Phonological Transfer-Based Intervention for Syllable Structure in Cantonese-English Bilingual Children with Speech Sound Disorders

Abstract

Research on the effect of phonological transfer or generalization in the treatment of speech sound disorders remains limited, despite its significant implications for bilingual service delivery. The present study investigated phonological transfer during the treatment of speech sound errors in Cantonese-dominant bilingual children learning English as a second language. Four children (aged 4 years 7 months, 5 years 9 months, 6 years 1 month, and 9 years 11 months) with speech sound disorders participated. Each child received four to five weekly sessions of minimal pair contrast therapy targeting English final consonants. Following intervention, one child demonstrated significant improvement in the percentage of final consonants correct in Cantonese, indicating phonological transfer. This transfer effect was maintained 1 month after treatment ended. The findings suggest that phonological transfer is possible even when targeting only one language, although it was not observed in all participants. Factors such as the match between intervention approach and underlying deficits, comorbid conditions, and age may influence cross-linguistic transfer. Implications for future research are also discussed.