Phonology and perception: a cognitive scientist’s perspective
James L. McClelland · 2009
As a researcher who has long been interested in the perception, use, and acquisition of language, the title of this volume, Phonology in Perception, already piques my interest. Closer examination reveals an exciting development: A diverse group of researchers grounded deeply in the discipline of linguistics are grappling with details of the actual human processing of language, something that would have been almost unthinkable just a few years ago. Every chapter speaks to issues of processing and learning about spoken language and refers to data from experimental psycholinguistics. These developments lend hope to the idea that the distinction between linguistic and psychological approaches to language will gradually fade away, replaced by an interdisciplinary investigation of language, encompassing the structure, use and acquisition of language and even language change. The remarks I make below are offered in the spirit of hastening this integration. The authors of the various chapters raise a number of issues and questions, either explicitly or implicitly, that lie at the heart of debates within psychological as well as linguistic circles.- Is language special or does it reflect the operation of domain general principles?- What is built in, and what is learned, about language?- Can phonology be treated separately from the sensory and motor processes that are required for overt communication?- What are the different levels of representation of language, in what form is information