Speech development of twins and vocal-speech interaction in triads «mother—twins»: a longitudinal study

Abstract

The study aimes to investigate speech development of twins and characteristics of vocal-speech interaction in triads «mother—twins» during the first two years of life. The subjects of investigation are 5 triads «mother—twins». Specificity of early speech development and maternal speech addressed to twins are revealed using methods of instrumental spectrographic, perceptive, and phonetical analysis. Individual ways of speech development by the first and the second child in triads, different levels of speech development are revealed in different triads, namely different time of syllabic constructions and uttering the first words, complication of word structure, and diversity of consonants. Maternal speech in triads differs in terms of temporal and spectral characteristics. On the base of assessed data it can be concluded the variability of twins’ speech development.

Keywords:

twins, speech, interaction in triads, maternal speech