An efficient algorithm for segmenting child-directed speech into words has recently been proposed in the Machine Learning journal. This short technical note proposes some modifications to this algorithm. In particular, a slightly more conservative variation of the original approach is proposed that infers word boundaries based simply on the maximum a-posteriori lexicon. Results of empirical tes...

Objectives. Previous research has shown that the acquisition of personal pronouns benefits from input with higher amounts stable reference. This paper aims to provide more evidence how is structured. The language under study Slovak, a pro-drop language, allowing extend verb marking. Participants and setting. longitudinal follows speech directed three children in two families age 1;9 3;0. Hypoth...

Foreigner-directed and Lombard speech are two examples of speech modes that have increased intelligibility compared to normal speech. Investigating the interactions between altered speech modes and phonological contrasts may throw light on the question of which details are vital in intelligibility enhancement. The present study compares the production of vowel shortening in English, a duration-...

This study examined potential differences in vocabulary found in picture books and adult’s speech to children and to other adults. Using a small sample of various sources of speech and print, Hayes observed that print had a more extensive vocabulary than speech. The current analyses of two different spoken language databases and an assembled picture book corpus replicated and extended these fin...

Language acquisition represents one of the great learning achievements in human cognitive development. Perhaps, this process takes place in a relatively automatic manner in which, simply through exposure to language input, the child configures her language organ to coincide with the structure of the maternal language. In this context, the problem of the vast uncertainty between speech input and...