When in doubt, glottal stop: A Mandarin-speaking three-year-old with protracted phonological development

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Protracted phonological development (PPD) affects children's speech sound acquisition beyond typical timelines.
• Understanding PPD in diverse linguistic contexts, like Mandarin Chinese, is crucial for accurate diagnosis and intervention.
• This study focuses on a specific case within a special issue dedicated to PPD case profiles.

Observation:

• A three-year-old Mandarin-speaking boy from Shanghai presented with severe PPD and no other developmental concerns.
• His phonological output was characterized by constraints on word structure, consonants, and diphthongs/triphthongs.
• A notable observation was the pervasive use of glottal stop substitution in the onset position.

Findings:

• The child achieved a very low Whole Word Match score (3.7%), indicating significant deviations from adult targets.
• His phonological patterns showed similarities to younger children, with an absence of fricatives, liquids, and diphthongs/triphthongs.
• Preserved phonological features included word length, tones, monophthongs, labial (/p/, /m/), and dorsal (/k/) consonants.

Implications:

• Detailed analysis of this case highlights specific phonological needs and potential intervention targets.
• Identifying preserved phonological strengths can inform the development of effective and individualized speech therapy strategies.
• This case contributes to the understanding of severe PPD in Mandarin speakers and informs clinical practice.