Summary
In this chapter, we discussed speech production models and some of the evidence used to support them. The main source of evidence in understanding speech production comes from speech errors. However, this has since been supplemented with evidence from reaction time experiments, computational modelling, and errors made by patients with acquired language disorders. We discussed three major speech production models by Dell (1986; 1988), Levelt, Roelofs, and Meyer (1999) as well as Romani, Galluzzi, Bureca, and Olson (2011).
Key Takeaways
- Speech production can be understood as conceptualization, formulation, and execution.
- Formulation included syntactic planning and lexicalization.
- Lexicalization is the process of retrieving the phonemes associated with a word.
- The Dell model proposes phonemes encoded for syllable position and CV header nodes.
- The LRM model organizes phonemes according to serial position and has post-lexical syllabification based on the onset-maximization principle.
- The LEWISS model encodes abstract syllable structure connected to segments and only syllabifies at morpheme and word edges.
Exercises in Critical Thinking
- Be mindful of your own speech errors for a week or two and write them down.
- Analyse your speech errors and classify them according to the types of errors you make.
- How much do they agree with the evidence presented for the three speech models we discussed in this chapter?
