This mixed methods study was designed to examine the effectiveness of the HearBuilder Phonological Awareness software program on the acquisition of phonological awareness in African-American preschool children. Additionally, the researcher investigated the relationship between the independent variables of student engagement, student motivation, student behavior, and student attendance on the dependent variable of acquisition of phonological awareness as measured by the gain score. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to describe, summarize, and interpret the data collected. After examining the aforesaid variables, the researcher found there were no significant relationships between the gain scores and any of the independent variables. But there were useful significant relationships between the independent variables of student motivation, student engagement, and student attendance. The researcher also examined the differences between the pretest and posttest for the experimental and control groups combined. A significant difference was found between these two tests suggesting that the HearBuilder Phonological Awareness software program was effective in improving student’s performance in the experimental group. There was no significant difference, however, between pre and posttest based on gender. So while one can see the effectiveness in the HearBuilder Phonological Awareness program based on the difference between the pre and posttest, the reason does not lie in the variables selected as independent variables, but in other variables not included in the study such as instructional strategies. Finally, the researcher investigated the difference in the performance of the experimental group and the control group as measured by the mean gain scores. Key results revealed that the experimental group scored higher than the control group on the HearBuilder Phonological Awareness posttest as measured by the gain score. Early Childhood administrators can utilize this investigation as a vehicle to advance their instructional leadership skills and teachers can improve their pedagogical practices.

This research has the objective of checking the phonological and metaphonological changes in children with phonological deviation (PD), from the treatment with two different therapy models (Metaphon and Minimal Pairs Therapy), highlighting the phonological changes post-treatment, the different types of structural generalization achieved and the abilities in the phonological awareness (PA). . The sample was constituted by four subjects (S1, S2, S3 and S4) aged between 4:6 and 7:0. S1 and S2, females, were treated with the Metaphon Theory, while S3 and S4, males, were treated with the Minimal Pair Approach. In the pre-treatment period, phonological and extra evaluations were done to diagnose the PD. In the data collection the phonological system (PS) and the phonological awareness (PA) were evaluated and these results were also collected during the post-treatment period. During the analysis of the PS and the PA evaluation in the pre and post-treatment, it was noticed that all the subjects improved. Regarding the PS, the four subjects of the sample improved and all of them presented some kind of structural generalization: S1 and S3 overcame the PS and S2 and S4 acquired some phonemes. Regarding the PA, it was expected a bigger improvement on the subjects treated with the Metaphon compared to the ones treated with the Minimal Pair Therapy. Even though all the subjects in the study improved the abilities in the PA, it was expected, at his age, that S3 accomplished the tasks in the phonemic awareness level, but he did not succeed. It is possible to conclude that all the subjects were benefited from the treatment with both therapy models. Meaningful phonological changes were noticed after the treatment, considering that all the subjects presented different types of structural generalization. Regarding the PA, all of them improved in the tasks of syllabic awareness. In the tasks of phonological awareness just S3 (the only one who could accomplish them, according to the age) treated with the Minimal Pair Therapy, was not successful. This suggests that this model may not benefit the phonemic awareness as efficiently as the Metaphon Therapy. / Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo verificar as mudanças fonológicas e metafonológicas obtidas em crianças com desvio fonológico (DF), a partir do tratamento com dois diferentes modelos de terapia (Metaphon e Modelo de Pares Mínimos), ressaltando as mudanças fonológicas pós-tratamento, os diferentes tipos de generalização estrutural obtidos e as habilidades em Consciência Fonológica (CF). A amostra constituiu-se por quatro sujeitos (S1, S2, S3 e S4) com idades entre 4:6 e 7:0, sendo S1 e S2 do sexo feminino, tratados pelo Metaphon, e S3 e S4 do sexo masculino, tratados pelo Modelo de Pares Mínimos. No período pré-tratamento, foram realizadas avaliações fonoaudiológicas e complementares a fim de diagnosticar o DF. Na coleta dos dados avaliou-se o sistema fonológico (SF) e a CF, sendo que estes resultados foram coletados, também, no pós-tratamento. Ao analisar os resultados das avaliações do SF e da CF pré e pós-tratamento, observou-se que os quatro sujeitos obtiveram evoluções. Quanto ao SF, todos os sujeitos desta amostra obtiveram melhoras, sendo que todos apresentaram algum tipo de generalização estrutural; mais especificamente, S1 e S3 superaram o DF e S2 e S4 adquiriram alguns fonemas. No que se refere à CF, esperava-se que a evolução fosse maior para os sujeitos tratados pelo Metaphon em relação aos tratados com o Modelo de Pares Mínimos. E embora todos os sujeitos deste estudo tenham melhorado nas habilidades em CF, S3 não conseguiu realizar as tarefas em nível de consciência fonêmica, sendo esperado, com base na sua faixa etária, que obtivesse sucesso nas mesmas. Concluiu-se que todos os sujeitos foram beneficiados com ambos os modelos de terapia. Observaram-se mudanças fonológicas significativas pós-tratamento, considerando que todos apresentaram diferentes tipos de generalização estrutural. E em relação à CF, todos apresentaram progresso nas tarefas de consciência silábica e nas tarefas de consciência fonêmica somente o S3 (único da amostra apto a realiza-las, conforme a faixa etária), tratado pelo Modelo de Pares Mínimos, não alcançou êxito. Isso sugere que este modelo pode não beneficiar as habilidades de consciência fonêmica tão efetivamente quanto o Metaphon.

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of speech disorder in a sample of children from a public state school, verify the prevalence of disorder in according to sex; classify the deviation according to type and severity; verify the occurrence of delay in language acquisition in children with phonological disorder; characterize the phonetic inventory and the phonological system of this sample, and verify which the most altered phonemes are. The sample was composed of 91 subjects of both sex, ranging from 5:7 and 7:5. All of them were submitted to speech-language evaluations and phonological assessments that were applied to determine the type and degree of severity of speech disorder as well as the phonetic inventory and the phonological system. For the statistical analysis Qui-Quadrado Test, Variance analysis, t-test and Kruskal-Wallis were used, with level of significance of 5% (p<0,05). Analyses were developed using SPSS 8.0 software. Amongst the 91 subjects 46 (70,3%) had speech disorder and the 27 other (29,7%) presented appropriate speech acquisition (GAFN). Considering the obtained on deviation type, the prevalence was of 18,55% for phonological deviation (GDFo), 2,10% for phonetic deviation (GDFe) and of 5,24% for phonological-phonetic deviation (GDFoFe). Association between delay in language acquisition process and the disorder type was not observed. It was noticed significant statistic association between: masculine gender and the group with speech disorder; the feminine gender and GAFN; GDFe and the tongue altered posture; GDFo and the incomplete phonetic inventory; GAFN and the complete phonetic inventory; GDFo and phonological system altered; GDFe and GAFN and the appropriate phonological system. The sounds with highest omission in the inventory were: /з /, /z/, /r/, /λ / e /g/ and /g/ for GDFo; and /r/,/g /, /z/, /∫/ and /λ / for GDFoFe. The groups GDFe and GAFN presented PCC significantly higher than GDFoFe. The phonemes with most alterations in the phonological system were: /r /, /λ/, /з /∫ / and /z/ for GDFo and /∫ /λ /, /, /r/, /g/ for GDFoFe. In both groups, the majority of subjects presented difficulties with the complex onset, and with the erasure of the rhotic consonants /r/ e /l/. As for the distinctive features it was verified that: GDFo and GDFoFe presented significant statistically altered number of features, more than GAFN; the most altered features for: [+voz] ®-voz], [-ant] ®[+ant], [+cont] ®[-cont], [-voc] ®[+voc] in GDFo and [-ant] ®[+ant], [+voz] ® [-voz], [+ant] ® [-ant] in GDFoFe. Therefore, this research shows that there is high prevalence on speech deviation/disorder in the group of preschoolers studied, and that the larger the number of missing sounds in the phonetic inventory the higher the disorder severity. Furthermore, the high number of alterations in the fricative class and the rhotic consonants suggest that the subjects who present phonological or phonological-phonetic disorders/deviations adopt similar strategies, however not identical to the ones used by children with appropriate phonological development because these classes of phonemes are, according to literature, the last to be acquired. / Este estudo teve por objetivos estimar a prevalência de desvio de fala em uma amostra de pré-escolares de escolas públicas, verificar a prevalência do desvio quanto ao sexo, classificar os desvios quanto ao tipo e à severidade, verificar se em crianças com desvios fonológicos há presença de atraso na aquisição da linguagem, caracterizar o inventário fonético e o sistema fonológico e verificar quais os fonemas mais alterados. A amostra foi formada por 91 sujeitos, de ambos os sexos, com idades entre 5:7 e 7:5. Todos foram submetidos às avaliações fonoaudiológicas e fonológica, realizadas para determinar o tipo e o grau de severidade do desvio de fala, bem como o inventário fonético e o sistema fonológico. Para análise estatística, foram utilizados o Teste Qui-quadrado, a análise de variância, o teste Kruskal-Wallis e o teste t, com nível de significância de 5% (p<0,05). Os dados foram submetidos ao software SPSS 8.0. Dos 91 sujeitos, 46 (70,3%) apresentaram fala com desvio, e os outros 27 (29,7%) apresentaram aquisição de fala normalizada (GAFN). Ao considerar os resultados obtidos por tipo de desvio, a prevalência foi de 18,55% para os desvios fonológicos (GDFo), 2,10% para o desvio fonético (GDFe) e 5,24% para o desvio fonológico-fonético (GDFoFe). Não foi constatada associação entre atraso no processo de aquisição da linguagem e tipo de desvio. Verificou-se associação estatisticamente significativa entre o sexo masculino e o grupo com desvio de fala, o sexo feminino e GAFN, o GDFe e a postura alterada de língua, o GDFo e inventário fonético incompleto, o GAFN e o inventário fonético completo, o GDFo e sistema fonológico alterado e os GDFe e GAFN e o sistema fonológico adequado. Os sons com maior número de omissões no inventário fonético foram: /з /, /z/, /r/, /λ / e /g/ no GDFo, e /r/, /g/, /z/, / ∫ / e / λ / no GDFoFe. Os grupos GDFe e GAFN apresentaram PCC significativamente maior que o do GDFoFe. Os fonemas com mais alterações no sistema fonológico foram: /r/, /λ /, /з / ∫ / e /z/ no GDFo, e / ∫ /, /λ /, /r/, /g/ no GDFoFe. Em ambos os grupos, a maioria dos sujeitos apresentou dificuldades com o onset complexo, com apagamento das líquidas /r/ e /l/. Quanto aos traços distintivos, foi verificado que os GDFo e o GDFoFe apresentaram número de traços alterados estatisticamente significativo e maior que o GAFN e que os traços mais alterados foram [+voz] ®[-voz], [-ant] ®[+ant], [+cont] ®[-cont], [-voc] ®[+voc], no GDFo, e [-ant] ®[+ant], [+voz] ®[-voz], [+ant] ®[-ant], no GDFoFe. Conclui-se, dessa forma, que há alta prevalência de desvios de fala em pré-escolares na população estudada, e quanto maior o número de sons ausentes no inventário fonético, maior pode ser a severidade do desvio. Além disso; o maior número de alterações na classe das fricativas e líquidas sugere que os sujeitos com desvios fonológico ou fonológico-fonético utilizam estratégias semelhantes, embora não idênticas, às das crianças com desenvolvimento fonológico adequado, pois essas classes de fonemas são, de acordo com a literatura consultada, as últimas a serem adquiridas.

L’objectif de cette recherche consiste à décrire les types d’erreurs d’orthographe des étudiants iraniens en langue française et à mener une analyse qualitative et quantitative de l’évolution de chaque type d’erreur pendant les quatre années de licence dans le système de l’enseignement supérieur de la discipline « Langue française » en Iran. Cette analyse descriptive est suivie d’une discussion étiologique de ces erreurs d’orthographe sur la base de deux hypothèses majeures : le rôle de la dissemblance entre les deux systèmes phonologiques français et persan et les formes de l’enseignement supérieur de la langue française en Iran. Afin d’atteindre cet objectif, une dictée traditionnelle d’un texte sélectif a été menée auprès de 313 étudiants iraniens de la première à la quatrième et dernière année de licence de langue française de toutes les universités publiques et privées de la ville de Téhéran. Les erreurs orthographiques desdits étudiants ont été classées selon la typologie proposée par A.Chervel et D.Manesse (1989), légèrement modifiée, qui comprend huit types d’erreurs appartenant aux domaines de « langue », de « grammaire » et de « lexique ». L’étude des différents types d’erreurs orthographiques des étudiants iraniens de notre échantillon montre que leurs erreurs orthographiques les plus fréquentes sont de deux types : 1- erreurs préorthographiques (domaine « langue ») comportant les erreurs de non-reconnaissance du mot et les erreurs de type phonétique ; 2- erreurs orthographiques d’orthographe grammaticale. L’étude de l’évolution des erreurs orthographiques desdits étudiants montre que les types d’erreurs restent les mêmes de la première à la dernière année de licence et que leur fréquence diminue quoiqu’elle n’atteigne pas le degré zéro. La fréquence élevée, chez les étudiants de notre échantillon, des erreurs de type phonétique et des erreurs d’orthographe grammaticale confirme les deux hypothèses déjà mentionnées de cette recherche. / The aim of this research is to describe the types of orthographical errors of Iranian students in French language and to conduct a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the evolution of each type of error during the four years of bachelor degree (B.A.) in the system of higher education of the French language discipline in Iran. This descriptive analysis is followed by a etiological discussion of orthographical errors based on two key assumptions : the role of the dissimilarity between the two phonological systems of French and Persian languages and the characteristics of higher education of French language in Iran. To achieve this objective, an oral dictation with a selective text was read out to 313 Iranian students from the first to the fourth year of undergraduate French language in all public and private universities in Tehran city. The orthographical errors of these students were classified according to the typology proposed by A.Chervel and D.Manesse (1989), slightly modified, with eight types of errors from the categories of "language", "grammar" and "lexicon". The study of different types of orthographical errors of Iranian students in our sample showed that their most common errors are of two types : 1 – preorthographical errors ("language" category) which contain errors on the non-recognition of the word and on the phonetical errors ; 2 – orthographical errors which contain the grammatical errors. The study of the evolution of orthographical errors of these students showed that the errors will remain the same from the first to the last year of B.A. degree and decrease in frequency but not reach to zero level. The high frequency of phonological and grammatical orthographical errors among students in our sample confirms the mentioned assumptions of this research.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of THRASS (Teaching Handwriting, Reading and Spelling Skills) on the word level accuracy skills of a group of grade 2 learners. Word level accuracy is one sub skill in learning to read and is an indicator of the word recognition abilities of the child. THRASS is a program that has been designed to systematically teach phonics and, thus, teaches the basic building blocks of word sounds and structure so as to improve the child’s decoding ability and word recognition ability. The research took place within the positivist paradigm and the methodology is quantitative in nature. The data collection method took the form of a one group pretest-posttest design, where a standardised reading test was administered prior to exposing the participants to the THRASS Program and then readministered one year later on the same group of learners. Data analysis took the form of statistical analysis to investigate any statistical significant difference in the word level accuracy skills of those Grade 2 learners. The result showed that over the period of a year the average reading accuracy age for the target population increased by four months. However, after statistical analysis the difference was not statistically significant. The Null Hypothesis that; exposing a group of Grade 2 learners to the THRASS Program for a period of one year will have no statistically significant influence on their word level accuracy skills cannot be rejected . However, the changes both in average reading accuracy as well as error patterns have inspired recommendations for further research. Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

The study examined the typical development of early literacy in a group of typically developing preschool Sepedi first language children residing in Atteridgeville, by determining their performance on a protocol of early literacy tasks. The following aspects were included: written language awareness, narrative abilities, phonological awareness, letter name knowledge, grapheme-phoneme correspondence and literacy motivation. The performance of the participants on the various tasks was used to describe the early literacy development of the target population and to identify relevant risk criteria that may indicate delayed early literacy development in the target population. The performance of participants on these tasks differed from those of other participants in local and international studies, which underscores the necessity of culturally sensitive procedures for identifying delays in the early literacy development of children. The influence of factors such as the mother’s level of education, gender, participants’ level of engagement in literacy activities and participants' current academic performance on the development of early literacy skills were also investigated. Based on the results as well as other indications from the literature, possible risk factors for delayed early literacy development for this group are listed. / Dissertation (M (Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / unrestricted

The variation in the realization of phonemes /t/ and /d/ has been the subject of several studies in Brazilian Portuguese HORA, 1990; ABAURRE; PAGOTTO, 2002; PAULA, 2006; BATTISTI et al, 2007; PIRES, 2007; DUTRA, 2007; MATTÉ, 2009; SOUZA NETO, 2014, among others), that signal to diatopic conditioning phenomenon. This work aims to contribute to the description of the variety of speech of Sergipe. considering phonetic-phonological aspects of three language communities of the state of Sergipe. Therefore, let us take as an object of study the variation of the consonants /t/ and /d/ before the high front vowel not rounded /i/, which are produced as palate-alveolar affricates (/t/ e /d/) as [‘tia], [‘dent], [ci’dad], [i’dad] produced by informants of Aracaju, Itabaiana and lizard. For this study, 60 were taken sociolinguistic interviews of university's of Falares Sergipanos. The research builds on the Theory of Sociolinguistics variationist (LABOV, [1972]; 2008), and the Usage-Based Phonology (Bybee, 2001). ). For Labov, the language is assumed heterogeneous, conditional upon restrictions with regard to the linguistic context and social context. According to the Usage-Based Phonology, sound changes are phonetically and lexically gradual. The in-memory representation of individuals is affected by the tokens; the language goes through several reorganizations and changes according to the experiences and use. In the refers the process of varying the palatalization, that undergoes adjustments of phonetic properties and articulatory gestures. As results, the statistical selection referring to linguistic and extralinguistic variables in the order of relevance in conditioning was: Geographical Group, Context Phonological Precedent; Sex / Gender; Interviewer; sonority; and Position of Syllable Tonic. The geographic group is that most favors the palatalization of alveolar stops: Aracaju and Itabaiana were the most favored palatalization, which shows the variation diatopic. The consonant sibilant is the factor of the antecedent phonological context that most favors the palatalization of alveolar plosives consonant. As for the Sex / Gender, women palatalizaram more often than men, whereas women tend to use the prestige variant, it is possible to infer that women are leading change. The variable interviewer, this does not favor the trigger effect once the interviewer not palatalizam appear more enhancers of palatalization. And as the variable sound, the deaf factor was the most motivated palatalization in geographical groups analyzed. In both wheels this factor was more motivating for palatalization. And the position of the stressed syllable, expressed more favorable application of the palatalization of dental plosives not end postonic and pretonic. Data from the acoustic analysis revealed the existence of gradients between the production of the full form and the innovative pattern, suggesting a change in progress. / A variação na realização dos fonemas /t/ e /d/ tem sido objeto de diversos estudos no português brasileiro (HORA, 1990; ABAURRE; PAGOTTO, 2002; PAULA, 2006; BATTISTI et al, 2007; PIRES, 2007; DUTRA, 2007; MATTÉ, 2009; SOUZA NETO, 2014, dentre outros), que sinalizam para o condicionamento diatópico do fenômeno. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo contribuir para a descrição da variedade do falar sergipano, considerando aspectos fonético-fonológicos de três comunidades linguísticas do estado de Sergipe. Para tanto, tomamos como objeto de estudo a variação das consoantes /t/ e /d/ diante da vogal alta anterior não arredondada /i/, onde são produzidas como africadas palato-alveolares (/t/ e /d/) como [‘tia], [‘dent], [ci’dad], [i’dad] produzidas por informantes de Aracaju, Itabaiana e Lagarto. Para esse estudo, foram tomadas 60 entrevistas sociolinguísticas de universitários do banco de dados Falares Sergipanos, estratificadas quanto ao sexo/gênero e localidade. A pesquisa toma como base a Teoria da Sociolinguística Variacionista (LABOV, [1972]; 2008) e a Teoria de Uso (BYBEE, 2001). Para Labov, a língua é assumida como heterogênea, condicionada a restrições no que se refere ao contexto linguístico e social. Segundo a Fonologia de Uso, as mudanças sonoras são fonética e lexicamente graduais. A representação na memória dos indivíduos é afetada pelos tokens, a língua passa por diversas reestruturações, e muda de acordo com as experiências e com o uso. No que remete o processo de variação da palatalização, essa passa por ajustes fonéticos de propriedades e gestos articulatórios. Como resultados, a seleção estatística referente às variáveis linguísticas e extralinguísticas, por ordem de relevância no condicionamento foi a: Grupo geográfico, Contexto Fonológico Precedente; Sexo/Gênero; Entrevistador; Sonoridade; e Posição da Sílaba Tônica. O grupo geográfico é o que mais favorece a palatalização de oclusivas alveolares: Aracaju e Itabaiana foram os que mais favoreceram a palatalização, o que evidencia a variação diatópica. A consoante sibilante é o fator do contexto fonológico antecedente que mais favorece a palatalização das oclusivas alveolares. Quanto ao Sexo/Gênero, as mulheres palatalizaram com mais frequência que os homens, considerando que mulheres tendem a usar a variante de prestígio, é possível inferir que as mulheres estão conduzindo a mudança. Em relação à variável entrevistador, esse não favorece o efeito gatilho uma vez que os entrevistadores que não palatalizam aparecem mais favorecedores da palatalização. E quanto à variável sonoridade, o fator surdo foi o que mais motivou a palatalização nos grupos geográficos analisados. Em ambas as rodas tal fator mostrou-se mais motivador para a palatalização. E a posição da sílaba tônica, manifestaram mais favoráveis a aplicação da palatalização das oclusivas dentais a postônica não final e a pretônica. Os dados da análise acústica revelam a existência de gradientes entre a produção entre a forma plena e o padrão inovador, o que sugere uma mudança em progresso.

Pendant la perception de la parole, les locuteurs sont biaisés par un grand nombre de facteurs. Par exemple, il existe des limitations cognitives comme la mémoire ou l’attention, mais aussi des limitations linguistiques comme leur langue maternelle. Cette thèse se concentre sur deux de ces facteurs : les biais de traitement pendant la reconnaissance des mots, et les biais d’apprentissage pendant le processus de transmission. Ces facteurs peuvent se combiner et, au cours du temps, influencer l’évolution des langues. Dans la première partie de cette thèse, nous nous concentrons sur le processus de la reconnaissance des mots. Des recherches antérieures ont établi l’importance des traits phonologiques (p. ex. le voisement ou le lieu d’articulation) pendant le traitement de la parole. Cependant, nous en savons peu sur leur poids relatif les uns par rapport aux autres, et comment cela peut influencer la capacité des locuteurs à reconnaître les mots. Nous avons testé des locuteurs français sur leur capacité à reconnaître des mots mal prononcés et avons trouvé que les traits de mode et de lieu sont plus importants que le trait de voisement. Nous avons ensuite considéré deux sources de cette asymétrie et avons trouvé que les locuteurs sont biaisés et par la perception acoustique ascendante (les contrastes de mode sont plus facile à percevoir à cause de leur distance acoustique importante) et par la connaissance lexicale descendante (le trait de lieu est plus exploité dans le lexique français que les autres traits). Nous suggérons que ces deux sources de biais se combinent pour influencer les locuteurs lors de la reconnaissance des mots. Dans la seconde partie de cette thèse, nous nous concentrons sur la question d’un biais d’apprentissage. Il a été suggéré que les apprenants peuvent être biaisés vers l’apprentissage de certains patrons phonologiques grâce à leurs connaissances phonétiques. Cela peut alors expliquer pourquoi certains patrons sont récurrents dans la typologie, tandis que d’autres restent rares ou non-attestés. Plus spécifiquement, nous avons exploré le rôle d’un biais d’apprentissage sur l’acquisition de la règle typologiquement commune de l’harmonie vocalique comparée à celle de la règle non-attestée (mais logiquement équivalente) de la disharmonie vocalique. Nous avons trouvé des preuves d’un biais d’apprentissage aussi bien en perception qu’en production. En utilisant un modèle d’apprentissage itéré simulé, nous avons ensuite montré comment un biais, même petit, favorisant l’un des patrons, peut influencer la typologie linguistique au cours du temps et donc expliquer (en partie) la prépondérance de systèmes harmoniques. De plus, nous avons exploré le rôle du sommeil sur la consolidation mnésique. Nous avons montré que seul le patron commun bénéficie d’une consolidation et que cela est un facteur supplémentaire pouvant contribuer à l’asymétrie typologique. Dans l’ensemble, cette thèse considère certaines des sources de biais possibles chez l’individu et discute de comment ces influences peuvent, au cours du temps, faire évoluer les systèmes linguistiques. Nous avons démontré la nature dynamique et complexe du traitement de la parole, à la fois en perception et dans l’apprentissage. De futurs travaux devront explorer plus en détail comment ces différentes sources de biais sont pondérées les unes relativement aux autres. / During speech perception, listeners are biased by a great number of factors, including cognitive limitations such as memory and attention and linguistic limitations such as their native language. This thesis focuses on two of these factors: processing bias during word recognition, and learning bias during the transmission process. These factors are combinatorial and can, over time, affect the way languages evolve. In the first part of this thesis, we focus on the process of word recognition. Previous research has established the importance of phonological features (e.g., voicing or place of articulation) during speech processing, but little is known about their weight relative to one another, and how this influences listeners' ability to recognize words. We tested French participants on their ability to recognize mispronounced words and found that the manner and place features were more important than the voicing feature. We then explored two sources of this asymmetry and found that listeners were biased both by bottom-up acoustic perception (manner contrasts are easier to perceive because of their acoustic distance compared to the other features) and top-down lexical knowledge (the place feature is used more in the French lexicon than the other two features). We suggest that these two sources of bias coalesce during the word recognition process to influence listeners. In the second part of this thesis, we turn to the question of bias during the learning process. It has been suggested that language learners may be biased towards the learning of certain phonological patterns because of phonetic knowledge they have. This in turn can explain why certain patterns are recurrent in the typology while others remain rare or unattested. Specifically, we explored the role of learning bias on the acquisition of the typologically common rule of vowel harmony compared to the unattested (but logically equivalent) rule of vowel disharmony. We found that in both perception and production, there was evidence of a learning bias, and using a simulated iterated learning model, showed how even a small bias favoring one pattern over the other could influence the linguistic typology over time, thus explaining (in part) the prevalence of harmonic systems. We additionally explored the role of sleep on memory consolidation and showed evidence that the common pattern benefits from consolidation that the unattested pattern does not, a factor that may also contribute to the typological asymmetry. Overall, this thesis considers a few of the wide-ranging sources of bias in the individual and discusses how these influences can over time shape linguistic systems. We demonstrate the dynamic and complicated nature of speech processing (both in perception and learning) and open the door for future research to explore in finer detail just how these different sources of bias are weighted relative to one another.

There is a need for information regarding the relationship of phonological awareness to reading and spelling in the multilingual learner in South Africa. The speech-language therapist has a role to play as part of the collaborative team assessing and treating the learner with reading and spelling difficulties. The aim of the study was to examine the relationships that exist between phonological awareness, written spelling and oral reading abilities in four groups of school-aged learners. A quantitative research design was employed in the form of a descriptive survey. Twenty test subjects were selected randomly from Grade 2 classes at an English-medium inclusive school in Pretoria, South Africa. Their class teachers on their final school report of the year had rated the learners as having good or poor literacy ability. They were organized into four research groups which differed with respect to their home language (English or English as Additional Language) and with respect to their literacy ability as judged by their teachers (Good or Poor literacy ability). A questionnaire was designed to ascertain parental perspectives pertaining to the learners’ case history and literacy development. A test battery composed of the Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation (Goldman&Fristoe, 1986), the Phonological Assessment Battery (Frederickson, Reason&Frith, 1997), the ESSI Reading and the ESSI Spelling Test (Esterhuyse&Beukes, 1997), and the TOLD-P: 2 (Newcomer&Hammill, 1991), as well as a Class Spelling List and a Reading Comprehension Task developed by the researcher, was administered to all test subjects. Findings of subjects’ performance in this study supported international findings regarding the strong relationship between phonological awareness ability and performance on reading and spelling measures. In addition, multilingual learners in this study were found to have delays in language development that negatively impacted on their literacy rating. The language development of the English-speakers with poor literacy ability in this study also negatively affected their reading and spelling performance. The test battery used in this study, with the exception of the Reading Comprehension Task, proved useful in differentiating subjects with good and poor literacy abilities and appears to be applicable for use in the South African situation. The results provide useful insights for the assessment and treatment of these learners. Furthermore, relevant research topics in the field of literacy development in an inclusive education setting were presented. / Dissertation (M (Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / unrestricted

Rationale: The importance of well developed phonological awareness and the effect of poor phonological awareness skills on reading and spelling have long been recognised. However, a dearth of research exists regarding populations in multi-cultural, multi-lingual contexts both nationally and internationally. This issue is of particular importance in the South African context where many Black learners in the school setting have no other choice than English as the Language of Learning and Teaching (ELoLT). Aim: The purpose of the study was to explore the effect of a multi-cultural, multi-lingual context on the English phonological awareness skills of a group of Black Grade 4 learners in a primary school setting in South Africa. Method: An exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was implemented, which incorporated both quantitative and qualitative paradigms. An assessment battery consisting of formal and informal assessments was used to determine levels of development. The researcher endeavoured to find statistical correlations between the participants' phonological awareness skills on the one hand, and their phonological abilities, their expressive and receptive language abilities, and their reading and spelling abilities in ELoLT on the other. Participants: Fifteen Black Grade 4 learners, each with a Black language as mother tongue, who attended a mainstream school where English was the language of learning and teaching (ELoLT), participated in the study. The participants' ages ranged between 9 years 11 months, and 10 years 11 months. Results: The participants’ phonological abilities in English as LoLT showed that 47% of the participants produced the target consonants with a consonant approximation, and vowel approximations were produced by all of the participants in single words. All fifteen the participants’ expressive and receptive language abilities in English as their LoLT, were on a below-average level and their expressive language abilities were more advanced than their receptive language abilities. All the participants evidenced problems in terms of their phonological awareness skills. Based on the results obtained for reading decoding abilities, only one third of the participants could be considered to be readers of an average standard. The reading comprehension abilities of all the participants were on a lower level than those of first language speakers of Standard South African English. Furthermore, the participants’ spelling abilities in English as LoLT were not age-appropriate. Even though no significant correlation could be determined between the participants’ reading comprehension and phonological awareness skills (due to the fact that memory probably played a role in their reading comprehension), it was statistically determined that their poor phonological awareness skills could be associated with their below-average phonological, receptive and expressive language, reading decoding, and spelling abilities. Conclusions: The results of this research have implications for the role of speech-language therapists in terms of collaboration, prevention, assessment, and intervention where the development of these learners' phonological awareness skills is concerned. Clinical implications focus on the dissemination of information, therapy planning, and EAL learner support. The need for further research in this field is emphasised. / Dissertation (M (Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / M (Communication Pathology) / Unrestricted