An Analysis of the Orthographic Conversion of the Phoneme /S/

Abstract

This article describes a study on the learning of spelling, in particular, the multiplicity of graphic representations of the phoneme /s/ by students in the 5th year of primary education. Spelling acquisition related to the phoneme /s/ is highly complex for those learning to write in Portuguese, as it involves different relationships—some of them irregular—between the phoneme and the graphemes that represent it (LEMLE, 1994; MORAIS, 2008). This study takes usage-based phonology as its theoretical foundation (BYBEE, 2001; PIERREHUMBERT, 2001). The theory posits that the experience of language use shapes the grammar and lexicon, and that frequency effects are important. To conduct the present study, the written data of students in the 5th year of primary education at a public school in the municipality of Bom Sucesso, MG, (Brazil) was collected. The results of this work indicate that writing acquisition is based on usage and experience.