Phonological acquisition in Malta: A bilingual language learning context

Abstract

A total of 241 Maltese children aged 2;0-6;0 years, drawn randomly from the public registry of births, were assessed on a picture naming task to evaluate phone articulation, phonology and consistency of word production. Children were allowed to use the language they chose (either Maltese or English). Ninetythree children (38.6%) were reported by parents to speak both Maltese and English at home, 137 (56.9%) were reported to speak Maltese and 11 (4.7%) only English at home. The data gained were analyzed for percent consonants and vowels correct, adult phonemes absent, developmental speech error patterns, number of English and Maltese words used, and the percentage of children using translation equivalents. The children who were reported to be only exposed to English at home were not compared statistically with other children because of the small number in that group. The data showed an increase in phonological competence over the age range and differences between children reported to be exposed to one as opposed to two languages at home. Many children, irrespective of reported home language context, used both English and Maltese during assessment. The results were interpreted as showing independent phonological systems that nevertheless interacted; a bilingual language learning context affected word naming language choice.

Asymmetries in phonological development: the case of word-final cluster acquisition in Welsh–English bilingual children

“…The results obtained here then appear to be in line with a growing number of studies that have indicated accelerated rates of phonological acquisition in bilinguals compared with age-matched monolinguals (Goldstein & Bunta, 2012;Grech & Dodd, 2008;Kehoe et al, 2001;Lleó et al, 2003;Tamburelli et al, 2012). In view of other studies reporting delayed acquisition by bilinguals (Dodd et al, 1996;Fabiano-Smith & Goldstein 2010;GildersleeveNeumann et al, 2008;Goldstein & Washington, 2001), what then can account for the WelshEnglish bilingual children's apparent enhanced performance on English word-final clusters?…”

“…Some studies on bilinguals include information on clusters alongside other areas of phonological development (Grech & Dodd, 2008;. For example, Holm and Dodd (1999) report that the Cantonese-English bilingual children in their study reduced Cantonese /kw-/ to [t], but English /kw-/ to [w], exhibiting language-specific differences in error patterns.…”

The influence of bilingualism on speech production: A systematic review

“…, , , Munro et al . ), and 93 bilingual children in Malta (Grech and Dodd ). Other characteristics of speech production that have been investigated are voice onset time (VOT), voice pitch, rhythm, prosody and fluency (Deutchar and Clark , Fokes et al .…”

Conceptual Framework for Speech Language Pathologists to Work with Migrants: A Focus on Malta

“…Hence, we need to adapt to this diversity. For example, the current data on bilingual speech and language acquisition is indicating that bilingual children have different patterns and rate of acquisition of such skills (e.g., Grech & Dodd, 2008;Stow & Pert;So & Leung, 2006;Salameh, Nettlebladt, & Norlin, 2003). SLPs need to adapt and adopt tools to assess and manage the culturally and linguistic diverse populations to whom they are increasingly being referred.…”