A comparative study of the effect of different linguistic backgrounds on the acquisition of English phonology by the Maltese child

Abstract

This study focuses on aspects of the pronunciation of English by Maltese children in an attempt to identify characteristic features of both a segmental and a non-segmental nature in the children's speech. In so doing, this study aims to throw light on the issue of whether Maltese children acquire the phonology of English and Maltese as two separate systems, or whether English phonology is being acquired as an extension of their first language, Maltese. A second aim of the study is to see which aspect of the children's linguistic background, the influence of the language used in the home, or of school, appears to be most conducive to the acquisition of the phonology of English. Three groups of speakers participated in the study. The first of these groups comprises participants having a parent who speaks a native variety of English and who attend a non-state school. The second group comprises participants coming from a background in which Maltese is the language used at home and who attend a state school. A third group, serving as a control group, consisted of children having a native English speaking parent and who attend a state school. This study shows that the home environment is the aspect of Maltese children's background most likely to instil a positive attitude towards the acquisition by the child of English that is most native like. The study concludes, as does Delceppo (1986), that the Maltese participants in this study do transfer Maltese phonological traits to their English at the segmental level, but even more so at the non-segmental level.