The effect of dialect on phonological analysis: Evidence from Spanish-speaking children

This study examines the effect of dialect on phonological analyses in Spanish-speaking children. Phonological analyses were completed for fifty-four 3- and 4-year-old typically developing Spanish speakers and fifty-four 3-and 4-year-old Spanish speakers with phonological disorders. Analyses were made in reference to both the General Spanish dialect and the Puerto Rican dialect of Spanish to demonstrate the effect of dialect on the results. The results indicated that the number of consonant errors, percentage of consonants correct, number of errors within individual sound classes, and percentage of occurrence for phonological processes all differed based on the accounting of dialect features.