Phd proposal presentations
Bonny Paez and John Kinney
Thursday, November 13, 2014 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST
Merten Hall, #3300
L2 Spirantization: Production and Perception (Kinney)
It is well-known that L2 learners of English have difficulty pronouncing English segments such as [θ] and [ð]. However, production and perception accuracy of these segments have been shown to vary depending on prosodic position. This study investigates L2 production and perception patterns of [ð] to determine if L2ers utilize the common process of spirantization in which stops weaken to fricatives when acquiring the segment [ð].
Postvocalic Influence on L2 Complex Nuclei (Paez)
Early research established the role of post-vocalic consonants according to vowel length (Peterson & Lehiste, 1960; van Santen,1992; DeLacy, 1998). Factors such as coda voicing, manner and place of articulation, complexity and rhyme composition could potentially affect vowel length. Particularly, ratios of vowel duration according to post-vocalic voicing were established for various languages, showing a dramatic difference in the durational ratios of English (92 msec.) and Spanish (18.2 msec.). Considering this durational differential and the drastic contrast observed between English and Spanish nuclei and coda inventories, what possible outcome could be inferred about the English vowel production by L1 Spanish speakers? The aim of this study is to establish native language baseline values for the length of simple vowels and diphthongs in native Spanish and native English. L1 Spanish-L2 English nuclei production will be analyzed to determine which of these two languages’ values the L2 speakers are exhibiting. An additional goal is to investigate possible differences between the production of simple vowels and diphthongs, and establish whether they require different post-vocalic consonant rankings. Results of such an analysis are relevant as they will serve to bridge the gaps left by previous studies. This work will also make contributions to the study of second language production rules, and shed light on the effects of coda voicing on the behavior of vocalic sequences in L2 production, an issue that remains unaccounted for by previous research.
