Production in typical phonological development: segmental aspects

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the state of the art on the typical phonological acquisition of Portuguese as a first language. It briefly summarizes the main phonological models that have supported research on phonological acquisition, especially studies that focus on the analysis of children’s production. Additionally, it describes the methodology(ies) used in the literature on segmental production in typical phonological development. Two types of empirical studies are reviewed: (1) longitudinal studies, which analyze phonological development in a group of subjects over a period of time, and (2) cross-sectional studies, which analyze data from different groups of subjects at different stages of acquisition. The chapter then explores aspects of consonants and vowel production in children acquiring Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese, highlighting the similarities and differences between these two varieties of the language.