This research aims to investigate the types of language simplification (LS)
produced by Indonesian and English children of two and a half years old, and to
find out the factors of the language simplification. This is a qualitative research
on psycholinguistics. The data source of this research are children of Indonesian
and English natives. Then the data of this research are only the utterances
containing forms of language simplification.
This study employs a key theory of language simplification from Clark and Clark
(1977) and also Rini’s research findings (2000). To support the analysis, it also
applies theories of behaviorism and nativism on language acquisition,
phonological processes, and speech production mechanism.
Based on the analysis, this research reveals that the language
simplifications produced by Indonesian subject includes final segments omission,
consonant clusters reduction, unstressed syllables omission, syllables
reduplication, initial sound omission, middle vowel and voiced alveolar sound
omission, and also consonants subtitution. Meanwhile, LS in the English native
subject are final segments omission, consonant clusters reduction, unstressed
syllables omission, syllables reduplication, initial sound omission, and consonants
subtitution. Consonant clusters reduction is the mostly found in the children’s
utterances because it is the hardest to produce. Then the lowest number of
language simplification in both subjects is the syllables reduplication.
Another finding of this study is three factors identified to be the reasons of
language simplification in the children’s talk. The first is the children have not
sufficiently acquired the correct phonological contrast, or minimal pairs. Second,
the children simplifies due to the practical reason, to ease their communication.
Last, language simplification is merely an effect of the immature-development of
the speech production system.