Does training to perceive L2 English vowels in one phonetic context transfer to other phonetic contexts?
Abstract
Implicit in many pronunciation curricula and materials is the belief that training learners how to perceive and produce speech categories in one context will generalize to novel contexts. In the second language (L2) speech perception literature, however, many hold the opposite view. Flege’s (1995) Speech Learning Model has been the catalyst for research demonstrating that knowledge of a sound category in one phonetic context does not predict knowledge of the same category elsewhere. This view has more recently been supported by Thomson (2012), Thomson, Nearey and Derwing (2009), and Thomson and Isaacs (2009). The present study extends this line of research by investigating English vowel learning by 15 L1 Spanish speakers in 12 separate phonetic contexts. Following the High Variability Phonetic Training paradigm (Logan, Lively & Pisoni, 1991), participants were trained to perceive ten English vowels during 40 computer-based training sessions, over a period of approximately two months (with nearly 8000 training tokens per learner). While learners were taught the same vowels during each session, the phonetic context in which vowels were presented varied. Results indicate that while training improves learners’ vowel perception within specific contexts, generalization of learning from one context to another does not occur. These findings appear to have major implications for pronunciation curriculum, indicating, for example, that instructors need to provide learners with vowel instruction in all possible phonetic contexts. Recommendations for further research will also be discussed.Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Author Licensing Addendum
This Licensing Addendum ("Addendum") is entered into between the undersigned Author(s) and Canadian Acoustics journal published by the Canadian Acoustical Association (hereinafter referred to as the "Publisher"). The Author(s) and the Publisher agree as follows:
-
Retained Rights: The Author(s) retain(s) the following rights:
- The right to reproduce, distribute, and publicly display the Work on the Author's personal website or the website of the Author's institution.
- The right to use the Work in the Author's teaching activities and presentations.
- The right to include the Work in a compilation for the Author's personal use, not for sale.
-
Grant of License: The Author(s) grant(s) to the Publisher a worldwide exclusive license to publish, reproduce, distribute, and display the Work in Canadian Acoustics and any other formats and media deemed appropriate by the Publisher.
-
Attribution: The Publisher agrees to include proper attribution to the Author(s) in all publications and reproductions of the Work.
-
No Conflict: This Addendum is intended to be in harmony with, and not in conflict with, the terms and conditions of the original agreement entered into between the Author(s) and the Publisher.
-
Copyright Clause: Copyright on articles is held by the Author(s). The corresponding Author has the right to grant on behalf of all Authors and does grant on behalf of all Authors, a worldwide exclusive license to the Publisher and its licensees in perpetuity, in all forms, formats, and media (whether known now or created in the future), including but not limited to the rights to publish, reproduce, distribute, display, store, translate, create adaptations, reprints, include within collections, and create summaries, extracts, and/or abstracts of the Contribution.