Produksi Bunyi Ujaran Bahasa Indonesia pada Penderita Stunting Usia 8–12 Tahun di Desa Simbolon Purba Samosir Kajian Psikolinguistik

Abstract

This study analyzes the production of Indonesian speech sounds in stunted children aged 8–12 years in Simbolon Purba Village, Samosir, through a psycholinguistic perspective. Stunting, caused by chronic nutritional deficiencies, affects children’s physical, cognitive, and phonological development. The aim of this research is to describe the acquisition of vowel and consonant sounds and to relate the children’s chronological age to their stage of language development based on Piaget’s theory using a qualitative method with observation, tapping, documentation, and note-taking techniques on six stunted students. The analysis employs Blumstein’s theory of speech-sound alteration and Piaget’s cognitive development theory. The findings reveal phonological deviations in the form of omission, substitution, addition, and metathesis, indicating that the children have not fully mastered Indonesian phonemes. Cognitively and linguistically, their language abilities correspond to developmental stages below their chronological age. This study highlights the significant impact of stunting on speech-sound production and language delay, emphasizing the importance of early prevention and continuous language stimulation.