Modularity and the Motor theory of Speech Perception

2014-01-02
Modularity and the Motor theory of Speech Perception

PDF Modularity and the Motor theory of Speech Perception Download

  • Author: Michael Studdert-Kennedy
  • Publisher: Psychology Press
  • ISBN: 1317785053
  • Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 484

A compilation of the proceedings of a conference held to honor Alvin M. Liberman for his outstanding contributions to research in speech perception, this volume deals with two closely related and controversial proposals for which Liberman and his colleagues at Haskins Laboratories have argued forcefully over the past 35 years. The first is that articulatory gestures are the units not only of speech production but also of speech perception; the second is that speech production and perception are not cognitive processes, but rather functions of a special mechanism. This book explores the implications of these proposals not only for speech production and speech perception, but for the neurophysiology of language, language acquisition, higher-level linguistic processing, the visual perception of phonetic gestures, the production and perception of sign language, the reading process, and learning to read. The contributors to this volume include linguists, psycholinguists, speech scientists, neurophysiologists, and ethologists. Liberman himself responds in the final chapter.

Modularity and the Motor theory of Speech Perception

2014-01-02
Modularity and the Motor theory of Speech Perception

PDF Modularity and the Motor theory of Speech Perception Download

  • Author: Michael Studdert-Kennedy
  • Publisher: Psychology Press
  • ISBN: 1317785061
  • Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 480

A compilation of the proceedings of a conference held to honor Alvin M. Liberman for his outstanding contributions to research in speech perception, this volume deals with two closely related and controversial proposals for which Liberman and his colleagues at Haskins Laboratories have argued forcefully over the past 35 years. The first is that articulatory gestures are the units not only of speech production but also of speech perception; the second is that speech production and perception are not cognitive processes, but rather functions of a special mechanism. This book explores the implications of these proposals not only for speech production and speech perception, but for the neurophysiology of language, language acquisition, higher-level linguistic processing, the visual perception of phonetic gestures, the production and perception of sign language, the reading process, and learning to read. The contributors to this volume include linguists, psycholinguists, speech scientists, neurophysiologists, and ethologists. Liberman himself responds in the final chapter.

The Motor Theory of Language Origin

2012-02-03
The Motor Theory of Language Origin

PDF The Motor Theory of Language Origin Download

  • Author: Robin Allott
  • Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
  • ISBN: 1469156881
  • Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 125

The motor theory is about the process by which language emerged and developed and how it functions now in human speech. The concern is with both synchronic and the diachronic aspects of language, language evolving over time and differentiating over space. In English alone we have half a million words and endless syntatic complexities, as Chomsky has demonstrated. Add the multitude of other languages that exist and have existed and it is apparent that language is a massive multiply-faceted fact-in time and space. Where did all the complexity come from? Whence the power of words seen in so many diverse forms of human interaction? How does this thread of sound tie our minds together?

Sounds and Perception

2009-11-26
Sounds and Perception

PDF Sounds and Perception Download

  • Author: Matthew Nudds
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press
  • ISBN: 019928296X
  • Category : Philosophy
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 279

'Sounds and Perception' examines auditory perception and the nature of sounds, an emerging area of interest in the philosophy of mind & perception, & in the metaphysics of sensible qualities. The individual essays discuss a wide range of issues, including the nature of sound & the spatial aspects of auditory experience.

Language, Cognition, and Human Nature

2013-09-27
Language, Cognition, and Human Nature

PDF Language, Cognition, and Human Nature Download

  • Author: Steven Pinker
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press
  • ISBN: 0199328757
  • Category : Psychology
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 304

Language, Cognition, and Human Nature collects together for the first time much of Steven Pinker's most influential scholarly work on language and cognition. Pinker's seminal research explores the workings of language and its connections to cognition, perception, social relationships, child development, human evolution, and theories of human nature. This eclectic collection spans Pinker's thirty-year career, exploring his favorite themes in greater depth and scientific detail. It includes thirteen of Pinker's classic articles, ranging over topics such as language development in children, mental imagery, the recognition of shapes, the computational architecture of the mind, the meaning and uses of verbs, the evolution of language and cognition, the nature-nurture debate, and the logic of innuendo and euphemism. Each outlines a major theory or takes up an argument with another prominent scholar, such as Stephen Jay Gould, Noam Chomsky, or Richard Dawkins. Featuring a new introduction by Pinker that discusses his books and scholarly work, this collection reflects essential contributions to cognitive science by one of our leading thinkers and public intellectuals.

The Handbook of Speech Perception

2008-04-15
The Handbook of Speech Perception

PDF The Handbook of Speech Perception Download

  • Author: David Pisoni
  • Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
  • ISBN: 0470756772
  • Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 704

The Handbook of Speech Perception is a collection of forward-looking articles that offer a summary of the technical and theoretical accomplishments in this vital area of research on language. Now available in paperback, this uniquely comprehensive companion brings together in one volume the latest research conducted in speech perception Contains original contributions by leading researchers in the field Illustrates technical and theoretical accomplishments and challenges across the field of research and language Adds to a growing understanding of the far-reaching relevance of speech perception in the fields of phonetics, audiology and speech science, cognitive science, experimental psychology, behavioral neuroscience, computer science, and electrical engineering, among others.

Cognitive Models Of Speech Processing

2013-05-24
Cognitive Models Of Speech Processing

PDF Cognitive Models Of Speech Processing Download

  • Author: Gerry Altmann
  • Publisher: Psychology Press
  • ISBN: 1134832869
  • Category : Psychology
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 527

A comprehensive review for those interested in the range of theoretical concerns in speech and language processing.

Language Universals

2009-03-17
Language Universals

PDF Language Universals Download

  • Author: Morten H. Christiansen
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press
  • ISBN: 0190294116
  • Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 312

Languages differ from one another in bewildering and seemingly arbitrary ways. For example, in English, the verb precedes the direct object ('understand the proof'), but in Japanese, the direct object comes first. In some languages, such as Mohawk, it is not even possible to establish a basic word order. Nonetheless, languages do share certain regularities in how they are structured and used. The exact nature and extent of these "language universals" has been the focus of much research and is one of the central explanatory goals in the language sciences. During the past 50 years, there has been tremendous progress, a few major conceptual revolutions, and even the emergence of entirely new fields. The wealth of findings and theories offered by the various language-science disciplines has made it more important than ever to work toward an integrated understanding of the nature of human language universals. This book is the first to examine language universals from a cross-disciplinary perspective. It provides new insights into long standing questions such as: What exactly defines the human capacity for language? Are there universal properties of human languages and, if so, what are they? Can all language universals be explained in the same way, or do some universals require different kinds of explanations from others? Language Universals is unique in starting with the assumption that the best way to approach these and related questions is through a dialogue between a wide range of disciplines, including linguistics, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, computer science and biology.

The Naked Neuron

2013-12-01
The Naked Neuron

PDF The Naked Neuron Download

  • Author: Rhawn Joseph
  • Publisher: Springer
  • ISBN: 1489960082
  • Category : Medical
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 440

In the beginning there was not only life but the ability to communicate and eventually to cooperate among the most basic, primeval creatures. In The Naked Neuron Dr. Joseph - an internationally respected neuroscientist and author of the highly praised The Right Brain and the Unconscious: Discovering the Stranger Within - takes us on an intriguing journey through time as he traces the evolution of communication and language from the most primitive single-celled animals to our earliest ancestors to humans today. As he so clearly demonstrates, we are linked to all levels of animals in a common bond of sensing, feeling, and communication. Be it singing wolves, dancing bees, or writhing rock and roll dancers, all communicate a treasure chest of meaning in the absence of the spoken word. Approximately 700 million years ago, a unique type of cell came into being - the neuron. This "naked" neuron, or nerve cell, lacked a protective fatty sheath. Still, it marked a monumental and world altering development, since it would become the building block of the brain. The naked neuron generated a revolutionary change resulting in a greater complexity and subtlety of thought. Dr. Joseph vividly depicts how neurons conferred on early humans advanced powers of mental and sensory acuity, including the gift of remembering one's past and contemplating the future. Although humans possess much of the same ancient brain tissue as our fellow primates, Dr. Joseph reveals to us the singular features of the human brain that have enabled humans uniquely to develop complex, spoken language. He holds us spellbound, revealing that although the new and old brain tissue are couched within the same brain, each often has difficulty understanding the impulses and language of the other. This ground-breaking book draws on Dr. Joseph's brilliant and original research and theories, fusing the latest discoveries made in neuroscience, sociobiology, and anthropology. He illuminates how the languages of the body and brain enhance intuitive understanding and spur a thirst for knowledge for its own sake. The human body and brain together are a veritable living museum which contains billions of cells with a long evolutionary history. As this unforgettable book shows, it is the communication of this panoply of cells - the residues of the past merged with the musings of the present - that gives rise to life, love, art, science, literature, and the ceaseless desire to search for and acquire knowledge

Relations of Language and Thought

1997
Relations of Language and Thought

PDF Relations of Language and Thought Download

  • Author: Marc Marschark
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
  • ISBN: 0195100573
  • Category : Social Science
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 204

The relationship of language to cognition, especially in development, is an issue that has occupied philosophers, psychologists, and linguists for centuries. In recent years, the scientific study of sign languages and deaf individuals has greatly enhanced our understanding of deafness, language, and cognition. This Counterpoints volume considers the extent to which the use of sign language might affect the course and character of cognitive development, and presents a variety of viewpoints in this debate. This volume brings the language-thought discussion into a clearer focus, both theoretically and practically, by placing it in the context of children growing up deaf and the influences of having sign language as their primary form of communication. The discussion is also sharpened by having internationally recognized contributors, such as Patricia Siple, Diane Lillo-Martin, and Ruth Campbell, with specialties in varied areas, all converging on a common interest in which each has conducted empirical research. These contributors clarify and challenge the theoretical assumptions that have driven arguments in the language-thought debate for centuries. An introduction by the editors provides a historical overview of the issues as well as a review of empirical findings that have been offered in response to questions about language-thought relations in deaf children. The final chapters are structured in the form of live debate, in which each contributor is given the opportunity to respond to the other perspectives presented in this volume.