[PS-1.7] Early segmentation abilities in European Portuguese-learning infants: The impact of word and utterance level prosody

Butler, J. & Frota, S.

Lisbon Baby Lab, Centro de Linguística, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Early word segmentation has been shown to play a crucial role in language acquisition (i.e., word learning, syntax), with previous studies demonstrating variability in development across language and utterance context, as well as differing development of mono- and bi-syllabic word segmentation. It has been suggested that a languages? rhythmic properties may be utilised for early segmentation, and word position may be crucial due to prosody, with words at utterance edge easier to segment than those in the middle due to the edge providing particularly salient cues (e.g., duration and pitch cues).
The present study is a first attempt to study mono- and bi-syllabic segmentation in European Portuguese (EP), a language displaying mixed rhythm, with strong prosodic cues to intonational phrase and word boundaries, unlike Germanic and other Romance languages. Segmentation of mono- and bi-syllabic words located in the middle and the edge of utterances was tested at 6 and 9 months. Monosyllabic segmentation at the edge was evident at 6 months, with some evidence for segmentation in the middle at 9 months, but an advantage remained for edge. Infants in both groups were unable to segment bisyllabic words, suggesting that this ability emerges later in development, regardless of prosodic position.