Grammatical Encoding for Speech Production

Grammatical encoding is the process of linearizing a thought, building a hierarchical syntactic frame that fixes the order of lexical concepts. The debate is on whether words or syntax drive grammatical encoding, and theories differ on the scope of encoding prior to utterance onset. The authors review current theories and evaluate them in light of empirical evidence.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 75 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Grammatical encoding is the process of linearizing a thought during the production of spoken sentences, involving the construction of a hierarchical syntactic frame that establishes the linear order of lexical concepts. Despite extensive research highlighting the independence of lexical and syntactic representations, the precise nature of what is represented remains a subject of ongoing debate. Moreover, theories diverge regarding whether words or syntax drive grammatical encoding, with implications for understanding the time-course of this encoding process. Speaking typically occurs rapidly, with articulation commencing before an utterance is fully formulated. Current theories of grammatical encoding offer diverse perspectives on the scope of encoding prior to utterance onset and the extent to which linguistic structure or cognitive factors determine planning scope. The authors critically review these theories and assess their alignment with relevant empirical evidence. This research title is also accessible as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Weight: 138g
Dimension: 227 x 153 x 7 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009264556