Language acquisition and vowel harmony

Abstract

Researches on the acquisition of Portuguese vowels have been developed based on different theoretical approaches. The works, which are, however, numerically not very significant when compared to those who investigate the acquisition of the consonantal system, converge in pointing to the early emergence of /a, i, u/, followed by the medium high and medium low vowels. The discussions usually turn to the emergence of low middle vowels and did not cast even a glance on the acquisition of variable rules of Portuguese. The role of the co-articulatory effects on the distribution of vowels produced by children has also been set aside. This work, based on data from five children in the process of acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese language, with ages between 1:0 and 3:0, aims to explain the occurrence of vowel harmony in their productions, seeking to relate vowel harmony to the phonology acquisition process.