Psycholinguistics: Competence, Psycholinguistics: Competence, Performance and AcquisitionPerformance and Acquisition

   Noam Chomsky proposes three models to Noam Chomsky proposes three models to

reflect what a fluent speaker of a language reflect what a fluent speaker of a language uses in producing language:uses in producing language:

1.    Linguistic competence: what a 1.    Linguistic competence: what a speaker knows about his languagespeaker knows about his language

2.    Performance model: the actual 2.    Performance model: the actual processes of producing the languageprocesses of producing the language

3.3.         Acquisition model  Acquisition model (device): reflects the changes (device): reflects the changes in linguistic competence and in linguistic competence and performance during a child's performance during a child's growth.growth.

  

10.2 Speech Production10.2 Speech Production

Conceiving a message:Conceiving a message:

   Cognitive backgroundCognitive background The speaker has a variety of beliefs The speaker has a variety of beliefs

and desires concerning such factors and desires concerning such factors as:as:

a.a.        the nature and direction of the the nature and direction of the talk-exchangetalk-exchange

b.b.      the social and physical context the social and physical context of the utteranceof the utterance

c.c.          the hearer's beliefs in general, the hearer's beliefs in general, beliefs pertinent to the speaker's beliefs pertinent to the speaker's impending remark in particular and impending remark in particular and whatever contextual beliefs the whatever contextual beliefs the hearer shares with the speakerhearer shares with the speaker

   Next, the speaker must Next, the speaker must

formulate the beginnings of formulate the beginnings of the message to be the message to be communicated, as well as the communicated, as well as the manner in which it is to be manner in which it is to be communicated. We call this communicated. We call this the speaker's pragmatic the speaker's pragmatic intentions:intentions:

   a.a.        referring to the something referring to the something

(referential intent)(referential intent) b.b.      performing some performing some

communicative act(s) communicative act(s) (communicative intent)(communicative intent)

c.c.          performing these acts literally, performing these acts literally, non-literally, directly or indirectlynon-literally, directly or indirectly

d.d.      having various effects on the having various effects on the hearer (perlocutionary intent).hearer (perlocutionary intent).

  

   How does a speaker put these intentions How does a speaker put these intentions

together into words and meaningful talk-together into words and meaningful talk-exchange?exchange?

   The message model suggests that we put The message model suggests that we put

messages together word by word.messages together word by word. However, the presence of speech errors, However, the presence of speech errors,

seems to defy that notion, suggesting seems to defy that notion, suggesting instead that we employ more complex instead that we employ more complex encoding mechanisms.encoding mechanisms.

    

   Speech errors are interesting Speech errors are interesting

(linguistically and socially) (linguistically and socially) since they happened relatively since they happened relatively rarely (about 1/1000 words).rarely (about 1/1000 words).

  The most famous speech error maker of The most famous speech error maker of

all time was the Reverend William A. all time was the Reverend William A. Spooner, who lent his name Spooner, who lent his name (spoonerisms) to such classics as these:(spoonerisms) to such classics as these:

"Work is the curse of the drinking class""Work is the curse of the drinking class" "Noble tons of soil""Noble tons of soil" "You have hissed all my mystery "You have hissed all my mystery

lectures. I saw you fight a liar in the lectures. I saw you fight a liar in the back quad; in fact you have tasted the back quad; in fact you have tasted the whole worm."whole worm."

  

  -and one not from Spooner: -and one not from Spooner: "The French eat with their "The French eat with their hamburgers with a fike and hamburgers with a fike and norf."norf."

  At first glance, these errors may merely At first glance, these errors may merely seem random, but careful studies have seem random, but careful studies have shown that certain types of errors shown that certain types of errors predominate:predominate:

a: Exchange errorsa: Exchange errors hissed all my mystery lectureshissed all my mystery lectures b: Anticipation errorsb: Anticipation errors a leading list (a reading list)a leading list (a reading list) c: Perseveration errorsc: Perseveration errors phonological fool (phonological phonological fool (phonological

rule)rule)

  d: Blendsd: Blends moinly (mainly, mainly) impostinator moinly (mainly, mainly) impostinator

(imposter, impersonator)(imposter, impersonator) e: Shiftse: Shifts Mermaid moves (mermaids move)Mermaid moves (mermaids move) f: Substitutions: sympathy for f: Substitutions: sympathy for

symphony symphony sometimes sometimes called a Freudian Slip)called a Freudian Slip)

g: Phonetic features (voicing)g: Phonetic features (voicing) glear plue sky (clear blue sky)glear plue sky (clear blue sky)

  h: Stressh: Stress Stop beating your BRICK Stop beating your BRICK

against a head wall.against a head wall. i: Syntactic featuresi: Syntactic features (indefinite) a meeting (indefinite) a meeting

marathon (an eating marathon.marathon (an eating marathon. (past tense) Rosa always date (past tense) Rosa always date

shranks (dated shrinks).shranks (dated shrinks).

  j. Stem and affixj. Stem and affix He favors pushing busters He favors pushing busters

(busting pushers).(busting pushers). k. Negationk. Negation I disregard this as precise (I I disregard this as precise (I

regard this as imprecises)regard this as imprecises)  

   These categories of errors suggest These categories of errors suggest

that speech is encoded in linguistic that speech is encoded in linguistic units, not in words or sounds.units, not in words or sounds.

Speech errors can be summarized in Speech errors can be summarized in the following way:the following way:

1.1.        Word exchange errors are Word exchange errors are predominately between phrases, and predominately between phrases, and in fact, between words of the same in fact, between words of the same syntactic category (noun, verb, etc.)syntactic category (noun, verb, etc.)

2.2.        Sound exchange errors are Sound exchange errors are predominately within phrases and predominately within phrases and do not respect syntactic categories.do not respect syntactic categories.

3.3.        Morpheme errors are of both Morpheme errors are of both types. If they can occur between types. If they can occur between phrases, then the morphemes are phrases, then the morphemes are from words of the same category from words of the same category occur within phrases, then the occur within phrases, then the morphemes are rarely from words morphemes are rarely from words of the same category.of the same category.

4.4.        Exchange errors for words, Exchange errors for words, morphemes and sounds are morphemes and sounds are restricted mainly to major (open, restricted mainly to major (open, content) categories, such as noun, content) categories, such as noun, verb, adjective.verb, adjective.

5.5.        Shift errors are restricted mainly Shift errors are restricted mainly to minor (closed function) to minor (closed function) categories.categories.

6.6.        Substitution errors can be either Substitution errors can be either form related or meaning related.form related or meaning related.