Final S in English: The role of acoustic detail in morphological processing and learning

在第一个资助期，来自三个语料库研究的平行证据表明，英语中不同类型的词尾S（即非语素S、后缀S、cliticised has/is）在声学实现上存在差异。这些发现对形态学-音韵学相互作用理论和语音产生模型提出了重要挑战，因为目前尚不清楚形态学状态的差异如何影响语音实现。然而，关于这种系统变异性持续时间的惊人发现需要复制，并且它们提出了有关理解和学习的进一步有趣问题。该项目将首先通过在精心控制的语音和句法环境中使用Wug刺激的生产研究来测试效果的稳健性。然后我们转向不同类型S之间观察到的差异是否可感知并用于理解的问题。这个问题将在进一步的实验中解决，使用ABX辨别任务和两个听众判断任务（分别使用反应时间和鼠标跟踪）。最后一个研究问题与学习有关：听者能否利用声学差异来建立新的表征？这个问题的答案也与语言变异和变化研究中的一个基本问题有关，即是否可以使用梯度声学细节来形成对比，以及语音和形态学在语言发展和声音变化中是否（或如何）能够相互看到对方。为了回答这个问题，我们将用一种人工语言进行一个学习实验，在这个实验中，我们操纵后缀的持续提示。

In the first funding period, parallel evidence from three corpus studies has shown that different types of word-final S in English (i.e. non-morphemic S vs. suffixal S vs. cliticised has/is) differ in their acoustic realization. These findings present an important challenge for theories of morphology-phonology interaction and for models of speech production as it is currently unclear how differences in morphological status are able to influence phonetic implementation. However, the surprising findings on this systematic variability S duration are in need of replication, and they raise further interesting questions concerning comprehension and learning. The project will first test the robustness of the effects with a production study using Wug stimuli in carefully controlled phonological and syntactic environments. We then turn to the question of whether the observed differences between different types of S are perceivable and are used in comprehension. This question will be tackled in further experiments using an ABX discrimination task, and two listener judgment tasks (using reaction times and mouse-tracking, respectively). The final research question concerns learning: Can acoustic differences be used by listeners to establish new representations? The answer to this question is also relevant for a fundamental problem in the study of language variation and change, that is, whether gradient acoustic detail can be used to morphologize a contrast, and whether (or how) phonetics and morphology are able to see each other in language development and sound change. To answer that question we will carry out a learning experiment with an artificial language in which we manipulate durational cues for suffixes.