From the proto-language to the first grammatical constructions: the role of prosody in the transition between the prelinguistic to the linguistic period

• Grant number: 17/01318-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date until: July 01, 2017
• End date until: July 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Linguistics - Psycholinguistics
• Principal Investigator: Alessandra Del Ré
• Grantee: Angelina Nunes de Vasconcelos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The acquisition of intonation and rhythmic structure of language are reliable indicators of the child's language development. However, they remain one of the least studied aspects in the area of language acquisition, especially with regard to the role of prosody in the transition from the prelinguistic (babbling, proto-language) to the linguistic period (first words and appearance of syntax). The goal of this project is to focus on this transition period - prelinguistic to linguistic - initially describing the characteristics of the proto-language and then its role in the establishment of the first syntax. To this end, we analyzed data of 3 Brazilian monolingual children between the ages of 24 and 30 months, in sections that were recorded once a month. Each recording session lasts about an hour and was recorded in the child's home, in a situation of daily / natural interaction with parents. All sessions will be transcribed in CHAT format. The analyzes will be made whit the PHON and PRAAT programs. With the goal of validate the acoustic analysis we will conducte perception tests, through them we will observe how adults interpret the different intonation contours produced by children. As a result, we will trace the evolution process of proto-language for each child, which will allow later comparison with the acquisition process in other languages, as well as providing grounds for a description of the prosodic and morphological development of the Portuguese during the period between the first words and the first word combinations. (AU)