Variation in Maltese English in child language use : an analysis of selected segmental features in six 10-year-olds

Abstract

This study focuses on the individual differences which exist in the realisations of the dental fricatives in a group of six girls who are ten years old. These participants had to go through two tasks which elicited the use of the dental fricatives in different realisations – this provides the study with a clearer idea of how these phonetic segments are used. This research can be seen in light of other studies conducted with Maltese English. It is interesting to note that these participants’ individual differences put them on a spectrum; thus highlighting the notion that a person’s accent is not always fixed but may vary depending on the situation and the other interlocutors.