Impact of Bilingualism on Speech Sound Disorder/ Articulatory and Phonological Disorders

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the impact of bilingualism on speech sound disorders in Pakistani 4-8 years old children.

Methodology: This cross sectional exploratory study using convenient sampling recruited N=140 children suspected or having speech sound disorders. Sample included 4-8 years old children of both genders speaking Urdu and their native language from the speech clinics of four provinces of Pakistan from 1st March to 31st October 2016. Basic demographic sheet and Test for Assessment of articulation and Phonology in Urdu was used for data collection. Analysis done using SPSS Version-21. Chi-square & Pearson correlation was utilized and p<0.05 was considered significant.

Results: The number of errors and mother tongue did not show correlation (r=.006, p=.499), while error type and mother tongue revealed weak negative correlation (r=-.091), concluding their non-relation with language. However, there was predominance of substitution 93(66.4%) followed by omission 27(19.3%) and distortion 20(14.3%) errors, with substitution being commonest in Pushto, omission in Urdu and distortion in Punjabi speaking. Also phonological process of liquid gliding was absent ( /r/ is substituted with /l/) in Urdu language and children were intelligible despite articulatory or phonological errors and intelligibility continues developing after 4 years of age.

Conclusion: The speech sound errors are independent of languages learned by the child because the phonetic repertoire and articulatory movements for a sound in every language is similar. A child growing up in a native language environment will make similar articulatory errors in Urdu and the native language.