From Thought to Speech: A Critical Review of Levelt’s Speech Production Model and Its Applications

Abstract

The study provides a comprehensive review of Willem Levelt’s Speech Production Model, a foundational framework that explains the stages of speech production. Levelt’s model, consisting of conceptualization, formulation, articulation, and self-monitoring, describes how speakers systematically generate spoken language. This paper explores the model’s theoretical foundations, its applications in language processing, and its implications for understanding speech disorders such as aphasia, stuttering, and dysarthria. Furthermore, the study examines recent advancements in neuroimaging and bilingual speech production, highlighting modifications and critiques of the model, particularly regarding its linearity and feedback mechanisms. The review underscores the model’s significance in cognitive science, linguistics, and language learning while addressing its limitations and potential future developments. By integrating empirical findings and theoretical discussions, this study offers insights into the continued evolution of speech production models in response to contemporary research challenges.