Struktur Linguistik Bahasa: Kajian Fonologi dan Morfologi dalam Tuturan Anak Usia Dini

Abstract

The phonological and morphological development of early childhood often exhibits

sound errors, word simplifications, limited vocabulary, and differences in ability due

to environmental factors. Research is needed to understand how the language

acquisition process occurs and what factors influence the quality of children's

language development. This study used a qualitative method with a literature study

approach. Data were collected from scientific journals, linguistics books, academic

articles, and relevant research reports. Analysis was conducted descriptively and

qualitatively through reading, grouping data, comparing theories, and drawing

patterns of children's phonological and morphological development. The results of

the study indicate that children experience gradual phonological development from

prelinguistic to phoneme mastery, accompanied by natural errors such as syncope,

apheresis, and sound substitution. In morphology, children begin to master basic

morphemes, affixation, reduplication, and the dominance of the noun lexicon. The

environment has been shown to be a major factor in language acquisition. The study

concluded that children's phonological and morphological development is strongly

influenced by environmental stimulation, verbal interaction, and cognitive maturity.

It is recommended that parents and educators provide a language-rich, responsive

environment and regularly provide verbal stimulation to optimize children's language

development.