The role of native-language knowledge in the perception of casual speech in a second language
Casual speech processes, such as /t/-reduction, make word recognition harder. Additionally, word-recognition is also harder in a second language (L2). Combining these challenges, we investigated whether L2 learners have recourse to knowledge from their native language (L1) when dealing with casual-s...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2012-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00249/full |
| _version_ | 1818130981067948032 |
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| author | Holger eMitterer Annelie eTuinman |
| author_facet | Holger eMitterer Annelie eTuinman |
| author_sort | Holger eMitterer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Casual speech processes, such as /t/-reduction, make word recognition harder. Additionally, word-recognition is also harder in a second language (L2). Combining these challenges, we investigated whether L2 learners have recourse to knowledge from their native language (L1) when dealing with casual-speech processes in their L2. In three experiments, production and perception of /t/-reduction was investigated. An initial production experiment showed that /t/-reduction occurred in both languages and patterned similarly in proper nouns but differed when /t/ was a verbal inflection. Two perception experiments compared the performance of German learners of Dutch with that of native speakers for nouns and verbs. Mirroring the production patterns, German learners' performance strongly resembled that of native Dutch listeners when the reduced /t/ was part of a word stem, but deviated where /t/ was a verbal inflection. These results suggest that a casual speech process in a second language is problematic for learners when the process is not known from the leaner's native language, similar to what has been observed for phoneme contrasts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T08:13:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bcd48665adaa4da49889ff4e3ded61af |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T08:13:40Z |
| publishDate | 2012-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-bcd48665adaa4da49889ff4e3ded61af2022-12-22T01:14:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782012-07-01310.3389/fpsyg.2012.0024926168The role of native-language knowledge in the perception of casual speech in a second languageHolger eMitterer0Annelie eTuinman1Max Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsMax Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsCasual speech processes, such as /t/-reduction, make word recognition harder. Additionally, word-recognition is also harder in a second language (L2). Combining these challenges, we investigated whether L2 learners have recourse to knowledge from their native language (L1) when dealing with casual-speech processes in their L2. In three experiments, production and perception of /t/-reduction was investigated. An initial production experiment showed that /t/-reduction occurred in both languages and patterned similarly in proper nouns but differed when /t/ was a verbal inflection. Two perception experiments compared the performance of German learners of Dutch with that of native speakers for nouns and verbs. Mirroring the production patterns, German learners' performance strongly resembled that of native Dutch listeners when the reduced /t/ was part of a word stem, but deviated where /t/ was a verbal inflection. These results suggest that a casual speech process in a second language is problematic for learners when the process is not known from the leaner's native language, similar to what has been observed for phoneme contrasts.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00249/fullSpeech Perception/t/ reductioncasual speech processesL2lexical and syntactic constraints |
| spellingShingle | Holger eMitterer Annelie eTuinman The role of native-language knowledge in the perception of casual speech in a second language Frontiers in Psychology Speech Perception /t/ reduction casual speech processes L2 lexical and syntactic constraints |
| title | The role of native-language knowledge in the perception of casual speech in a second language |
| title_full | The role of native-language knowledge in the perception of casual speech in a second language |
| title_fullStr | The role of native-language knowledge in the perception of casual speech in a second language |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of native-language knowledge in the perception of casual speech in a second language |
| title_short | The role of native-language knowledge in the perception of casual speech in a second language |
| title_sort | role of native language knowledge in the perception of casual speech in a second language |
| topic | Speech Perception /t/ reduction casual speech processes L2 lexical and syntactic constraints |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00249/full |
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