本篇論文針對三位以臺灣華語為母語的音韻異常兒童，採長期觀察的方式，研究中文顎音[tɕ, tɕʰ, ɕ]的習得狀況與產製現象。習得狀況方面，詳細描述顎音的習得順序、常見的語音錯誤之音韻歷程、延遲的音韻歷程類型、錯誤取代模式隨著年紀增長而改變的情形。產製現象方面，本篇論文探討了顎音所在音節的音節複雜度(Syllable complexity)是否會對顎音的正確率以及錯誤取代狀況有所影響。 本研究共觀察三位年齡為三歲十個月至五歲三個月且正在接受語言治療的音韻異常兒童長達六個月，以每週一次的頻率前往醫院收集幼童與語言治療師之間的自然對話，並利用錄製回來的影音檔做譯寫和分析。 結果顯示，音韻異常兒童的顎音習得狀況有以下現象：(1)顎音發展較為停滯，幾乎沒有隨著年齡的增長而有進步的現象。(2)音韻異常兒童在發顎音時，會系統性的使用不該是他的年齡所應該出現的音韻歷程。(3)顎音的語音錯誤之音韻歷程種類不多，但使用的頻率卻非常頻繁。上述結果皆驗證了前人文獻的研究結果(Stoel-Gammon & Dunn, 1985; Jeng, 2011)。除此之外，本研究也發現音韻異常兒童具有以下特徵：(4)音韻異常兒童能夠察覺兩個音之間送氣特徵(aspiration feature)的不同，在選擇替代音時，也會選擇與目標音有相同送氣特徵的音來取代。(5)音韻異常兒童的語言能力和語言表現之間有落差，也就是說，他們知道能夠區辨出哪個是正確的音，但卻無法正確的使用該語音。(6)音節複雜度會對音韻異常兒童的顎音產製造成影響。因此，音韻異常兒童在顎音的習得狀況和產製表現上都和正常兒童不同。 音韻異常兒童使用的錯誤音的模式顯示塞擦音基底形式中的[stop]成分及[cont]成分並非均等(asymmetrical relationship)，且塞擦音是屬於以左邊的成分為主要核心的語音(left-headed)，並從第一語言習得的觀點為塞擦音的真實面貌提供了一項證據。 / The purpose of this study is to discuss the issue concerning the acquisition and production of Mandarin palatals [tɕ, tɕʰ, ɕ] in Taiwan Mandarin-speaking disordered children. Four aspects regarding the acquisition of Mandarin palatals are included in this study: the order of acquisition, the phonological processes involved, the delayed phonological processes, and the path of error patterns. In addition, the effect of syllable complexity on disordered children’s palatal production is also examined. Three disordered children (aged 3;10 to 5;3) who were identified as having delayed phonological development are investigated in this study. A six-to-seven month of longitudinal observation is conducted by recording the spontaneous speech between the therapists and the children during the process of speech therapy. The results showed that phonologically disordered children have the following characteristics on palatal acquisition and production: (1) static phonemic system that stops at an early level of development, (2) persistent uses of delayed processes, and (3) frequent uses of phonological processes. These characteristics were asserted in the literature (Stoel-Gammon & Dunn, 1985; Jeng, 2011) and have been proved in this study. In addition, we found that disordered children are unconsciously able to notice the aspiration feature of two sounds, and will use an error sound that has an identical aspiration feature with the target. Moreover, the disparity between the linguistic competence and the linguistic performance in the disordered children was also found. Last, syllable complexity has found to affect disordered children’s palatal production. The substitution errors used by the disordered children support Schafer’s (1995) study, in which he claimed that the underlying representation of affricates is left-headed. To sum up, this study has provided a piece of evidence for the unsolved issue of the nature of affricates from the field of first language acquisition, and might serve as a reference for parents and speech therapists for understanding palatal acquisition and production in disordered children.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

本研究旨在探討如何將漢語中詞彙的產出，建構在過去的語言生成模型(speech production model)之上。 在過去文獻中，語言生成模型主要有兩大流派：序列模型(serial-ordering model)主張各階段的激活過程只能單向進行，而連接模型(connectionist model)則允許各階段之間有雙向互動。此外，兩大模型闡述綜合性詞誤 (同時在語意及語音方面相關的詞誤)的生成也略有不同：序列模型認為綜合性詞誤起因於功能層次(functional level)與位置層次(positional level)同時發生錯誤，但若綜合性語誤的比例顯著高於機率，則較不支持此說法；連接模型則認為綜合性詞誤來自音系層(phonological stage)和詞條層(lemma stage)間的交互作用，倘若大部分的縱向聚合詞誤(paradigmatic errors)皆具有語音相似度，此說法較能得到驗證。 因此，為估算漢語詞彙選擇中語音的相似度，本研究分析了421個在自然語境中收集的單音節縱向聚合詞誤，結果發現綜合性語誤所佔的比例顯著偏高，此外，所有詞誤在字首、語音特徵、韻母、音節結構和聲調各方面的效應都達到顯著，這說明了語音和語意的確會同時影響詞彙的選擇，這也表示連接模型可能較接近中文的語言生成過程。 另外，語料分析的結果也顯示出漢語詞彙產出的特性。第一、在詞彙提取的過程中，字首比語音特徵和韻母扮演了更重要的角色，這同時也支持音節結構應以字首(C)和韻母劃分(CV/CVC)的假設；第二、聲調效應的顯著顯示聲調應存在於字彙的底層結構，因此聲調的促發應先於詞彙結的激化；第三、目標詞彙(target)的音節結構應在音系層的初期就已指定，因此有相同音節結構的詞彙結容易勝出。綜合以上可知，漢語的生成過程較傾向連接模型的架構，唯聲調和音節結構等語言特色宜納入模型討論。 / This study aims to investigate the process of word production in Mandarin, to see how it can be structured in previous models. Speech production models have two primary sects—the serial-ordering model versus the connectionist model—arguing for uni-directional and bi-directional activation respectively. Besides, between these two models, the generation of both semantically- and phonologically-related lexical errors (mixed errors) is different. On the one hand, the serial-ordering model (Garrett, 1988) interpreted mixed errors as malfunctions occur at both functional and positional level. It may not be favored if mixed errors occur more than chance in the corpus. On the other hand, the connectionist model (Dell, 1986) explained it as the feedback activation from the phonological level back to the lemma level. It would be supported if most paradigmatic substitutions show phonological similarities. Therefore, in order to facilitate the phonological similarities in lexical substitutions, 421 single-syllable paradigmatic (non-contextual) lexical errors collected in natural settings are examined. It is found that the percentage of mixed errors is significantly higher. Moreover, in the corpus the initialness, similarity, rhyme, syllable structure and tone effects are all prominent, which proves the joint effect of semantic and phonology in word selection. In other words, the connectionist network might better account for the processing of Mandarin. In addition, the analysis reveals certain issues of word-production in Mandarin. First, initials are primary activation units in word retrieval, rather than phonetic features or rhymes. It also supports the division of hierarchical syllable structure as an onset (C) and rhyme (VC/CVC). Secondly, the significance of tone effect suggests that tone may be stored in the underlying phonological organization of lexicons and thus is prior in word-activation. Thirdly, the syllable structure of the target is assigned at the beginning of phonological stage and thus lexical nodes with the same syllable structure tend to be selected. In conclusion, the analysis proves that the connectionist model could be applied to Mandarin Chinese if the status of tone and syllable structure is included.

本論文為以共振峰頻率資料來研究台灣華語母音音質之聲學研究。 本研究的受試者為六名生長在台灣台北市的男性華語母語使用者。本研究使用的測試字為70個包含所有韻母型態的單音節字。語音資料是利用KAY CSL 4100 (KAY Electronics)來錄製及分析。本研究所採用的資料為獨立發音且無聲母的測試字。 根據共振峰頻率資料本研究得到以下有關台灣華語母音音質的發現。首先研究的部分為音標所隱含的語音對比。在齒槽（alveolar）及後齒槽（post-alveolar）組的舌尖母音（apical vowels）間並沒有發現音質上的顯著差別，但統計及其它證據支持低母音裡的前後對比及中母音裡的半開（open-mid）及半閉（closed-mid）對比的存在。 其次，研究的結果也包括語音環境中的音段對於母音音質的影響。結果發現韻母中的元素，包含母音前介音、母音後介音、及韻尾鼻音，都對母音有不同的語音制約（conditioning）。另外，本研究發現順同化（progressive assimilation）比逆同化（regressive assimilation）對於低母音音質有較大的影響。 第三，本研究藉由與之前聲學研究的結果作比較來討論台灣母音音質的改變。結果發現硬顎及後硬顎組的舌尖母音間的音質差異隨著時間縮小終至於消失。此外，研究發現半閉母音及半開母音在母音高度及母音前後相對位置出現反轉。共振峰頻率的比較顯示這種反轉的原因為半閉母音[e]在音質上的改變。然而，我們需要進一步的研究才能對這些音質的改變有合理的解釋。 最後，本研究以共振峰頻率的形式描述及紀錄了當代台灣華語表層母音的音質。希望這些資料能對台灣華語母音的研究有所貢獻。 / This thesis is an acoustic study that investigates the vowel quality of Taiwan Mandarin vowels with formant frequency data. The subjects of this study included six male native Mandarin speakers born and raised in Taipei city, Taiwan. Testing items used in this study were 70 syllables that involve all combinations of segment in the syllable final. The speech data were recorded and analyzed with KAY CSL 4100 (KAY Electronics). The data discussed in this study were testing items produced in citation form without initial consonant. The vowel qualities of Taiwan Mandarin surface vowel were measured and analyzed. Several results concerning the vowel quality of Taiwan Mandarin surface vowel phones were reported based on the formant frequency data. Firstly, the distinction between vowel phones implied by their transcription was examined. The difference in vowel quality was not observed in the alveolar and post-alveolar groups of apical vowels, while the front-back distinction in low vowels and the open-mid and closed-mid distinction in mid vowels were found with statistic and other evidence. Secondly, the conditioning of segments in the neighboring environments on the vowel quality was investigated. It is found that elements in the syllable final, including pre-nuclear, post-nuclear glide and coda nasals, generally have different types of conditioning on the vowel. In addition, the progressive assimilation was found have greater influence on the vowel quality of low vowel phones than the regressive assimilation. Thirdly, the change in vowel quality was discussed through the comparison with results in previous acoustic studies. The difference in vowel backness between the alveolar and post-alveolar groups of apical vowels were found to be decreasing and eventually disappeared. Besides, the relative vowel height and backness of closed-mid and open-mid vowel were found to be in reverse compared with that in the literature. Comparison in formant frequencies showed that this reverse lay in the change of vowel quality in the close-mid [e]. However, further investigations were needed to offer reasonable explanations for the change. Finally, the vowel qualities of present Taiwan Mandarin surface vowel phones were described and recorded as the formant frequency data presented in this study. Hopefully, the data could contribute to the study of vowels in Taiwan Mandarin.

本論文探討法語借詞進入國語音韻系統時所採取的音韻調整策略，並從優選理論和語料庫的角度來分析借詞現象，主軸為法語子音和鼻母音的調整模式。 本研究建置一個法語借詞語料庫，並統計音段保留、替代、或刪除的趨向。研究發現，音段保留與調整為主要的轉譯策略，唯有韻尾子音[ʁ]傾向於刪除。數據分析顯示法語借詞中的語言變異(variation)極為普遍，此現象說明國語中的法語借詞尚未完全詞彙化 (lexicalization)，而是仍在持續進行。因此本論文採用ROE模型 (rank-ordering model of EVAL, Coetzee 2006)來解釋法語借詞轉譯的變異現象。 法語音段的調整現象和變異情形可訴諸於制約的排序與互動。根據ROE模型，制約係以中界線(cut-off line)加以區隔，違反中界線以上的候選值會直接淘汰，而僅違反中界線以下的候選值皆可成為優選值。本研究發現，中界線以上的制約包含結構制約、信實制約、以及聯合制約(conjoined constraint);中界線以下的制約則多為信實制約。音韻表徵(phonological features)如[labial]與[nasal]在轉譯的過程中必須保留，而是否違反[voice]與[spread glottis]等表徵僅會造成語言變異。 制約的交錯排序、互動，以及中界線的位置對於法語借詞的現象提出了解釋。借詞音韻並非自成一個系統，而是反映了借入語和普遍語法皆存在的制約。 / This thesis investigates the phonological adaptations of French loanwords in Mandarin. The focus is on the loanword adjustment of French consonants and nasal vowels. A loanword corpus is established. Based on the statistical analysis, the adaptation pattern of each foreign segment is provided. The thesis observes that preservation and adaptation are the major strategies in loanword adaptation. The only exception is [ʁ] in the coda position, which has segment deletion as the major substitute. Variant substitutes are common in French loanwords, which suggest that the loanword adaptation of French is an ongoing process in Mandarin. Optimality Theory (Prince and Smolensky 1993/2004) is the major framework in this thesis. To account for variations, Coetzee’s (2006) rank-ordering model of EVAL (ROE) is also used for analysis. A critical cut-off line divides the constraints into two parts: constraints above the cut-off line, and constraints below the cut-off line. Violations of the former are fatal, while violations of the latter lead to variations. The fatal constraints place restrictions on illicit segments, segment combinations, and prosodic preferences. These crucial constraints include markedness constraints, faithfulness constraints, or even the conjunction of the two. Constraints below the cut-off line are mostly IDENT constraints. Violations of IDENT features such as [voice] and [spread glottis] bring only variations. This is contrary to the violations of IDENT [nasal] and IDENT [labial], which result in ill-formedness. Based on the constraint ranking and the position of the cut-off line, the thesis shows that loanword phonology does not form an idiosyncratic grammar. Instead, it includes the constraints that are latent in L1 and reflects universal grammar.

Plusieurs espèces s’alimentant en groupe ont un comportement correspondant au jeu producteur-chapardeur (P-C). Même si à l’origine ce jeu ne prenait pas en compte plusieurs éléments susceptibles d’être présents dans un groupe social, certaines études récentes suggèrent que des facteurs, notamment le niveau de défense des ressources et les liens sociaux, pourraient affecter ses prédictions. Notre étude avait pour but d’étudier les effets de ces facteurs en exposant des groupes de diamants mandarins à quatre traitements expérimentaux faisant varier la taille du groupe et le degré d’attachement des oiseaux. Notre étude est la première à montrer que le niveau de défense des ressources a un réel effet sur les fréquences d’utilisation des tactiques producteur et chapardeur. De fait, contrairement à ce qui est prédit dans le jeu P-C original, nous avons trouvé que la fréquence des chapardeurs n’augmente pas avec la taille du groupe dans un contexte favorisant la défense des ressources. Par ailleurs, nous n’avons pas trouvé d’effet significatif du lien social sur les fréquences d’utilisation des tactiques. Cependant, nos résultats suggèrent que les liens de couple changent le comportement individuel des sujets en ce qui a trait au chapardage et à l’agressivité : bien que le résultat soit non significatif, les individus chapardent davantage leur partenaire social que les autres membres du groupe, mais avec une agressivité plus faible. Les résultats obtenus sont prometteurs et ouvrent la voie à de nombreuses autres études sur l’effet des liens sociaux et la défense des ressources chez les espèces grégaires. / Many species foraging in groups show behaviours in agreement with the producer-scrounger (PS) game. Originally, the PS game did not consider many elements likely to be found within feeding groups. However, recent studies suggest that some factors, namely resource defendability and social attachment, could indeed influence the predictions of the PS game. Thus, to investigate the effects of resource defendability and social bonds, we exposed flocks of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), a monogamous species, to four different treatments intended to vary: (1) group size and, (2) degree of attachment among birds in a group. For the first time, we show that resource defendability has a true impact on the use of the two foraging tactics in the PS game. As a matter of fact, contrary to what is predicted in the original PS game, we found that the frequency of scrounger tactic did not increase with group size when tested in an economically defendable feeding context. On the other hand, even though pair bonding changed the individual scrounging and aggressive behaviours of the birds, we found no significant influence of this factor on the tactic use. Although the result was not significant, we found that scrounging was more frequent between social pairs than between experimental pairs, but individuals initiated aggressions towards their social partner with a lesser intensity. Thus, our results are promising and they call for many more studies on the effects of social bonds and resource defendability in gregarious species.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Le choix de partenaire est souvent considéré comme étant le résultat d’une simple interaction, mais, en nature, l’environnement social dans lequel les animaux communiquent correspond généralement à un réseau d’émetteurs et de récepteurs. La présence de congénères, de rivaux, et même de prédateurs durant le choix de partenaire peut avoir plusieurs répercussions sur ce choix. Être observé par une audience composée de congénères de même sexe peut pousser certaines espèces à modifier le niveau d’expression de leurs préférences, et même à modifier ces préférences pour réduire la compétition ou éviter d’être imitées. La préférence de plusieurs femelles diamant mandarin pour deux mâles a été mesurée en absence et en présence d’une audience femelle pour déterminer si la présence de rivales a des effets sur le choix de partenaire des femelles. De plus, afin de déterminer si ces effets varient en fonction de la qualité des femelles focales et audience, la condition de plusieurs femelles a été altérée en diminuant leur capacité à voler. Selon les résultats, les femelles diminuent leur niveau de sélectivité suite à l’ajout d’une audience femelle, et l’intensité des interactions mâle-femelle dépend de la condition des femelles focales. Les femelles ajustent leur comportement surtout pour éviter d’être imitées et non en fonction de leur condition. Cependant, ces deux mécanismes peuvent affecter les femelles simultanément. / Mate choice is often considered as the result of a simple interaction, but, in the wild, the social environment in which animals communicate generally corresponds to a network of several signallers and receivers. The presence of conspecifics, rivals, and even predators during mate choice can have many repercussions on that choice. Being observed by an audience of same-sex conspecifics can drive some species to alter the level of expression of their preferences, and even to modify those preferences to reduce competition or avoid being copied. The preference of several zebra finch females for two males was measured without and with a female audience to determine if the presence of an audience alters female mate choice. Moreover, to determine if these effects vary according to focal and audience females’ condition, the condition of several females was altered by diminishing their flying ability. According to the results, females lower their level of selectivity following the addition of an audience, and the intensity of male-female interactions depends on the focal females’ condition. Our findings suggest that females mainly adjust their behavior to avoid being copied and not according to their condition. However, these two mechanisms might have affected the females’ mating preferences simultaneously.

by Yam Pui Suen, Josephine. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-102). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgement --- p.iii / Abstract --- p.iv / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Second language phonological acquisition --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- The application of Optimality Theory --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Objectives --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- Research issues --- p.7 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Second Language Acquisition --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1 --- Interlanguage --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2 --- Studies in second language acquisition: language transfer and developmental factors --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3 --- Studies on the effects of language transfer on second language phonology --- p.12 / Chapter 2.4 --- Studies on the effects of developmental factors on second language phonology --- p.14 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Markedness Differential Hypothesis --- p.15 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Marked Cluster Constraints --- p.15 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Interlanguage Structure Conformity Hypothesis --- p.17 / Chapter 2.5 --- The Critical Period Hypothesis --- p.19 / Chapter 2.6 --- The age factor in first language acquisition --- p.21 / Chapter 2.7 --- The age factor in second language acquisition --- p.22 / Chapter 2.7.1 --- Supporting evidence in phonological research --- p.23 / Chapter 2.7.2 --- Counter evidence in phonological research --- p.24 / Chapter 2.7.3 --- Summary --- p.26 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- The Theoretical Framework of Optimality Theory --- p.28 / Chapter 3.1 --- Transformational Grammar and Optimality Theory --- p.28 / Chapter 3.2 --- Optimality Theory --- p.30 / Chapter 3.3 --- Constraints under Optimality Theory --- p.34 / Chapter 3.4 --- Optimality Theory and second language acquisition studies --- p.36 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- "The syllable structure of English, Mandarin and Cantonese" --- p.41 / Chapter 4.1 --- The syllable structure of English --- p.42 / Chapter 4.2 --- The syllable structure of Mandarin --- p.44 / Chapter 4.3 --- The syllable structure of Cantonese --- p.45 / Chapter 4.4 --- "Constraints in coda position of English, Mandarin and Cantonese" --- p.49 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Methodology and Findings --- p.51 / Chapter 5.1 --- Methodology --- p.51 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- The subjects --- p.51 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Material for data collection --- p.54 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Procedures --- p.56 / Chapter 5.2 --- Findings --- p.57 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Young Mandarin and Cantonese learners --- p.58 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Adult Mandarin and Cantonese learners --- p.66 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Summary of the Mandarin and Cantonese learners' production --- p.72 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Discussion and Conclusion --- p.75 / Chapter 6.1 --- Constraint ranking --- p.76 / Chapter 6.2 --- Epenthesis and unreleased plosive: words with singleton coda --- p.79 / Chapter 6.3 --- Epenthesis and unreleased plosive: words with biliteral coda --- p.81 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Nasal-Plosive' coda --- p.81 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Plosive-plosive' coda --- p.83 / Chapter 6.4 --- Standard pronunciation --- p.89 / Chapter 6.5 --- The age factor --- p.91 / Chapter 6.6 --- Conclusion --- p.93 / Chapter 6.7 --- Future research --- p.95 / References --- p.96 / Appendix

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