Human speech is a very complex acquired skill and its acquisition depends on a number of factors related to memory and brain function. Linguistic research points out that Speech is a closed-loop control system meaning, in order to be fluent in acquiring a Second language, learners must retain the entire feedback chain used by the mind in acquiring a new language as opposed to just memorising without the feedback chain, as that results in failure to effectively understand the language and leads to eventual information loss in the brain and in simple terms, you forget the language.
To understand a Closed-Loop control system, we must first understand an Open-Loop Control system.
What is an Open-Loop control system?
Here is how Wikipedia defines an Open-Loop Control System:
“An open-loop controller is often used in simple processes because of its simplicity and low cost, especially in systems where feedback is not critical. A typical example would be a conventional washing machine, for which the length of machine wash time is entirely dependent on the judgment and estimation of the human operator. Generally, to obtain a more accurate or more adaptive control, it is necessary to feed the output of the system back to the inputs of the controller.”
What is a Closed-loop control system?
This is a term taken from Control theory and Electronic systems. In a closed-loop controller system feedback is introduced to avoid the problems of an open-loop controller system which lacks feedback chain. A Closed-Loop control system can accurately control any process by monitoring its output and “feeding” some of the output back to compare the actual output with the desired output so as to reduce any errors and if disturbed, bring the output of the system back to the original or desired response.
How is the concept of Closed-Loop system applied to Human Speech?
The Human speech is said to be a Closed-Loop system because the sensors within the system also give feedback to the system’s control portion. In case of Human Speech, the Mind becomes the controller of the Closed-Loop system, the mouth produces a product i.e. Speech, our auditory senses give the controller i.e. the mind feedback from our ears and the result is that we hear what we speak, decide whether it had the desired effect (output), if not, we correct or improvise to reach the desired effect.
Thus, it can be said that the mind provides the vocabulary memory and syntax control along with Feedback coordination, mouth aids in sound production and Proprioceptive Feedback and the ears provide auditory feedback to the mind in real time making human speech a Closed-Loop Control system.
Love,
Samarna
References
Lynn Lundquist, Learn to speak a second language, (Public Domain)
Comments