Assignment task: In the discourse below, the child (taken from Berko & Brown study) seems to neutralize (lose) the contrast between target/adult [s] and target/adult [?], producing a segment that is [s]-like for both. Before you answer any of the questions, you should look at the patterns in the data. For each question, your answer must say more than 'yes' or 'no'; you need to briefly explain your answer . You may find that explicitly referring to parts of the dialogue in your answer will help make your answer clear.
Consider the following report on a dialogue between an observer and a child participating in an experiment (from Berko & Brown 1960: 531):
"One of us spoke to a child who called his inflated plastic fish a fis. In imitation of the child's pronunciation, the observer said: 'This is your fis?' 'No,' said the child, 'my fis.' He continued to reject the adult's imitation until he was told, 'That is your fish.' 'Yes,' he said, 'my fis.'
Q1. Does the report on the dialogue suggest that this child can perceive the difference between target [s] and target [?]?
Q2. Does the report on the dialogue suggest that this child can perceive the difference between his fis production (for target fish) and the observer's production of fish?
Q3. Does the report on the dialogue suggest that the observer's imitation of the child's [s] for target [?] is accurate (i.e., is the researcher's production an accurate reflection of what the child says for target [?])?
Q4. Does the report on the dialogue suggest that the child's production of fis for fish involves covert contrast?