Phonological development in typically developing Najdi Arabic-speaking children aged 1-4 years

Abstract

This study explored patterns of Najdi-Arabic phonological acquisition in typically developing Saudi children aged 1;10-4;02 years. Sixty children were recruited in five age groups with 6-month intervals. The main goals were to explore the effects of Speech-Task (Picture-Naming vs. Spontaneous speech), Syllable/Word Position, Age, and Gender on: Percent Consonants Correct, consonant acquisition, and the occurrence of phonological processes. The picture naming task aimed to elicit each consonant in four positions and twelve consonant clusters at word boundaries. Recordings were transcribed using narrow phonetic transcription and analysed using PHON. In contrast with previous studies the children in this study had higher PCC scores, made fewer phonological errors, outgrew phonological process sooner, and had an earlier mastery and customary production of consonants in the SPON rather than the PN sample. The only exception was Cluster-Reduction, which occurred more frequently in the SPON sample. Syllable/word position had a statistically significant effect on PCC, age of acquisition of consonants, and on the occurrence of 10/14 phonological processes. In general, consonants in medial-coda position were least accurate. The token frequency of consonants in the SPON sample best matched the frequency of Arabic consonants in the adult form as reported in (Amayreh et al., 1999). Females generally acquired a greater number of consonants or an earlier age of acquisition than their male peers. The findings will inform development of the first standardized articulation/phonological assessment in Arabic. Specifically, the results repeatedly demonstrate that clinical assessments should not be based on PN tasks alone, and that distinguishing between onset and coda in medial position is informative. Furthermore, the patterns found speak to explanatory theories of phonological acquisition. Patterns align, to a degree, with accounts emphasising the significance of token frequency in determining consonant acquisition whilst challenging the applicability of the sonority index to consonant acquisition in Arabic.