Articulatory Phonology and the Task Dynamics Model

Abstract

An overview of Articulatory Phonology and a computational model based on this framework are presented. In Articulatory Phonology the basic unit is the articulatory gesture, which both characterizes an articulatory event and functions as the element of phonological contrast. Syllables and larger utterances are hypothesized to be combinations of gestures, which may overlap in time. Gestures are modeled as damped mass-spring systems, each associated with an abstract planning clock that triggers their activation. Timing between gestures is modeled as coupling relationships between these clocks. The Task Dynamics Application (TaDA) is a computational implementation of the hypotheses of Articulatory Phonology, currently available for both English and Spanish and expandable to other languages. Operation of the model is demonstrated. Past uses of the model include predicting reaction time, testing hypotheses generated from examination of experimental articulatory data, and text-to-speech systems. Information is included on how to obtain both TaDA and the Spanish gestural dictionary module.