ACTIVE LANGUAGE EXPOSURE IN PHONOLOGICAL ACQUISITION

Abstract

This study observed the phonological acquisition of two children from the same family background in Yogyakarta who had different exposure in language. The observation was conducted from the children’s birth day to the second year of their age.  The first child (A) has an active language exposure while the second child (B) has a normal language exposure. The language exposure was given by the family toward their children where in this case, the child A family exposed language through language exposure, introducing objects, language control, and bed time story while child B family gave no language exposure but in natural way. The phonological production development of both A and B were recorded through audio, video, and script. The recording showed that in cooing period, their phonological productions have no significant difference. The difference detected in bubbling period where child A produced greater numbers of phonemes in his bubbling. The greater increase of phonological production continued in child A where he has acquired all Indonesian phonemes but [r] in his second year of age. In addition, child A has produced language in phonemic structures earlier than that of child B. At their age of two, child A has produced complex word utterance while child B was still in one word utterance. These evidences indicate that active language exposure is necessary for children phonological acquisition.

Key words: acquisition, phonology, active language exposure