Phonological processes used by Cebuano children at free play

This study aimed to identify the phonological processes used by Cebuano children at free play. There were 15 children from different age groups who were studied: first age group (1.0 - 1.6 years old); second age group (1.7 - 4.0 years old); and third age group (4.1 - 7.0 years old). The participants were grouped according to the phonological stages of Ingram and David (1989). The first age group is the first 50-word phonology stage; the second age group is the phonology of single morphemes stage; and the third age group is the completion of the phonemic inventory stage. The child-adult interactions were recorded during the child’s free play at home. The children’s utterances were then transcribed. The result showed different phonological processes that dominated in the utterances of children in each age group. The final consonant deletion was the most occurring process in the first age group; stopping came out to be the dominant process in the second age group; gliding of liquids was prevalent in the third age group. This study concluded that children’s versions of adult language words are indeed phonologically simpler. In the process of developing speech, children often use phonological deviations in their speech production.