The evaluation of consonant groups of complex attacks in a group of kids from Concepción with the application of the CEFI test

Abstract

The objective of the investigation summarized in this article was to examine the articulatory performance in consonant groups of the complex onset type based on the age and type of segment variables. The sample was composed of 72 subjects divided in six age groups of six months each. The “Questionnaire for the Evaluation of Child Phonology” (CEFI in Spanish) was applied to them to evaluate the articulation of eight complex onsets by means of a naming task. The results of each age group were compared in each complex onset to observe the sequence of acquisition of these structures according to the age of the informants. The general performance of the complex onset showed an increase in the percentage of normal utterances in relation to the advance in the age of the subjects. The phonological process that displayed a higher presence was the omission of the second element of the complex onset mainly when this was a simple vibrant. Finally, it was observed that the compound complex onset of more lateral consonant showed a higher percentage of normal articulation over those made up of a simple vibrant.