Speech Development Lab

ely organized fashion of adult speech. So far, results suggest that the ability of language users to apprehend phonetic structure in the speech they hear depends on how well they recognize structure in the speech signal. There are perceptual strategies that are optimal in terms of allowing the listener to access phonetic structure. These optimal perceptual strategies differ across languages. We suggest that children learn these optimal strategies through experience with their native language. This project continues to test the basic premises of this theoretical position, and to extend our understanding of the developmental process involved in acquiring mature perceptual strategies.