The Development of Coda Consonants in the Speech of a Bilingual Child: A Case Study

Abstract

This paper reports on the findings of a study that explored the development of consonants in coda position in the speech of a bilingual child. This data was collected through parental diaries. The researcher traced the development of English and Arabic consonants in coda position in her own child’s production between the ages of 1.4 and 5. The analysis suggests that frequency of occurrence in the child's input plays a major role in the early appearance of particular sounds in coda position in the child's production. The analysis also reveals that the most used English consonants in coda position in the child's production are those which prefer coda position to onset position. Due to the absence of studies about the distribution of Arabic sounds within onset and coda positions, the factor that has been adopted analyzing the development of Arabic consonants in coda position is the frequency of occurrence in the child's input (parental speech). The analysis assures that the Universal Grammar Constraints also have a role in the development of some English and Arabic consonants in coda position.