The role of L1-L2 dissimilarity in L2 segment learning – Implications from the acquisition of English post-alveolar fricatives by Mandarin and Mandarin/Wu speakers
This study examines how the concept of L1-L2 dissimilarity should be addressed from a two-way perspective in L2 segment learning, and how it relates to the learning outcomes. We achieved this by investigating the productions of the post-alveolar fricatives /ʃ, ʒ/ by Mandarin and Mandarin/Wu speakers...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1017724/full |
| _version_ | 1811293971605880832 |
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| author | Wenjun Chen Jeroen van de Weijer |
| author_facet | Wenjun Chen Jeroen van de Weijer |
| author_sort | Wenjun Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study examines how the concept of L1-L2 dissimilarity should be addressed from a two-way perspective in L2 segment learning, and how it relates to the learning outcomes. We achieved this by investigating the productions of the post-alveolar fricatives /ʃ, ʒ/ by Mandarin and Mandarin/Wu speakers, which were subsequently assessed by native English listeners. In the first experiment, we analyzed the spectral moments of /ʃ, ʒ/ produced by Mandarin monolingual and Mandarin/Wu bilingual speakers to find out how the two groups of speakers pronounced the target segments. In the second experiment, native English listeners were tasked with rating the accentedness of the Mandarin- and Mandarin/Wu-accented /ʃ, ʒ/. Results showed native English listeners scored Mandarin/Wu-accented /ʃ/ as having no accent and Mandarin-accented /ʒ/ as having a heavy accent, indicating that English natives perceived the ‘native vs. nonnative’ segment dissimilarity differently from Chinese learners of English, and that the L1-L2 dissimilarity perceived from both sides may work together in defining the L2 segment learning outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T05:09:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d73faf905ef645ebab28e25dab97091e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T05:09:31Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d73faf905ef645ebab28e25dab97091e2022-12-22T03:01:04ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-12-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.10177241017724The role of L1-L2 dissimilarity in L2 segment learning – Implications from the acquisition of English post-alveolar fricatives by Mandarin and Mandarin/Wu speakersWenjun Chen0Jeroen van de Weijer1School of Foreign Languages, Ningbo University of Technology, Ningbo, Zhejiang, ChinaCollege of International Studies, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, ChinaThis study examines how the concept of L1-L2 dissimilarity should be addressed from a two-way perspective in L2 segment learning, and how it relates to the learning outcomes. We achieved this by investigating the productions of the post-alveolar fricatives /ʃ, ʒ/ by Mandarin and Mandarin/Wu speakers, which were subsequently assessed by native English listeners. In the first experiment, we analyzed the spectral moments of /ʃ, ʒ/ produced by Mandarin monolingual and Mandarin/Wu bilingual speakers to find out how the two groups of speakers pronounced the target segments. In the second experiment, native English listeners were tasked with rating the accentedness of the Mandarin- and Mandarin/Wu-accented /ʃ, ʒ/. Results showed native English listeners scored Mandarin/Wu-accented /ʃ/ as having no accent and Mandarin-accented /ʒ/ as having a heavy accent, indicating that English natives perceived the ‘native vs. nonnative’ segment dissimilarity differently from Chinese learners of English, and that the L1-L2 dissimilarity perceived from both sides may work together in defining the L2 segment learning outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1017724/fullpost-alveolar fricativesMandarin ChineseWuL1-L2 dissimilaritylearning results |
| spellingShingle | Wenjun Chen Jeroen van de Weijer The role of L1-L2 dissimilarity in L2 segment learning – Implications from the acquisition of English post-alveolar fricatives by Mandarin and Mandarin/Wu speakers Frontiers in Psychology post-alveolar fricatives Mandarin Chinese Wu L1-L2 dissimilarity learning results |
| title | The role of L1-L2 dissimilarity in L2 segment learning – Implications from the acquisition of English post-alveolar fricatives by Mandarin and Mandarin/Wu speakers |
| title_full | The role of L1-L2 dissimilarity in L2 segment learning – Implications from the acquisition of English post-alveolar fricatives by Mandarin and Mandarin/Wu speakers |
| title_fullStr | The role of L1-L2 dissimilarity in L2 segment learning – Implications from the acquisition of English post-alveolar fricatives by Mandarin and Mandarin/Wu speakers |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of L1-L2 dissimilarity in L2 segment learning – Implications from the acquisition of English post-alveolar fricatives by Mandarin and Mandarin/Wu speakers |
| title_short | The role of L1-L2 dissimilarity in L2 segment learning – Implications from the acquisition of English post-alveolar fricatives by Mandarin and Mandarin/Wu speakers |
| title_sort | role of l1 l2 dissimilarity in l2 segment learning implications from the acquisition of english post alveolar fricatives by mandarin and mandarin wu speakers |
| topic | post-alveolar fricatives Mandarin Chinese Wu L1-L2 dissimilarity learning results |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1017724/full |
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