LINGUIST List 23.3939
Sun Sep 23 2012
Diss: Lang Acq/ Phonetics/ Phonology/ Socioling: Leung: 'Child L2 Phonology Acquisition...'
Editor for this issue: Lili Xia
<lxialinguistlist.org>
Date: 21-Sep-2012
From: Alex Ho-Cheong Leung < alexlhc
gmail.com>
Subject: Child L2 Phonology Acquisition under the Influence of multiple Varieties
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Institution: Newcastle University
Program: School of English Literature, Language & Linguistics (SELLL)
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2012
Author: Alex Ho-Cheong Leung
Dissertation Title: Child L2 Phonology Acquisition under the Influence of multiple Varieties
Linguistic Field(s):
Language Acquisition
Phonetics
Phonology
Sociolinguistics
Dissertation Director:
Prof. Karen Corrigan
Prof Martha Young-Scholten
Dissertation Abstract:
Input variability is vividly present even in L1 acquisition contexts(Foulkes and Docherty 2006), let alone in an FL/ L2 context wherelearners are exposed to input in one form from fellow students, to adifferent variety from the local teacher, and possibly another varietyfrom the institutional model which typically represents the "native-standard norm" (Cook 2008; Regan 2013). However, little is currentlyknown about (second) language acquisition in relation to inputmultiplicity (cf. Siegel 2010). In fact, it is unclear how L2 acquisitionmodels such as Speech Learning Model (Flege 1995) or OptimalityTheory (Prince and Smolensky 1993) cope with input comprisingmultiple varieties. Against this backdrop, this study set out toinvestigate the nature of child L2 phonology acquisition under theinfluence of multiple varieties and its interface with sociolinguisticfactors in Hong Kong (HK).
The study looks at L2 English phonology acquisition by Hong KongCantonese children when various varieties are present. Specifically, ittargets youngsters exposed to Filipino-accented English from live-inhousekeepers in addition to the school and community inputencompassing UK, US, and HK varieties. Results show that the 31kindergarten 3rd graders aged 4;6 to 6, and the 29 1st year secondarystudents aged 11 to 14 who had received/were still receiving Filipino-accented English significantly outperformed 34 age-matched controls,who were not exposed to such input on a picture-choosing task and asound discrimination AX3 task targeting Filipino English plosives /p, t, k/and fricatives /f, v/ (plosive onsets are often unaspirated while /f ,v/ aresometimes rendered as [p, b] respectively in this variety (Tayao 2008)).These findings confirm predictions made by L2 speech acquisitiontheories in that the acquisition of L2 phonology is possible given asufficient amount of exposure to the target input.
However, participants did not produce this variety in the productionpart of the experiment (a picture naming and a pair matching task)despite showing signs of perceptual knowledge. In addition, a separateinstrument (verbal-guise technique) tapping into informants' attitudetowards Filipino accented English reveals ambivalent attitudes towardsthis variety, making it challenging for one to resort to speechaccommodation (Beebe and Giles 1984) or speech design models (Bell1984; 2001) for an adequate explanation.
This study highlights the complexity involved when multiple varietiesare present in the acquisition context, which is arguably the normrather than the exception in this current age of unprecedentedgeographic, social, and occupational mobility (Chambers 2002). It alsoreminds us of the importance of scrutinising from several perspectivesthe nature of input in L2 phonology (Moyer 2011; Piske and Young-Scholten 2009). Without a clear understanding of the diversity presentin the input, it is difficult to make any solid claims about learners'phonological competence in a given target language. In addition, theseemingly conflicting results on the perceptual and production parts ofthe study underline how essential it is to analyse the acquisitionoutcome from several perspectives through task triangulation.
Page Updated: 23-Sep-2012