How do Phonological Processes Differ Between Spanish and English?

Editor’s Note: This post is part of a series on serving bilingual students. Other articles in the series include, “Red Flags for Speech and Language Impairment in Bilingual Children,” and “Tips on Writing Articulation Goals for Second-Language Learners,” In response to previous article I wrote on identifying and treating bilingual students, savvy ASHA readers asked the question: What about Phonology?! There is an easy and more comprehensive answer to this question. If you just need quick information, the links above should suffice. For those of you who desire a deeper answer or who nerd out on phonology (you know who you are) keep reading. How phonology is the same in Spanish and English For all the intrinsic differences among languages, nearly all phonological processes you expect to see in English you also see in Spanish. Why? Phonology is rule-based and sound systems tend to develop with many similar tendencies across languages. The Venn diagram below shows how Spanish and English share almost all of the same phonological processes. The two differences relate to English not possessing a trilled /r/ and Spanish not containing vowels normally neutralized in vocalization. Image courtesy of Bilinguistics How phonology is different in Spanish and English Here is where the wheels come off the wagon a bit, but hang in there because we have snazzy charts to help it all make sense. Phonology differs by age. While Spanish and English share most processes, they are not exp...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Bilingual assessment bilingual service delivery Language Disorders phonology Speech Disorders Source Type: blogs