Perez D, Ávila C, Lleó C, Stemberger J P, Carballo G, Mendoza E, Fresneda D, Chávez-Peón M
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2015 May-Jun;50(3):298-311. doi: 10.1111/1460-6984.12133. Epub 2014 Dec 17.
Research on children's word structure development is limited. Yet, phonological intervention aims to accelerate the acquisition of both speech-sounds and word structure, such as word length, stress or shapes in CV sequences. Until normative studies and meta-analyses provide in-depth information on this topic, smaller investigations can provide initial benchmarks for clinical purposes.
To provide preliminary reference data for word structure development in a variety of Spanish with highly restricted coda use: Granada Spanish (similar to many Hispano-American varieties). To be clinically applicable, such data would need to show differences by age, developmental typicality and word structure complexity. Thus, older typically developing (TD) children were expected to show higher accuracy than younger children and those with protracted phonological development (PPD). Complex or phonologically marked forms (e.g. multisyllabic words, clusters) were expected to be late developing.
METHODS & PROCEDURES: Participants were 59 children aged 3-5 years in Granada, Spain: 30 TD children, and 29 with PPD and no additional language impairments. Single words were digitally recorded by a native Spanish speaker using a 103-word list and transcribed by native Spanish speakers, with confirmation by a second transcriber team and acoustic analysis. The program Phon 1.5 provided quantitative data.
OUTCOMES & RESULTS: In accordance with expectations, the TD and older age groups had better-established word structures than the younger children and those with PPD. Complexity was also relevant: more structural mismatches occurred in multisyllabic words, initial unstressed syllables and clusters. Heterosyllabic consonant sequences were more accurate than syllable-initial sequences. The most common structural mismatch pattern overall was consonant deletion, with syllable deletion most common in 3-year-olds and children with PPD.
CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: The current study provides preliminary reference data for word structure development in a Spanish variety with restricted coda use, both by age and types of word structures. Between ages 3 and 5 years, global measures (whole word match, word shape match) distinguished children with typical versus protracted phonological development. By age 4, children with typical development showed near-mastery of word structures, whereas 4- and 5-year-olds with PPD continued to show syllable deletion and cluster reduction, especially in multisyllabic words. The results underline the relevance of multisyllabic words and words with clusters in Spanish phonological assessment and the utility of word structure data for identification of protracted phonological development.
关于儿童词结构发展的研究有限。然而，语音干预旨在加速语音和词结构的习得，如词长、重音或CV序列中的形状。在规范研究和荟萃分析提供关于该主题的深入信息之前，较小规模的调查可为临床目的提供初步基准。
为一种韵尾使用受到高度限制的西班牙语变体：格拉纳达西班牙语（类似于许多西班牙裔美洲变体）的词结构发展提供初步参考数据。为了具有临床适用性，此类数据需要显示出年龄、发育典型性和词结构复杂性方面的差异。因此，预计年龄较大的发育正常（TD）儿童比年龄较小的儿童以及语音发展迟缓（PPD）的儿童表现出更高的准确性。复杂或语音标记形式（如多音节词、音丛）预计发展较晚。
参与者为西班牙格拉纳达59名3至5岁的儿童：30名TD儿童和29名PPD儿童且无其他语言障碍。由一位以西班牙语为母语的人使用103个单词的列表对单个单词进行数字录音，并由以西班牙语为母语的人进行转录，由第二个转录团队进行确认并进行声学分析。Phon 1.5程序提供定量数据。
与预期一致，TD组和年龄较大的组比年龄较小的儿童以及PPD儿童具有更完善的词结构。复杂性也很重要：多音节词、词首非重读音节和音丛中出现的结构不匹配更多。异音节辅音序列比音节首序列更准确。总体上最常见的结构不匹配模式是辅音缺失，音节缺失在3岁儿童和PPD儿童中最常见。
本研究为一种韵尾使用受限的西班牙语变体的词结构发展提供了按年龄和词结构类型划分的初步参考数据。在3至5岁之间，整体测量（全词匹配、词形匹配）区分了发育正常与语音发展迟缓的儿童。到4岁时，发育正常的儿童显示出对词结构的近乎掌握，而4岁和5岁的PPD儿童继续表现出音节缺失和音丛简化，尤其是在多音节词中。结果强调了多音节词和带有音丛的词在西班牙语语音评估中的相关性以及词结构数据在识别语音发展迟缓方面的效用。
