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November 19, 2005
Time and Baby Talk
I think that the time of the three categories of pronunciation, syntax and lexicon vary within certain cultures. They also depend on what type of dialect a person may have or the language that they speak. I think that the time horizon for these categories within a particular language goes from lexicon, which takes the longest period of time so that the language has enough vocabulary for people to communicate with. Then would come pronunciation where the people speaking that language would develop a dialect for their particular lexicon, which would differ from another language. Then finally syntax would take place. However between pronunciation and syntax, syntax would take a longer period of time, because the development of word order occurs gradually in language.
Particularly in baby talk these categories would occur in the order of pronunciation, lexicon and then syntax. Babies usually learn words in any language by trying to pronounce them and forming words with their mouths by the example of other speakers around them. Secondly a lexicon is developed where the baby will use certain words in his/her vocabulary in order to be understood. Then finally the baby would learn the syntax of a language. At first the baby might say words out of order while learning syntax, but will then eventually develop their speech according to the rules of grammar in their language.
--Yasmin
Posted by lcisperez at November 19, 2005 04:37 PM