Factors affecting the acquisition of vowel phonemes by pre-linguistically deafened cochlear implant users learning Cantonese

Abstract

This paper describes the development of vowel inventories in 12 pre-linguistically deafened Cantonese-speaking cochlear implant users. The aim of the research was to understand the role of linguistic, perceptual and articulatory factors in determining the rate and order of vowel acquisition in this population of children. Rate and order of vowel acquisition were reported against two criteria. The "targetless" criterion for production required at least two correct productions of a vowel in a sample of speech. The second or "target" criterion required that a vowel first met the targetless criterion and was further produced correctly in the appropriate phonological context at least 50% of the t..