Speech and other language issues

Abstract

In this chapter, we consider how people can perceive and recognise speech. This is harder than you might imagine. Unlike written words which have a space between them, spoken words often run together and, unlike written text, once uttered, the signal disappears. Yet we are able to understand speakers of our own language remarkably efficiently. We discuss some models of spoken word recognition before moving on to consider producing longer strings of speech than single words: sentences. We then move away from speech to consider some other aspects of language such as language and thought, bilingualism, and language and ageing.