Timing in late babbling

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The temporal organization of the late babbling of a French child during the pivotal period between babbling and the production of meaningful utterances is studied. Two points are analysed: the segmental timing in terms of syllabic durations and the durations of sequences according to their intonational contours. Articulation rate in late babbling is fairly rapid and stable and does not vary with length of sequences. However, at the end of the period studied, longer durations are found for bi- and tri-syllabic sequences. This lengthening can be seen to reflect changes in the child's target programming and the constraints on co-articulation that it implies. Additional changes occur also as a function of intonational contours.