The 'Ambliance' Phenomenon: Some Observations Concerning Temporal and Sequential Constraints on Six-Year-Olds' Phonological Production. Papers and Reports on Child Language Development, No. 12.

This paper reports the results of a preliminary study dealing with the ways in which children between ages 6 and 7 organize spoken language. In particular, aspects of the temporal and segmental structure of polysyllabic English words containing the syllable C/jul/, as in the word "pediculous," are dealt with. This study is based on the assumption that the production and perception of spoken language is motivated by phonological units of varying lengths. The importance of peripheral feedback monitoring for speech production in children is re-evaluated, even though there appears to be little supportive evidence for such feedback in existing adult data. To determine under what conditions segmental errors occur in production of words with this particular syllable, a pilot study was run with two six-year olds. From this a stimulus list of four-and five-syllable words containing C/jul/ was developed that was presented orally to seven children. The preliminary results suggest that in order to meet certain phonological conditions, it is the relation between syllable (and not segment) durations which the six-year-old must modify toward the adult duration values. This notion possibly receives some support from the children's use of stress and rhythm strategies. (Author/NCR)