In order to understand how speakers of a certain language acquire the phonology of a
second or foreign language (L2), the linguistic development and the acquisition process of
the L1 phonology in infants should first be surveyed. Crystal (1970: 77) points out that “the
study of prosodic features – of intonation, in particular – had received but sporadic mention
in the context of research into first language acquisition”. As in many other domains such as
didactics and L2 phonology, prosody has been somewhat neglected in L1 phonology
acquisition studies. Still, its major importance is undeniable, as will be confirmed in the
analysis of the steps in the language acquisition process. Since the development of computer
technology, though, Gerken (1996) claims that a growing interest in the role of prosody in
language acquisition has been noted.
In this section on the acquisition of the L1, the natural acquisition order in “normal”
children (i.e. with no disorder or delay) will be followed. The description of the various
stages in the acquisition of English segments and suprasegments at the perception level will
be looked at, before the their acquisition at the production level.
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