Research

Associative learning and self-organization as basic principles for simulating speech acquisition, speech production, and speech perception

¹ Neurophonetics Group, Department of Phoniatrics, Pedaudiology, and Communication Disorders, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
² Cognitive Computation and Applications Laboratory, School of Computer Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
³ Education and Rehabilitation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Department of Special Education, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

^* e-mail: bernd.kroeger@rwth-aachen.de

Received: 12 September 2013
Accepted: 18 December 2013
Published online: 10 February 2014

Abstract

Background

Quantitative neural models of speech acquisition and speech processing are rare.

Methods

In this paper, we describe a neural model for simulating speech acquisition, speech production, and speech perception. The model is based on two important neural features: associative learning and self-organization. The model describes an SOM-based approach to speech acquisition, i.e. how speech knowledge and speaking skills are learned and stored in the context of self-organizing maps (SOMs).

Results

The model elucidates that phonetic features, such as high-low, front-back in the case of vowels, place and manner or articulation in the case of consonants and stressed vs. unstressed for syllables, result from the ordering of syllabic states at the level of a supramodal phonetic self-organizing map. After learning, the speech production and speech perception of speech items results from the co-activation of neural states within different cognitive and sensorimotor neural maps.

Conclusion

This quantitative model gives an intuitive understanding of basic neurobiological principles from the viewpoint of speech acquisition and speech processing.