Maturation Constraints on Language Development

Despite several decades of research and writing on the topic, serious differences of opinion persist as to the scope and source of maturational constraints on language development. While many accept the weak version of the critical period hypothesis for first language acquisition, there are those who deny any subsequent age-related decline in adult language learning abilities and/or reject the existence of sensitive periods for non-primary language acquisition. Further, even among those who acknowledge the existence of subsequent maturational constraints, there is considerable disagreement as to the linguistic domains to which they apply and as to their explanations. The issue is important since it bears fundamentally on second language acquisition theory building and because it has implications for practice in language teaching and other areas. This paper reviews findings from studies of first and second language development, concluding that they are consistent with the hypothesis that both are controlled by language specific biology, and that both are subject to maturational constraints, specifically sensitive periods during which learning is successful, and after which it is irregular and incomplete. Four potential explanations for the constraints are discussed: affective, cognitive, input and neurological factors. All are problematic, but only three seem wrong

Rapid neural processing of grammatical tone in second language learners

The present dissertation investigates how beginner learners process grammatical tone in a second language and whether their processing is influenced by phonological transfer. Paper I focuses on the acquisition of Swedish grammatical tone by beginner learners from a non-tonal language, German. Results show that non-tonal beginner learners do not process the grammatical regularities of the tones but rather treat them akin to piano tones. A rightwards-going spread of activity in response to pitch difference in Swedish tones possibly indicates a process of tone sensitisation. Papers II to IV investigate how artificial grammatical tone, taught in a word-picture association paradigm, is acquired by German and Swedish learners. The results of paper II show that interspersed mismatches between grammatical tone and picture referents evoke an N400 only for the Swedish learners. Both learner groups produce N400 responses to picture mismatches related to grammatically meaningful vowel changes. While mismatch detection quickly reaches high accuracy rates, tone mismatches are least accurately and most slowly detected in both learner groups. For processing of the grammatical L2 words outside of mismatch contexts, the results of paper III reveal early, preconscious and late, conscious processing in the Swedish learner group within 20 minutes of acquisition (word recognition component, ELAN, LAN, P600). German learners only produce late responses: a P600 within 20 minutes and a LAN after sleep consolidation. The surprisingly rapid emergence of early grammatical ERP components (ELAN, LAN) is attributed to less resource-heavy processing outside of violation contexts. Results of paper IV, finally, indicate that memory trace formation, as visible in the word recognition component at ~50 ms, is only possible at the highest level of formal and functional similarity, that is, for words with falling tone in Swedish participants. Together, the findings emphasise the importance of phonological transfer in the initial stages of second language acquisition and suggest that the earlier the processing, the more important the impact of phonological transfer

CRITICAL PERIOD CONTROVERSIES FOR SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: IMPLICATIONS FOR LANGUAGE TEACHING

It was proposed by Eric Lenneberg (1967) in Biological Foundations of Language that implicit first language (L1) acquisition was only possible during a critical period (CP) spanning from infancy to puberty. The critical period hypothesis (CPH) has since been a topic of controversy among L1 and second language (L2) scholars, whose studies have produced varying results that argue for and against a CP. It is suggested in this paper, however, that these often-varying results offer important insight that can serve to inform current and future L2 educational policy and instruction within K-12 education in the U.S. Thus, it is imperative to bring these diverse studies together and gather the most important information that will lead us to create more effective L2 educational policy. The research suggests a need for future CP-related L2 studies to view the L2 user as distinct from the L1 speaker, a move that would allow L2 user performance to be evaluated independently and challenge the perceived negative CP effects; and, more importantly, it would allow L2 educational policy to be focused on developing the L2 user’s linguistic abilities more effectively. While focused primarily on second language acquisition (SLA) research, over the course of this paper, I review both L1 and L2 CP-related scholarship, finding that the CPH has its origins in Lenneberg’s work on hemispheric lateralization. Studies using computer modeling techniques also suggest that a CP may have emerged during the course of human evolution as a result of a biological selection for an advantageous (non-linguistic) working memory trait. Evidence from social and linguistic isolation cases and sign language studies additionally provide support for a CP for L1 acquisition, leading to a consensus that one does indeed exist for L1 acquisition—though its exact nature is not fully known. When extended to L2 acquisition, however, age-related CP studies have produced inconsistent results, with evidence from ultimate attainment and rate of acquisition studies both supporting and refuting a CP. Other age-related factors (e.g., vocal tract muscle development) and theoretical mechanisms (e.g., system preservation device), along with non-age-related factors (i.e., formal instruction, feedback, amount of exposure, and identity), were also said to possibly affect L2 outcome. Moreover, researchers critiquing the idea of the monolingual native speaker (NS) as the baseline for L2 performance presented the argument that L2 speakers should be viewed as successful L2 users with multicompetent capabilities. It is suggested that by taking such a view, the perceived deleterious effects of a CP might be diminished and our approach to CP research changed. The insight gained from this research is then considered with respect to L2 policy and instruction in California’s K-12 educational system and, more specifically, within a regional school district like the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Such insight can be used to reimagine L2 policy and instruction in a way that serves to develop the multicompetent L2 abilities of their K-12 students

The Effect of Bilingual Proficiency in Indian English on Bilabial Plosive

Background: Bilingual speech production studies have highlighted that level of proficiency influences the acoustic-phonetic representation of phonemes in both languages (MacKay, Flege, Piske, & Schirru 2001; Zárate-Sández, 2015). The results for bilingual speech production reveal that proficient/early bilinguals produce distinct acoustic properties for the same phoneme in each language, whereas less proficient/late bilinguals produce acoustic properties for a phoneme that is closer to the native language (Flege et al., 2003; Fowler et al., 2008). Acoustic-phonetic studies for Hindi (L1) and Indian English (L2) for bilingual speakers have been understudied, and the level of proficiency has not been considered in Hindi and Indian English bilingual speakers. The present study aimed to measure the acoustic differences produced by bilingual speakers of varying proficiencies for Indian English on bilabial plosive and determine how the bilabial plosives are different from American English bilabial plosives. Methods: The sample size for this study was twenty-four. However, only twenty participants (eleven females) between the ages of eighteen and fifty, with normal speech and hearing, were recruited. The lack of recruitment of four more participants was due to the inability to find bilingual speakers who spoke Hindi as their first language and Indian English as their second language and COVID-19 restrictions imposed on recruitment (n=4). The participants were divided into three groups based on language and proficiency: a monolingual American English group, a proficient bilingual Hindi-Indian English group, and a less-proficient bilingual Hindi-Indian English group. The bilinguals were divided into a proficient and less proficient group based on the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire (Marian, Blumenfeld, & Kaushanskaya, 2007). Following the screening, participants took part in a Nonword Repetition Task. Data were analyzed using Praat and Voice Sauce software. A linear mixed-effects model using R statistics was used for the statistical analysis. Results: Data from 20 participants (seven proficient bilingual speakers, five less-proficient bilingual speakers, and eight monolingual speakers) were included in the data analysis. Approximately four thousand repetitions were evaluated across the remaining participants. There were no significant main effects across the four dependent variables, but there was an interaction effect between group and phoneme on two dependent variables. The closure duration for proficient bilingual speakers compared to less-proficient bilingual speakers were significantly different between the voiceless unaspirated bilabial plosive (VLE) and voiceless aspirated bilabial plosive (VLH), as well as voiced unaspirated bilabial plosive (VE) and voiced aspirated bilabial plosive (VH). For spectral tilt, there was a significant difference between the VLE and VLH for proficient bilingual speakers compared to less proficient bilingual speakers. Discussion: The results of this study suggest that proficient bilingual speakers have a faster rate of speech in both their first language and second language. Therefore, it is difficult to provide information on whether this group has separate acoustic-phonetic characteristics for each phoneme for each language. In contrast, the less-proficient bilingual speakers seem to have a unidirectional relationship (i.e., first language influences the second language). Furthermore, the results of the acoustic characteristics for the control group i.e., monolingual American English speakers suggest that they may have acoustic-phonetic characteristics that represent a single acoustic-phonetic representation of bilabial plosive with their voicing contrast

The Development and Pilot of a Norwegian Nonword Repetition Test Following the Framework of Language Impairment Testing in a Multilingual Setting

Postponed access: the file will be accessible after 2022-05-28Det er en mangel på verktøy for screening og diagnostisering av barn med utviklingsmessige språkvansker (DLD) i Norge, noe som er veldig tydelig i alderen før barn lærer seg å lese og skrive, og spesielt om de er tospråklige. Hovedformålet med denne oppgaven er å utvikle og pilotere en språk-spesifikk (LS) nonord repetisjonsoppgave (NWR) test som følger rammeverket laget av COST Action IS0804 for Language Impairment Testing in a Multilingual Setting (LITMUS). Et delmår er å undersøke om de forskjellige faktorene fremmet av rammeverket har en påvirkning på vanskelighetsgraden av nonordene i denne norske LS NWR'en. Den teoretiske bakgrunnen presenterer nåværende forskning og relevante funn, som skaper grunnlaget for begrunnelsen og metoden i denne oppgaven. LS NWR testen er presentert sammen med en kryss-lingvistisk (CL) NWR skapt gjennom COST. Nonordene er randomisert og testet på en populasjon av 13 barn, 5 til 7 år gamle, som er beskrevet som typisk utviklende. Resultatene viser at deltakernes skårer på LS NWR testen korrelerer med resultatene deres på CL NWR tesen, noe som er lovende for videre forskning på test-settet. Lengde og prosodi var vist å ha en påvirkning på resultatene, hvor kun lengde var signifikant. Resultatene viser også at den Norske LS NWR testen har god intern reliabilitet.Masteroppgave i logopediLOGO345MAPS-LOG0

The phonological development of adult Japanese learners of English : a longitudinal study of perception and production.

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN042757 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Attitudes towards Finnish-accented English

The thesis opens with a discussion of what attitudes are, and develops with a review of studies of attitudes towards pronunciation error, attitudes towards foreign accents and perception of foreign-accented speakers. The empirical part of the thesis attempts to identify how native (British) and Finnish listeners of English react to and evaluate typical segmental features of mispronunciation in the English speech of Finnish men and women of various ages. Two experiments using modifications of the matched-guise technique were conducted, one to consider error evaluation and to establish a hierarchy of segmental mispronunciation, the other to examine speaker evaluation, the image of the speaker created by the mispronunciation. Recordings of Finnish-accented English were presented to male and female listeners of various ages, and reactions collected. Statistical analyses of the results were carried out and the following general conclusions were drawn: the English labiodental lenis fricative /v/ when mispronounced in the typical Finnish manner as a labiodental frictionless continuant [u] is not tolerated by native English listeners at all, though it is highly tolerated by Finnish-speaking listeners (and Swedish-speaking Finns) themselves; the degree of mispronunciation in Finnish-accented English seriously affects listeners' estimations of the speaker's age, bad mispronunciation prompting under-estimation of age and good pronunciation over-estimation; both Finnish-speaking listeners and English-speaking listeners have almost identical clear pre-set standards about what constitutes `good' and `bad' pronunciation; a Finnish speaker's phonemically `better' and `worse' pronunciation affects the image listeners have of the speaker, status/competence traits in particular being up-graded for better pronunciation, solidarity/benevolence traits remaining broadly unaffected, and Englishspeaking listeners generally being more positive towards the Finnish-accented speakers than compatriot Finns

Хрестоматія з теоретичної фонетики англійської мови: навчально-методичні матеріали

Навчально-методичні матеріали «Хрестоматія з теоретичної фонетики англійської мови» призначені для навчання студентів факультету іноземної філології освітньо-кваліфікаційного рівня «Бакалавр». Хрестоматія з теоретичної фонетики англійської мови має на меті познайомити студентів з першоджерелами класиків лінгвістичної науки і надати допомогу у систематизації теоретичних знань про напрямки і методи дослідження фонетичної будови сучасної англійської мови. Навчально-методичні матеріали також містять докладні бібліографічні довідки до кожного з видатних науковців із зазначенням їх внеску в розвиток теоретичної фонетики, що доповнює безпосередній зміст наданого уривка. Наприкінці хрестоматії наведено короткий глосарій основних понять теоретичної фонетики. Хрестоматія призначена для студентів, магістрантів, а також для всіх, хто цікавиться теоретичними аспектами англійської мови

Sociololinguistic competence and the bilingual's adoption of phonetic variants: auditory and instrumental data from English-Arabic bilinguals

This study is an auditory and acoustic investigation of the speech production patterns developed by English-Arabic bilingual children. The subjects are three Lebanese children aged five, seven and ten, all born and raised in Yorkshire, England. Monolingual friends of the same age were chosen as controls, and the parents of all bilingual and monolingual children were also taped to obtain a detailed assessment of the sound patterns available in the subjects' environment. The study addresses the question of interaction between the bilingual's phonological systems by calling for a refinement of the notion of a `phonological system' using insights from recent phonetic and sociolinguistic work on variability in speech (e. g. Docherty, Foulkes, Tillotson, & Watt, 2002; Docherty & Foulkes, 2000; Local, 1983; Pisoni, 1997; Roberts, 1997; Scobbie, 2002). The variables under study include /1/, In, and VOT production. These were chosen due to the existence of different patterns in their production in English and Arabic that vary according to contextual and dialectal factors. Data were collected using a variety of picture-naming, story-telling, and free-play activities for the children, and reading lists, story-telling, and interviews for the adults. To control for language mode (Grosjean, 1998), the bilinguals were recorded in different language sessions with different interviewers. Results for the monolingual children and adults in this study underline the importance of including controls in any study of bilingual speech development for a better interpretation of the bilinguals' patterns. Input from the adults proved highly variable and at times conflicted with published patterns normally found in the literature for the variables under study. Results for the bilinguals show that they have developed separate sociolinguistically-appropriate production patterns for each of their languages that are on the whole similar to those of monolinguals but that also reflect the bilinguals' rich socio-phonetic repertoire. The interaction between the bilinguals' languages is mainly restricted to the bilingual mode and is a sign of their developing sociolinguistic competence