Speech Sound Production in Australian English-Dutch Bilingual Children

Abstract

PURPOSE: Determining if suspected speech errors in bilingual children are due to bilingual language acquisition or a speech sound disorder is challenging for speech-language pathologists (SLPs). This study investigates how the productions of nonword imitation (NWI) tasks of English-Dutch bilingual children differ from other speech tasks, both in direct comparison and relative to norm data. METHOD: Seventy-seven typically developing Australian English-Dutch bilingual children aged 4-12 years participated in this study. All children completed the Dutch test battery called the Computer Articulation Instrument. Data on language exposure were collected through parent/caregiver questionnaires. RESULTS: The English-Dutch bilingual children scored lower than the norm data on the picture-naming and consistency task but not on NWI and diadochokinesis tasks. Specific phonological processes were more evident in bilingual children, and these patterns differed according to the task. The consistency task revealed a unique pattern of production in bilingual children. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm that the NWI task may be the most language neutral. Detailed phonological error analysis indicates that SLPs assessing English-Dutch bilingual children should pay attention to voice onset time, fricatives, and vowels.