Theoretical Accounts of Polish Consonant Clusters - Literature review Example

THEORETICAL (PHONOLOGICAL) ACCOUNTS OF POLISH CONSONANT CLUSTERS - REVIEW AND CRITICAL DISCUSSION (LINGUISTICS) By Lecturer: of Affiliation: City and State: Date: Theoretical (Phonological) Accounts Of Polish Consonant Clusters - Review And Critical Discussion (Linguistics) Introduction Polish consonants clusters have for generations baffled scholars of very diverse theoretical background. The daunting arrays of prospects in this semantic constitute significant challenges and evaluating grounds for conjectural models. There is no English instructional approach, which is more controversial than phonics. Most of these phonic methodologies were bundled under synthetic method revealing the way people actually process letters and develop proficient words in reading. Many scholars have made significant efforts of identifying phonemic awareness as a significant factor in children and basic language proficient for acquiring second language. The polish phonology differs from one dialect to another; thus, they lack clear pronunciation standards. Thus, the field of Polish phonology has been the major concerning study issue with varied scholars attempting to reveal the descriptive accounts of dialects in varied regions where English language is spoken. Therefore, the research attempts to offer critical review and discusses the theoretical (phonological) accounts of polish consonant clusters. Literature Review Polish consonant clusters vary from one dialect to another and some of the consonants are arranged in pairs with another having a wider range of pronunciation. Varied model attempts to explain the variations in polish consonants. A cording to the Government phonology model, the syllabic systems of polish and English vary in terms of parameter. For instance, in polish consonant, the parameter for branching vowel is switched off and it significantly deprives polish of long vowels and super-heavy rhymes (Cyran and Gussman 1999, p. 4). The government phonology model was established in the 1980s, and the main focus is on the way to represent vowels and the structure relationships among the proper governments and other constituents such as onsets and codas. In this theory, the representations of consonants are always lagged behind the vowels; vivid discussions have emerged and attempted to reveal the effective way of structuring syllables that is syllable structure, which the school of thoughts considers as quite primordial method. Polish has a large number of onsets with more than one segment, but the definite number depends on the idea of sections to phonemes mapping. Varied studies have attempted to reveal that the long onsets are much more common in polish than long codas. Historically, polish syllable structure employ different approaches whereby one of them ignore sonority for the polish consonants. One of the approaches is semi-syllable approach, which assumes that every vowel functions as a nucleus; hence, it agrees on the N-replacements as the first process towards the syllabification process (Pan and Chen 2008, p. 253). Another approach is the syllable structure algorithm and this approach attempts to argue that consonant at an edge of a word does not count from the perspective point of sonority sequencing generalization. Government phonology is a theory that assumes that speech sounds organize themselves according to their internal properties and very simple principles. Syllabification in this model process form governing relations concentrated between consonants. Although, a consonant is a governor like (T) or a governee like (R), such relations are determined by their sonority differentials (Cyran and Gussman 1999, p. 4; Cyran 2006, p. 2). Therefore, this significantly allows only binary branching constituents, nuclei and rhymes; thus making the model highly constrained. Moreover, the government phonology model posse varied questions that demand systematic investigation. This is because the model offer varied mechanisms for consonant clustering that are distinctive. For instance, throughout the linguistic phonological structure, only right headed binary branching constituents are permitted in consonant clusters. The syllable comprises of a pair of skeletal points, which are the head and the non-head. The non-head position is what is traditionally labeled as the onset and the head position is labeled the vowel or nucleus. Thus, the labels C and V is the core of phonological structure, which is derived from the familiar structural principles of binary branching in the government phonology (Embick 2010, p. 123). Archibald (2004, p. 150) argues that the polish language begins their words with clusters which exceeds the number of two consonants. Rochonn (2000, p. 123) argues that polish consonant clusters obey only the voicing obstruent constraint in that, the obstruent display agreement in voicing. Therefore, what remains to be analyzed is the activity of a sonority constraint, which play significant role in organizing the consonant sequences in the syllable structure. Every medial consonant cluster consist of two consonants, which are being syllabified either as a complex onset of simple element. In the government phonology model, syllabification process from governing relations is contracted among the consonants (Cyran 2). Thus, it is obvious that the government is the underlying principle of speech organization through which people can directly derive phonotactics, complex onset and syllable contacts (Cyran 2). The research study conducted by using the learnability theory attempted to reveal the way linguistic input influences the learning of children for a targeted language, semantic or phonological properties of grammar. Therefore, from the research study, it was revealed that children with phonological disorders have impoverished productive sound systems, which are characterized by diminished segmental inventories relative to the targeted grammar. These children tend to develop or have few concomitants lags in auditory, linguistic, cognitive, motor and social developments skills (Morrisette, Farris and Gierut 2006, p. 207-219). Children with disorders or autism students often have errors associated with affricates, fricatives and they are characterized by diffraction and fronting processes. Consonant cluster are governed by language laws, which are linked to the syllable structure; thus, a syllable may constitute three parts which include the nucleus or vowel, coda and the onset (Łubowicz 2012, p. 45). Among the three constitutes of syllable, codas and onsets are optimal in English, but nucleus or vowel can be a required constituent. For instance, one syllable term such as eat may consist of vowel, which is (i), coda, which is (t) in the deficiency of an onset. However, the term tea consist the onset, which is (t) plus vowel (i) in the deficiency of a coda. Consequently, codas and onsets may consist of segment sequences resulting in the formation of coda or onset clusters. Moreover, not all polish consonant clusters have logically possible combinations of consonants are allowed in English. Some consonant clusters are permissible and these are generally consistent with SSP (sonority sequencing principle). The SSP argues that sonority evolves from the onset towards the peak of the vowel and it eventually falls; thus remains at the coda level. Sonority is the degree on constriction of the vocal zone with more sonorous sounds produced, but with less constriction (Morrisette, Farris and Gierut (2006, p. 201). Constants are ranked according to the sonority terms in a hierarchy manner starting from the lowest to the highest sonorous; thus, the permissible language cluster may be determined when combining SSP with sonority. However, one should keep in mind that syllables must start with less sonority and increases in sonority of the vowel in regard to the SPP requirements; for instance, the first consonant will be less sonorous than the second in case it is an onset cluster. Therefore, permissible clusters are developed through sequencing a less sonorous sound being followed by amore sonorous sound. Collins and Mees (2013, p. 89) agrees that syllable assembly consist of CV pairs for establishing the trifling edifice as the effective rudimentary component of phonological theory. Phonological theory attempts to reveal foreign accents or the production of second language to learners at all stages (Horst, White and Bell 2010, p. 331). The research study carried out attempted to examine the production of second language of phonemes; thus it was found that learners develop cross language speech. Moreover, there are similarities and rhyming of words in some consonants. This is because some factors tend to impact the speech intelligibility, language, speech production and also lexical tone. These factors may impact children with hearing impairments and those children using local language or mother tongue other than English. The research conducted about second language development for children with hearing problems; thus it was revealed that effective intervention methods and diagnosis at earlier stage of these children contributes to better performance (.Horst, White and Bell 2010, p. 332). One of the effective theories that attempts to offer an account of polish consonant clusters is optimality theory. This theory determines what the output identity form should be when clustering consonants; for any given input form, there are unlimited set of output forms. This theory prostrates a set of constraints in varied languages and grammars in the languages. Two types of constraints have been assumed when using optimality theory is that it must be highly general and express a universal well formedness a long all linguistically relevant dimensions. One of the constraints that have been assumed when using optimality theory is the way it deals with universal and language specific requirements imposed on every linguistic theory (Rochonn (2000, p. 17). This constraint is assumed to be part of the universal grammar; thus the constraints must be highly general and they should express a universal well-formedness across the linguistically diverse dimensions. Rochonn (2000, p. 22) reveals the way correspondence theory, which is a sub-theory of optimality attempts to classify phonological related words such as truncation, word formation and affixation. The correspondence among these related words refers to output-output correspondence, but this differs with input-output correspondence because the former relates two parts of a single word (Rochonn (2000, p. 23). Moreover, correspondence associations are found not only in between the segments but also in other features. Thus, a different constraint family is required in order to offer an account for the identity relations between varied features. However, there are some constraints which express varied aspects of the correspondence relation that occur in correspondence theory. These constraints occur especially where both constraints belong to contiguity family. In addition to the correspondence theory, surface pattern of linked words can be predicted through ranking the output-output identity, markedeness constraints and input-output faithfulness (Morrisette, Farris and Gierut (2006). The output-output identity demands output identity of words in paradigms and similarly, the input-output faithfulness constraints requires identity in input-output pairs (Dziczek-Karlikowska 2012, p. 67). Therefore, this means that output-output identity constraints immediate stages in word formation, which are eventually eliminated by direct elimination of morphologically related words. For instance, the interaction between output-output identity, markedness and input-output constraints can result to three varied patterns; hence providing three kinds of phonological applications among the two paradigmatically linked words (Rochonn (2000, p. 27). Bernhardt and Stemberger (2007, p. 575) argue that consonant clusters are the features for varied languages across the globe. Thus, from the research study that was carried out in the development of coda clusters, it was revealed that codas meet the required universal canonical syllable structure; hence they tend to be accurate. Concerning the kind of clusters emerging first, the research revealed that coda and onset will not be produced accurately unless the consonant cluster coda begins to emerge. Some EFL learners face varied difficulties in comprehending and producing both coda and onset consonant clusters; this is especially where there are two consonants that are composed with more than two consonants. However, given that the acquisition of English syllable coda and onset by Polish EFL learners, an overview of English phonology is crucial. Although English syllable structure may be complex, the onsets with two to three adjacent consonants and codas of up to four succeeding associates may also result to varied syllable structures. Conclusion In conclusion, the research attempted to offer critical review and it discussed the theoretical (phonological) accounts of polish consonant clusters. The field of Polish phonology has been the major concerning study issue with varied scholars attempting to reveal the descriptive accounts of dialects in varied regions where English language is spoken. The polish consonant clusters vary from one dialect to another and some of the consonants are arranged in pairs with another having a wider range of pronunciation. Consonant cluster are overseen by language decrees, which are linked to the syllable structure; for instance, the syllable may constitute three parts which include the nucleus or vowel, coda and the onset. Therefore, varied models have been employed that attempts to explain the variations in polish consonants. One of them is the government phonology, which assumes that speech sounds organize themselves according to their internal properties and very simple principles. Another one is the learnability theory, which attempts to reveal the way linguistic input effects the erudition of kids for a targeted language, semantic or phonological characteristics of grammar. One of the effective theories that attempts to offer an account of polish consonant clusters is optimality theory. This theory determines what the output identity form should be when clustering consonants. Correspondence is another theory, which is a sub-theory of optimality; thus it attempts to classify phonological related words such as truncation, word formation and affixation in polish consonant clusters. Reference List Archibald, J. (October 04, 2004). Learning to Parse Second Language Consonant Clusters. Canadian Journal of Linguistics, 48, 149-177. Bernhardt, B. and J. P. Stemberger. 2007. "Phonological impairment in children and adults". In: Lacy, P. de (ed.), The Cambridge handbook of phonology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 575-593. Collins, B., & Mees, I. M. (2013). Practical phonetics and phonology: A resource book for students. London: Routledge. Dziczek-Karlikowska, H. (2012). Error-Based Evidence for the Phonology of Glides and Nasals in Polish with Reference to English. Frankfurt: Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften. Embick, D. (2010). Localism versus globalism in morphology and phonology. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press. Cyran, E. (2006). Polish and English syllable structures. How different are they? Pp.1-8. Cyran, E., & Gussman, E. (1999). Consonant Clusters and Governing Relations: Polish Initial Consonant Sequences. P. 1-30. Horst, M., White, J., & Bell, P. (January 01, 2010). First and second language knowledge in the language classroom. International Journal of Bilingualism, 14, 3, 331-349. Łubowicz, A. (2012). The Phonology of Contrast. Oakville, CT: Equinox Pub. Morrisette, M., Farris, A., & Gierut, J. (September 2006). Applications of learnability theory to clinical phonology. Advances in Speech-Language Pathology. 8(3): 201-219. Pan, N., & Chen, L. (January 01, 2008). Onset Clusters and Coda-Onset Sequences in Disordered Speech-A Government Phonology Analysis. Asia Pacific Journal of Speech Language and Hearing, 11, 4, 251-268. Rochonn, M. (2000). Optimality in complexity: The case of Polish consonant clusters. Berlin: Akademie Verlag. Read More