Consonant correlation model: implications to clinical practice

ABSTRACT Purpose: creating a consonant correlation model, considering the syllabic structure of each consonant and showing likely statistical correlations among them. This model will be based on Implicational model of Feature Complexity (IMFC) and it will consider data of typical phonological acquisition. Methods: the phonological systems of 186 children were analyzed. They were students of public kindergarten schools and were aged between one year, six months to five years, eleven months, and had typical language development. The complexity levels of the model were based on the sounds acquired in each age. After, the correlations among the consonants were analyzed, using the statistical significance and the power of correlations as the criteria to create the model. Results: the consonant correlation model was created with nine levels of complexity. The model shows that the less complex sound is /t/ and the more complex is /l/ in the complex onset position. Many strong and moderate correlations were found among the consonants, except for /(/. The sound with highest number of correlations was /l/ in the simple onset position. Conclusion: the created model pointed many similarities with MICT. It describes details in the typical phonological acquisition and can be a guide to the choice of target sounds in therapy.摘要 目的：构建辅音关联模型，需结合各辅音的音节结构特征，展现辅音间潜在的统计关联。该模型将以特征复杂度蕴涵模型（Implicational model of Feature Complexity, IMFC）为基础，并纳入典型语音习得相关数据。 方法：本研究分析了186名儿童的语音系统。这些儿童均为公立幼儿园学生，年龄介于1岁6个月至5岁11个月之间，且语言发育处于典型水平。模型的复杂度层级依据各年龄段习得的语音进行设定。随后，本研究以统计显著性与关联强度作为评判标准，分析辅音间的关联关系，以此构建该模型。 结果：本研究成功构建了包含9个复杂度层级的辅音关联模型。模型显示，在复杂音节首位置中，复杂度最低的音素为/t/，复杂度最高的音素为/l/。研究发现辅音间存在大量强关联与中等关联，仅音素/(/除外。在简单音节首位置中，关联数量最多的音素为/l/。 结论：本研究所构建的模型与MICT存在诸多相似之处。该模型详细描述了典型语音习得的细节，可作为言语治疗中目标音素选择的参考依据。