- Sukhinina Olga Yurievna, speech therapist teacher
Sections: Speech therapy
Every year the number of children suffering from general speech underdevelopment increases. This type of disorder in children with normal hearing and intact intelligence is a specific manifestation of a speech abnormality, in which the formation of the main components of the speech system is disrupted or lags behind the norm: vocabulary, grammar, phonetics. Most of these children have a distortion of the syllabic structure of the word
, which are recognized as leading and persistent in the structure of speech defects in children with general speech underdevelopment.
The practice of speech therapy shows that correction of the syllabic structure of a word is one of the priority and most difficult tasks in working with preschoolers who have systemic speech disorders. It should be noted that this type of speech pathology occurs in all children with motor alalia, in whom phonetic speech disorders are not leading in the syndrome, but only accompany vocabulary disorders. The importance of this problem is also evidenced by the fact that the insufficient degree of correction of this type of phonological pathology in preschool age subsequently leads to the development of dysgraphia in schoolchildren due to a violation of language analysis and synthesis of words and phonemic dyslexia.
Research by A.K. Markova on the peculiarities of mastering the syllabic structure of a word by children suffering from alalia shows that the speech of children is replete with pronounced deviations in the reproduction of the syllabic structure of a word, which persist even in reflected speech. These deviations are in the nature of one or another deformation of the correct sound of a word, reflecting the difficulties of reproducing the syllabic structure. It follows from this that in cases of speech pathology, age-related disorders do not disappear from children’s speech by the age of three, but, on the contrary, acquire a pronounced, persistent character. A child with general speech underdevelopment cannot independently master the pronunciation of the syllabic structure of a word, just as he is unable to independently master the pronunciation of individual sounds. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the long process of spontaneous formation of the syllabic structure of a word with a purposeful and conscious process of teaching this skill.
Numerous studies carried out within the framework of the topic under consideration contribute to clarifying and concretizing the prerequisites that determine the assimilation of the syllabic structure of a word. There is a dependence of mastering the syllabic structure of a word on the state of phonemic perception, articulatory capabilities, semantic insufficiency, and the child’s motivational sphere; and according to recent studies, on the developmental features of non-speech processes: optical-spatial orientation, rhythmic and dynamic organization of movements, the ability to serially process information (G.V. Babina, N.Yu. Safonkina).
The study of syllable structure in children with systemic speech disorders is most widely represented in the domestic literature.
A.K. Markova defines the syllabic structure of a word as an alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables of varying degrees of complexity. The syllabic structure of a word is characterized by four parameters: 1) stress, 2) number of syllables, 3) linear sequence of syllables, 4) model of the syllable itself. The speech therapist must know how the structure of words becomes more complex, and examine the thirteen classes of syllable structures that are the most frequent. The purpose of this examination is not only to determine those syllable classes that have been formed in the child, but also to identify those that need to be formed. The speech therapist also needs to determine the type of violation of the syllabic structure of the word. As a rule, the range of these disorders varies widely: from minor difficulties in pronouncing words of complex syllable structure to severe violations.
Violations of syllabic structure modify the syllabic composition of a word in different ways. Distortions consisting of a pronounced violation of the syllabic composition of the word are clearly distinguished. Words can be deformed due to:
1. Violations of the number of syllables:
a) Elysia –
reduction (skipping) of syllables): “skein” (hammer).
The child does not fully reproduce the number of syllables of a word. When reducing the number of syllables, syllables may be omitted at the beginning of the word (“na” - moon), in the middle (“gunitsa” - caterpillar), the word may not be said to the end (“kapu” - cabbage).
Depending on the degree of speech underdevelopment, some children shorten even a two-syllable word to a monosyllabic one (“ka” - porridge, “pi” - wrote), others find it difficult only at the level of four-syllable structures, replacing them with three-syllable ones (“puvitsa” - button):
- deletion of the syllabic vowel.
The syllabic structure can be shortened due to the loss of only syllabic-forming vowels, while the other element of the word - the consonant - is preserved (“prosonic” - pig; “sugar bowl” - sugar bowl). This type of syllable structure disorder is less common.
b) Iterations:
- increasing the number of syllables by adding a syllabic vowel in the place where there is a confluence of consonants (“tarawa” - grass). This lengthening of the structure of the word is due to its peculiar dismembered pronunciation, which represents a kind of “unfolding” of the word and especially consonant clusters into component sounds (“dirigible” - airship).
2. Violation of the sequence of syllables in a word:
- rearrangement of syllables in a word (“devore” - tree);
- rearrangement of sounds of adjacent syllables (“gebemot” - hippopotamus). These distortions occupy a special place, with them the number of syllables is not violated, while the syllable composition undergoes gross violations.
3. Distortion of the structure of an individual syllable:
- reduction of a consonant cluster, turning a closed syllable into an open one (“kaputa” - cabbage); a syllable with a consonant cluster - into a syllable without a consonant cluster (“tul” - chair).
This defect is identified by T.B. Filichev and G.V. Chirkin as the most common when pronouncing words of different syllable structures by children suffering from OHP.
- insertion of consonants into a syllable (“limont” - lemon).
4. Anticipations,
those. likening one syllable to another (“pipitan” - captain; “vevesiped” - bicycle).
5. Perseverations
(from the Greek word “I persist”). This is an inert stuckness on one syllable in a word (“pananama” - panama; “vvvalabey” - sparrow).
Perseveration of the first syllable is most dangerous, because this type of syllable structure disorder can develop into stuttering.
6. Contamination –
connecting parts of two words (“refrigerator” - refrigerator and bread box).
All of the listed types of distortions of the syllabic composition of words are very common in children with systemic speech disorders. These disorders occur in children with speech underdevelopment at different (depending on the level of speech development) levels of syllabic difficulty. The retarding effect of syllabic distortions on the process of speech acquisition is further aggravated by the fact that they are highly persistent. All these features of the formation of the syllabic structure of a word interfere with the normal development of oral speech (accumulation of vocabulary, assimilation of concepts) and make it difficult for children to communicate, and also, undoubtedly, interfere with sound analysis and synthesis, and therefore interfere with learning to read and write.
Traditionally, when studying the syllabic structure of a word, the possibilities of reproducing the syllabic structure of words of different structures are analyzed according to A.K. Markova, who distinguishes 14 types of syllabic structure of a word according to increasing degrees of complexity. Complication consists in increasing the number and using different types of syllables.
Types of words (according to A.K. Markova)
1st grade – two-syllable words made from open syllables (willow, children).
Grade 2 – three-syllable words made from open syllables (hunting, raspberries).
Grade 3 – monosyllabic words (house, poppy).
Grade 4 – two-syllable words with one closed syllable (sofa, furniture).
5th grade – two-syllable words with a combination of consonants in the middle of the word (bank, branch).
6th grade – two-syllable words with a closed syllable and a combination of consonants (compote, tulip).
7th grade – three-syllable words with a closed syllable (hippopotamus, telephone).
8th grade - three-syllable words with a combination of consonants (room, shoes).
Grade 9 – three-syllable words with a consonant cluster and a closed syllable (lamb, ladle).
10th grade – three-syllable words with two consonant clusters (tablet, matryoshka).
11th grade - monosyllabic words with a combination of consonants at the beginning of the word (table, closet).
12th grade – monosyllabic words with a consonant cluster at the end of the word (elevator, umbrella).
Grade 13 – two-syllable words with two consonant clusters (lash, button).
Grade 14 – four-syllable words made from open syllables (turtle, piano).
In addition to the words included in the 14 classes, the pronunciation of more complex words is assessed: “cinema”, “policeman”, “teacher”, “thermometer”, “scuba diver”, “traveler”, etc.
The possibility of reproducing the rhythmic pattern of words, the perception and reproduction of rhythmic structures (isolated beats, a series of simple beats, a series of accented beats) are also explored.
Types of jobs:
- name the subject pictures;
- repeat the words as reflected by the speech therapist;
- answer the questions. (Where do they buy food?).
Thus, during the examination, the speech therapist identifies the degree and level of violation of the syllabic structure of words in each specific case and the most typical errors that the child makes in speech, identifies those frequency classes of syllables whose syllabic structure is preserved in the child’s speech, classes of the syllabic structure of words that are grossly are violated in the child’s speech, and also determines the type and type of violation of the syllabic structure of the word. This allows you to set the boundaries of the level accessible to the child, from which corrective exercises should begin.
Many modern authors deal with the issue of correcting the syllabic structure of words. In the methodological manual by S.E. Bolshakova “Overcoming violations of the syllabic structure of words in children,” the author describes the reasons for the difficulties in forming the syllabic structure of words, types of errors, and methods of work. Attention is paid to the development of such prerequisites for the formation of the syllabic structure of a word as optical and somato-spatial representations, orientation in two-dimensional space, dynamic and rhythmic organization of movements. The author proposes a method of manual reinforcement that makes it easier for children to make articulatory switches and prevent omissions and substitutions of syllables. The order of mastering words with consonant clusters is given. Games at each stage contain speech material selected taking into account speech therapy training programs.
The procedure for practicing words with different types of syllabic structure was proposed by E.S. Bolshakova in the manual “The work of a speech therapist with preschoolers,” where the author proposes a sequence of work that helps clarify the contour of the word. (Types of syllables according to A.K. Markova)
The educational and methodological manual “Formation of the syllabic structure of a word: speech therapy tasks” by N.V. Kurdvanovskaya and L.S. Vanyukova highlights the features of correctional work on the formation of the syllabic structure of a word in children with severe speech disorders. The material was selected by the authors in such a way that when working on the automation of one sound, the presence of other sounds that are difficult to pronounce in words is excluded. The presented illustrative material is aimed at developing fine motor skills (pictures can be colored or shaded), and the order of its arrangement will help the formation of a syllable structure at the stage of onomatopoeia.
In his manual “Speech therapy work to overcome violations of the syllabic structure of words in children,” Z.E. Agranovich also proposes a system of speech therapy measures to eliminate such a difficult-to-correct, specific type of speech pathology as a violation of the syllabic structure of words in children of preschool and primary school age. The author summarizes all the correctional work from the development of speech-auditory perception and speech-motor skills and identifies two main stages:
- preparatory (work is carried out on non-verbal and verbal material; the goal of this stage is to prepare the child to master the rhythmic structure of words in his native language;
— correctional itself (the work is carried out on verbal material and consists of several levels (the level of vowel sounds, the level of syllables, the level of words). At each level, the author assigns special importance to “inclusion in the work”, in addition to the speech analyzer, also auditory, visual and tactile. The purpose of this stage – direct correction of defects in the syllabic structure of words in a particular speech-language pathologist child.
All authors note the need for specific, targeted speech therapy work to overcome violations of the syllabic structure of words, which is part of the general correctional work in overcoming speech disorders.
Conducting specially selected games in group, subgroup and individual speech therapy classes creates the most favorable conditions for the formation of the syllabic structure of words in children with general speech underdevelopment.
For example, the didactic game “Funny Houses”.
This didactic game consists of three houses with pockets for inserting pictures, envelopes with a set of subject pictures for many game options.
Option #1
"Zoo"
Target:
development of the ability to divide words into syllables.
Equipment:
three houses with different numbers of flowers in the windows (one, two, three), with pockets for putting pictures, a set of subject pictures: hedgehog, wolf, bear, fox, hare, elk, rhinoceros, zebra, camel, lynx, squirrel, cat, rhinoceros, crocodile, giraffe...)
Progress of the game:
The speech therapist says that new houses have been made for the animals at the zoo.
The child is asked to determine which animals can be placed in which house. The child takes a picture of an animal, pronounces its name and determines the number of syllables in the word. If it is difficult to count the number of syllables, the child is asked to “clap” the word: pronounce it syllable by syllable, accompanying the pronunciation by clapping his hands. Based on the number of syllables, he finds a house with the corresponding number of flowers in the window for the named animal and puts the picture in the pocket of this house. It is advisable that the children’s answers be complete, for example: “The word crocodile
has three syllables.” After all the animals have been placed in their houses, you must once again say the words shown in the pictures.
Text of the book “Structural and syllabic organization of speech of preschool children. Ontogenesis and dysontogenesis"
Chapter 3 Features of the syllable structure of words in children with speech disorders
3.1 Interpretation of violations of the syllabic structure of words in speech therapy studies
The formation of the syllabic structure of a word in children with speech underdevelopment occurs against the background of pathological development of the entire mechanism of expressive speech.
According to research, distortions in the syllabic structure of a word are one of the diagnostic indicators of systemic speech disorder. In Russian speech therapy, studies of the peculiarities of syllabic formation of words were carried out as part of the study of the speech of children with motor alalia [Zhukova, 1994; Kovshikov, 1989; Markova, 1961, 1962, 1963; Orfinskaya, 1959; Sobotovich, 1981; Traugott, 1947; Usanova, 1970; Khvattsev, 1938]. A. K. Markova (1962, 1963) studied in detail and identified the following distortions of the syllabic structure of words found in children with alalia: reductions and additions to the number of syllables, rearrangements and assimilation of syllables, reduction of consonant clusters and addition of vowels between consonant clusters. In addition, the author found that various distortions of the syllabic composition of a word are made by children with unequal frequency. According to A.K. Markova, the largest number of spoken words is distorted by reducing the number of syllables and clusters of consonant sounds, adding syllables, and a smaller number - by assimilating them. The totality of errors that simplify the structure of a word decreases as speech progresses, while additions and rearrangements of syllables become more frequent in parallel with the development of speech. A peculiarity of the abbreviations of syllables by such children (in comparison with the norm) is that in two-syllable words the stressed syllable is not always preserved, in three-syllable words the pre-stressed and stressed syllable is not always preserved.
The author notes that by violating the syllabic composition of a word or the structure of an individual syllable, children extend these distortions to its sound structure: “Isolated pronunciation of a sound and its inclusion in the syllabic composition of a word are tasks of varying difficulty for a child with alalia” [Markova, 1963, p. . 14]. A.K. Markova concludes that omissions, substitutions, and distortions of preserved sounds when they are included in a word are caused by “failure to assimilate its contour.” Complication of the syllabic structure of a word leads to disorganization of its sound composition (for example, to rearrangements of sounds). In addition, the author has identified difficulties in mastering and reproducing the rhythmic pattern of words by children with motor alalia.
O. N. Usanova (1970) found that difficulties in using sounds as part of a word by children with motor alalia are directly dependent on the child’s level of development of the syllabic structure of the word. O. S. Usanova subjected the assimilation of combinations of consonant sounds to children of the described category to a thorough study. Through experimental analysis, the researcher established that the use of combinations by children with speech underdevelopment depends on the articulatory proximity of consonant sounds: the closer they are in place, the less stable their combinations are. The location of a cluster of consonant sounds in a word is also important for assimilation and pronunciation: the most persistent, in the author’s opinion, are the clusters of consonant sounds at the end of words (bow, tank, etc.), the least persistent are at the beginning (whip, kvass, etc. ).
V. A. Kovshikov (1983) believes that violations of the syllabic structure of a word in children with systemic speech underdevelopment manifest themselves mainly in its simplification and reduction to constructions such as SG, SGS, while the stressed syllable remains in the distorted word. The loss of syllables, according to the researcher, is determined by a number of factors, often combined: the syllable’s own structure and the characteristics of its constituent phonemes, location in the word and proximity to the stressed syllable, as well as the sounds that are part of neighboring syllables. Distortion of the syllabic composition by adding an extra syllable is less common, according to V. A. Kovshikov (1985). A special place is occupied by distortions, in which the number of syllables and stress are not violated, but the syllabic composition undergoes significant changes (assimilations and rearrangements of syllables, reduction of consonant sequences).
Research by E. F. Sobotovich (1981, 1985) indicates the heterogeneity of the category of preschool children with alalia, which is manifested in the ways they distort the syllabic structure of a word. Through experimental studies, the author has proven that the composition of this contingent is represented by two groups of children: with motor alalia and with kinesthetic apraxia. The phenomena of kinesthetic apraxia manifest themselves at the level of serial organization of movements (speech and non-speech) and are divided by the author into apraxia of individual sounds and apraxia of sound series. The author points out that children with kinesthetic apraxia have a higher level of mastery of the morphological system of language compared to children with alalia. In addition, differences manifest themselves in the dynamics of speech development: “a phrase appears in children with kinesthetic apraxia as soon as they accumulate an elementary vocabulary of babbling words, ... children actively use these phrases in play, everyday life, and everyday communication, gradually increasing the structure of the word,” then how children with motor alalia experience difficulties in spontaneously using phrases and words of a complex syllabic structure, having the ability to reflect the dismembered pronunciation of elements that make up a lexical unit [Sobotovich, 1981, p. 242].
E. F. Sobotovich (1981), based on taking into account the psycholinguistic prerequisites for a child’s mastery of speech, puts forward the assumption of a connection between the psycholinguistic mechanisms of speech defects in alalia with violations of the linguistic level of the cerebral organization of speech activity, with a violation of the process of assimilation of signs, the rules of their functioning and integration. Failure to assimilate linguistic signs and the norms of their combination and use is reflected, in the author’s opinion, on the state of action of speech programming (selection of signs, their construction, arrangement in a linear diagram).
Our work monitored the dynamics of distortions in the syllabic composition of words in schoolchildren with speech underdevelopment who were trained in speech therapy groups. Through experimental studies, it has been proven that pronounced distortions of the syllabic composition of a word are pathologically projected onto the process of phonemic analysis and, accordingly, onto the possibilities of learning to write and read [Babina, Anishchenkova, 1997; Babina, Grasse, 2001; Babina, Safonkina, 2005].
Data from special literature on the problem under consideration indicate that attempts have been made to analyze the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of violation of the syllabic structure of words in children with alalia. Thus, the studies of I. T. Vlasenko (1990), R. E. Levina (1991), V. K. Orfinskaya (1959), N. N. Traugott (1947) and others provide factual data reflecting the influence of non-speech processes ( optical, spatial, dynamic, rhythmic) on the formation of various aspects of speech, including the syllabic structure of a word (see Chapter 5).
All authors who studied the syllabic structure of words in children with systemic speech disorders noted the persistence of this defect and the low dynamics of overcoming it.
In studies devoted to the problems of dysarthria
, there is information about the difficulties of reproducing the syllabic structure of a word by children with this speech disorder. G.V. Gurovets and S.I. Mayevskaya (1982) believe that the basis for distortions of the syllabic composition of a word by children with erased dysarthria are difficulties in reproducing the articulatory structure and switching from one articulatory position to another. According to V.I. Beltyukov (1964), this interpretation of the problem does not take into account the interaction of the speech-motor and speech-auditory analyzers in the process of mastering oral speech.
In later works, in particular in the studies of L.V. Lopatina (1986), the possibilities of perception and updating of the structural components of lexical units by children with erased dysarthria were analyzed. The author studied the features of differentiation of quasi-homonym words (containing: a) articulatory similar, but acoustically distant sounds and b) articulatory and acoustically close sounds), as well as the possibility of imitation of syllables and series of syllables containing sounds different in acoustic and articulatory proximity by preschoolers with the specified form speech pathology. A study by L.V. Lopatina showed that the majority of children with erased dysarthria can differentiate quasi-homonym words, isolated syllables and their sequences of varying degrees of complexity. At the same time, the author assessed the children’s abilities to recognize shortcomings in their own speech and the speech of another person as minimal. In addition, a certain connection has been established between defective pronunciation of a sound and the possibility of its recognition and differentiation. Based on the results of this study, L.V. Lopatina concluded that children 5.5–6.5 years old with erased dysarthria have underdevelopment of both phonemic and phonetic perception. These difficulties are closely interconnected and interdependent, which, in the author’s opinion, determines the persistence of pathological manifestations in dysarthria.
It should be noted that the available publications provide limited information updating the state of the background components and prosodic components of the syllable structure of the word of children with dysarthria.
Children who stutter
have their own characteristics of the rhythmic and syllabic design of speech utterances.
The works of some specialists present data characterizing specific manifestations in the structuring and segmentation of the speech flow by children of this category.
Research by Yu.A. Kuzmina (1989) indicate that such facts as the number and duration of pauses, the frequency of repetitions (syllabic and sound), and the addition of extra sounds to the structure of a word are indicators of the severity of stuttering in children.
Works by L.I. Belyakova, E.A. Dyakova (1998) show that the rhythmic structure of a word significantly influences the appearance of hesitations in children’s speech. The authors say that most often hesitations occur on pre-stressed and stressed syllables, as well as on the first syllable of a word or phrase. When pronouncing overstressed syllables, stuttering occurs less frequently. The degree of difficulties identified is also associated with the presence/absence of unpronounceable sounds in the words that make up the utterance. Researchers have identified linguistic factors that contribute to the appearance of convulsive stuttering, in particular, the phonetic characteristics of sound. Thus, voiceless and voiced stop consonants (“p, t, k”), their combinations with other consonants (“tr”, “st”, “kr”) have the phonetic specificity that is most often accompanied by convulsions. In addition, the authors note a tendency towards an increase in hesitations in words and phrases of the following categories: low-frequency for the speaker’s individual vocabulary and those carrying the main information load in the phrase.
In the study by A.R. Aslanova, N.Yu. Sharipova (2013) presents the features of the syllabic and rhythmic organization of speech by preschoolers of the fifth year of life with a stutter.
Children were offered independent, reflected, and (if necessary) conjugate pronunciation of words of various syllable structures. The experimental study used practical materials presented in the work of G.V. Babina, N.Yu. Sharipova (2010).
The following characteristic distortions of the syllabic and rhythmic design of words have been identified.
Replays
syllables are the most frequent type of violation and manifest themselves mainly in words of a three-syllable (polysyllabic) structure: [pa-pa-pa-ku
baj
] - parrot;
[syapadi-di- di
] – boots;
[ vilasipipet
] – bicycle.
Characteristic is the fast pace of pronunciation, which often makes it difficult to determine the number of repeated syllables. In the presence of confluences of consonant sounds within one word, the situation is aggravated, which leads to a combination of two types of distortion: getting stuck on the initial sound of the confluence and repetitions of stressed and/or over-stressed syllables ([s. s...skaka... ka
jka] - jump rope; [s... s...s...tga..
and
titil] - builder).
The following pronunciation options also illustrate the uniqueness of the structural organization of verbal units by preschoolers with a stutter
: [samamma... vaj – samammvay] – samovar; [malatta…tok – malatt-tatok] – hammer; [pamiddy. doi - pamidddidoi] - tomatoes. Prolangation of a consonant sound, repetition of a syllable and a pause in the middle of a word are pronounced. Along with this, the presence of temporal contrasts in the implementation of one word is noted: slowdown in the initial part of the word with prolongation of the consonant ([samammma...]) and acceleration in the last part ([baj]), then repeated, accelerated, more continuous pronunciation of the entire word ([ samammvaj]).
In addition, frequency distortions are doublings (reduplications)
significant parts of the word, as a rule, combined with forced pausing at the border of pre-stressed and stressed syllables: [kat...kat...skat] - skating rink; [tweet... tweet... tweets] - flowers.
Numerous facts of the specific rhythmic design of structures such as SGSSG (words with stress on the first syllable and a confluence of consonant sounds in the middle) have been revealed. In this case, traditional hesitations and jams on a consonant sound at the beginning of a word are combined with hesitations on the first sound of a consonant cluster in the middle of a word. At the same time, attempts to cope with the pause that occurs in the middle of a word lead to a kind of chant ([c...s...sum...k...ka] - bag, [k...k...cap...k...ka] - cap).
A significant percentage of the total number of identified difficulties in the syllabic and rhythmic formation of words by children of the category under consideration are additions
vowel sounds into consonant clusters. Perhaps in this way the child is trying to cope with the hesitation that arises or avoid it. Additions of vowels occur at the beginning ([s. satuj] - chair), and in the middle ([tykk. kava] - pumpkin), and at the end of the word ([tigajit] - tiger). Attempts to correctly formulate a word with a difficult-to-find structure often lead to additional distortions, for example, to the addition of an extra syllable.
The next type of specific errors in the implementation of rhythmic and sound-syllable components of a word by children with stuttering is the presence of a forced (incorrect) syllable division
: [sam...mmmalet] - airplane, [pammm....mmmidoi] - pamidors, [skavvvv...kavaoda] - frying pan, [s...s...s...ka...ka...jka] - jump rope, [s...s...s...t .t...gait...ti. til] – builder. It should be noted that forced pauses occur not only at the border of syllables, but also within a syllable, which leads to pronounced changes in the segmentation of the phonetic word.
It is characteristic that the ratio of identified difficulties in children with stuttering
not the same. For some preschoolers, numerous repetitions of syllables and reduplications predominate, while for others, the addition of vowels to clusters of consonant sounds is combined with incorrect pausing, non-standard syllable separation and chanting.
Analysis of literature data and the results of the study allow us to formulate the following conclusions:
− preschoolers with stuttering have their own characteristics of the implementation of rhythmic and sound-syllabic components of words, which distinguish them from children with other types of speech disorders (alalia, minimal manifestations of dysarthria, etc.);
− rearrangements (metathesis) of sounds and syllables, syllable substitutions, abbreviations of sounds and syllables, assimilation (both progressive and regressive) are not typical for children of this category;
− numerous repetitions of syllables (different in emphasis and in different positions); reduplication of significant parts of a word; rearrangement of sound complexes of adjacent syllables; disordered segmentation of phonetic words, expressed in the fragmentation of a syllable into sounds, incorrect syllable division, and the presence of pauses within a word; deformation of the ratio of the duration of stressed and unstressed syllables neutralizes the prominence of the stressed syllable; these are characteristic indicators of distortions of the rhythmic and syllabic composition of a word by children with stuttering.
− pronounced instability of the rhythmic structuring of verbal units of the native language leads to a deviation from the universal rhythmic tendencies characteristic of the Russian language (isometry, isochronism between stressed intervals).
Difficulties in realizing the substantial and functional components of speech rhythm (at the level of a phonetic word), identified in children with various types of speech disorders, have a negative impact on their mastery of the specific language code of a given linguistic area.
Generalization of data in the field of speech therapy, reflecting the issues of syllabic formation of words by children with alalia,
dysarthria and stuttering, allows us to speak about the predominant attention of researchers to the problems of the structural organization of lexical units in the process of speech production. At the same time, there is a shortage of information concerning the perception of the syllabic and rhythmic characteristics of words by children of the categories under consideration.
3.2 Mastery of the syllabic structure of words by preschoolers with alalia, with minimal manifestations of alalia, and with erased dysarthria
Our study made it possible to identify a number of differential signs characteristic of the state of the syllabic structure of a word (during perception and pronunciation) in children with alalia, minimal manifestations of alalia
and
with erased dysarthria (with minimal manifestations of dysarthria)
. It should be noted that we include among the minimal manifestations of alalia those components of the structure of a speech defect that correlate with general underdevelopment of speech (III level of speech development according to the classification proposed by R. E. Levina).
The following sections of the chapter are devoted to a description of the possibilities of perception and implementation of the structural and rhythmic components of a word by preschool children with alalia, minimal manifestations of alalia, and with erased dysarthria. In this part of the work, the nature of the identified difficulties is analyzed, which is realized in the description of the specifics of the formation of psycholinguistic and psychological mechanisms that determine the development of the syllabic structure of a word (for each category of children). A study was conducted of the abilities for probabilistic forecasting (in perception) and proactive synthesis (in pronunciation), as well as the state of the mechanisms of identification, generalization and segment-by-segment analysis of words (perception and pronunciation). A study was carried out of the interdependence of the processes of perception and design of lexical units.
To study the characteristics of perception and assessment of the structural and rhythmic characteristics of a word by children of these categories, a number of tasks are proposed: to identify prosodic (length of the word or syllable chain) and rhythmic sensitivity to the word (presence of accentuation, number of structural elements), to establish the characteristics of the perception of dysrhythmia and structural distortions in the word, to identify the possibilities of probabilistic forecasting. This series of tasks is based on the theoretical concepts of P.K. Anokhin (1956), in particular the law of advanced reflection of reality formulated by him as the universal predictive ability of living matter; Physiological research by N.A. Bernstein (1947, 1966) about the brain’s ability to anticipate real speech influence; psychological theory of perception as a process of segment-by-segment analysis through synthesis, determined by probabilistic forecasting [Zinder, 1958; Winter, 1973, 2001; Fry, 1975].
To examine the possibilities of implementing the syllabic structure of a word, tasks for independent, reflected, conjugate pronunciation of words of varying structural complexity (isolated and as part of a minimal context) were used.
This series of tasks is compiled on the basis of traditional methods for examining the syllabic structure of a word, accepted in speech therapy practice (proposed by R. E. Levina (1959) and employees of the speech therapy sector of the Research Institute of Defectology of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences A. K. Markova (1963), L. F. Spirova ( 1965) and others). 3.2.1 Perception of the structural and rhythmic characteristics of a word in children with alalia
Special examination of the capabilities of perception of the structural and rhythmic characteristics of a word in preschool children with alalia
reveals a number of difficulties.
Tasks aimed at identifying the ability to perceive word length are inaccessible to most preschoolers with alalia
: children identify short words as long and vice versa, that is, for words with a polysyllabic structure they present a short symbol. Additional explanations allow some preschoolers to cope with these tasks.
Determining the true number of auditorily perceived structures in their sequences is also a difficult task for a significant part of the children in the group under consideration. Preschoolers with alalia
make mistakes in the number of characters: for sequences containing different numbers of elements, they often present an inadequate number of characters (three or more) or lay out all available ones. To achieve a positive result, additional explanations are required, clapping by the children, coupled with the experimenter’s pronunciation, and a significant amount of time (beyond the experimental scope).
The task of determining the presence or absence of accents in a syllable series is also difficult to achieve. Preschoolers with alalia
chaotically present symbols without correlating them with the presence or absence of an accent.
In tasks like “Finish the word” (boom.../ha/, rake.../ta/), children select the wrong structural component. To complete the begun word, a random variant of the ending is added (boom... ta) or a perseverative repetition of the previous syllable is carried out (soba... ba).
In tasks like “Listen, guess what word is hidden in my lisan /fox/, lotapa /shovel/” the inaccessibility of operations for converting a quasi-word into a normative one was discovered. In most cases, the named word has a common fragment with the perceived quasi-word (lotapa - lamp). A common type of error is the correlation of the perceived word with a random denotation. In tasks like “Tell me, there is a “mole” here” for children with alalia
Difficulties are found in distinguishing between words that have a common structural component (when hearing the word “mole,” children point to a picture of a cake). In a number of cases, children refer to inability, ignorance, and refuse to complete the task.
The presented data indicate a dysfunctional state of the probabilistic forecasting
in children with
alalia,
which is expressed in insufficient differentiation and a decrease in the volume of perception of lexical units. In this case, the implementation of the perceptual hypothesis is carried out by trial and error, that is, possible options for completing a word or transforming it are enumerated. Preschoolers in the category under consideration do not show a specific state of readiness in relation to what should follow (based on perceived information).
In tasks to determine the presence/absence of rhythmic and structural distortion in a word, multiple errors were recorded.
All preschoolers with alalia
find it impossible to determine the presence/absence of rhythmic and structural distortions in a word.
Children classify distorted stimulus words as normative words, and normative ones as distorted ones (the word “mushrooms ”
is assessed as incorrect, the word “
griby
” as correct, “kasavotka” as existing, “frying pan” as non-existent).
Another common type of error is the classification of both normative and distorted structures as correct (and the words “mushrooms ”
, “frying pan” are defined as correct, existing, and the words “
mushrooms
”, “kasavotka”).
In a number of cases, children react with refusal: “I don’t know how to do it right.” In addition, all preschoolers with alalia
require repeated perception of a word when trying to recognize it.
The data presented indicate that the mechanisms of identification and generalization are not formed,
which is expressed in vagueness, diffuseness of sensory standards, de-automatization of perception, and insufficient differentiation of word recognition.
Obviously, for a child with alalia
, his own habitual (incorrect) version of pronouncing a word exists as the only correct one or one of the possible ones (since it is at the stage of generalization), which complicates, and more often, completely changes the identification process.
Processing of experimental research materials makes it possible to judge the dysfunctional state of another of the mechanisms under consideration in children with alalia
, namely the mechanism of
linear segment-by-segment analysis
. The conclusion about the insufficiency of this mechanism is based on the results of whispered pronunciation by preschoolers of perceived lexical units, when internal speech analysis was externalized.
Lack of development of the mechanism for linear segment-by-segment analysis
is expressed in the use of specific strategies for processing perceived verbal information.
In some children with alalia
, the replacement of the direct right-oriented strategy of analysis with the reverse one (Panama - ma...na...pa) predominates.
Another part of preschoolers is characterized by a fragmented nonlinear analysis of the structure of the word (button - ga...pu...vi...; ga...vi...). As can be seen from the example, in the whispered version of pronunciation, the search for the necessary structure is noted. A significant number of children with alalia
show chaos and uncertainty in the analysis strategy (suitcase - ma...che...ma...na...da...ma...nan, dog - ka...sa...bak...ka, button - pu...xya...va...ga).
The above difficulties identified in children allow us to conclude that the immaturity of the mechanism under consideration is manifested in the difficulties of explicating the simultaneous representation into a linear sequence.
Let us remember that in the process of perception itself, researchers A.V. Ventsov and V.B. Kasevich (2003) give priority to two operations that occur in tandem - segmentation and identification. In this case, segmentation is somewhat dependent on identification, in particular on the identification of the impact/non-impact of the component. “For stress, it is necessary to establish that a given melodic preparation should be interpreted as an acoustic correlate of stress, that is, identified as a stressed syllable... with an automatic consequence for segmentation tasks” [Ventsov, Kasevich, 2003, p. 72]. According to the authors, segmentation is determined by reference to stress; Moreover, detection of low-order (unaccented) distributions is a more complex task compared to the analysis of ordered (accented “regularly placed”) ones.
Our special study of the possibilities of perceiving the structural and rhythmic characteristics of lexical units shows the inability of children with alalia
adequately assess the qualitative and quantitative composition of sound, syllabic and other sequences, predict the endings of words, determine the presence and absence of both rhythmic and structural distortion in words, differentiate structurally similar lexical units.
Analysis of experimental data indicates that the dysfunctional state of the mechanisms considered ( probabilistic forecasting, identification, generalization, linear segment-by-segment analysis
) pathologically affects the formation of sensory standards of lexical units, the ability to recognize them by preschoolers with
alalia
and leads to a violation of the correlation of a word with a certain denotation.
