Between-Word Processes in Child Phonology, Article Review Example

“Between-word processes in child phonology” by Joseph Paul Stemberger (University of Minnesota) discusses the results of examination of phonology processes including two or more words interaction. The author claims that since it has been always believed that most of children’s phonology processes are limited by the domain of a single word or a smaller chunk of phonological material, the between-word processes have not been studied accurately enough. Stemberger claims that in contrast to what has been previously mentioned, child phonology is more similar to adult phonology. He maintains that further examination of child phonology should not keep on being limited by the focus on the word, so that the common and uncommon types of between-word processes are being listed. He observes the consequences of own examination based on the study of the speech of one child acquiring English.

In the article the author presents the data collected through the observation of his daughter’s acquisition of American English in a monolingual speech situation. From the qualitative perspective, the present findings deliver a satisfactory picture of child’s speech at any given time. Yet the study is limited by the obvious lack of qualitative data.

In the diary of the study eight between-word processes are observed. All the processes do not last long, are optional and take place in reasonably restricted environments. Stemberger states that “between-word phonological processes do occur in child language, and highlight the similarities between child phonology and adult phonology, as well as the need for incorporating the syllable into child phonology”. He claims that focusing the studies of child phonology on the word is not reasonable. Even though most of child phonology processes are indeed applied within words, it’s important to consider the fact that some processes may still involve several words. More accurate studies of the phenomenon are needed, and it’s crucial to find out how frequently between-word processes occur in the speech of young children.