Production and perception of speaker-specific phonetic detail at word boundaries

Experiments show that learning about familiar voices affects speech processing in many tasks. However, most studies focus on isolated phonemes or words and do not explore which phonetic properties are learned about or retained in memory. This work investigated inter-speaker phonetic variation involving word boundaries, and its perceptual consequences. A production experiment found significant variation in the extent to which speakers used a number of acoustic properties to distinguish junctural minimal pairs e.g. 'So he diced them'—'So he'd iced them'. A perception experiment then tested intelligibility in noise of the junctural minimal pairs before and after familiarisation with a particular voice. Subjects who heard the same voice during testing as during the familiarisation period showed significantly more improvement in identification of words and syllable constituents around word boundaries than those who heard different voices. These data support the view that perceptual learning about the particular pronunciations associated with individual speakers helps listeners to identify syllabic structure and the location of word boundaries

Consonantal voicing effects on vowel duration in Italian-English bilinguals

This project reported in this dissertation analyzes phonetic details of the speech patterns in one of New York\u27s bilingual communities, asking whether a bilingual speaker can attain native-like proficiency in both languages and the extent to which authenticity — maintenance of language-specific settings — is sustainable. Researchers have established that Italian and English differ strikingly in their characteristic time settings for vowel durations: durations are greater for vowels preceding voiced consonants, e.g., cab, rather than voiceless, e.g., cap. This duration difference, termed the consonantal voicing effect (CVE), is notably greater for English than for Italian. The greater magnitude of the CVE found with English is considered to be a phonological enhancement of a basic phonetic process. Utilizing a speech production task, the study reported compares the performance of Italian-born bilinguals for whom English was acquired in adulthood, as a second language, with that of U.S.-born speakers who experienced simultaneous acquisition of their languages (albeit in an English-dominant setting). In separate sessions for each language, speakers produced utterances in which the target word, situated inside a carrier phrase, contrasted in [voice] value for the post-vocalic consonant, e.g., Say the word « ___ » to me. Stimuli were familiar words selected to sample the vowel inventories for each language and for which the voicing contrast was realized through the inventory of stops common to both languages. Analyses revealed no evidence of influence of the second language on the CVE for the first language for either group, despite an extended immersion period in an English-language environment for the foreign-born speakers and simultaneous exposure to both languages from birth for the U.S.-born speakers. But crucially, there was evidence of an influence of the first language in the timing settings found for the CVE in the second language, for both speaker groups: the foreign-born speakers managed to increase the magnitude of the CVE-English but failed to fully implement the phonological mechanism consistent with larger CVE values for that language; and the U.S.-born speakers managed to reduce the magnitude of the CVE-Italian but failed to fully suppress that same mechanism. Results are discussed in relation to language-specific timing patterns and the extent to which a dominant language may influence production in the non-dominant language

The Phonetics of Insertional Code-Switching: Suprasegmental Analysis and a Case for Hyper-Articulation

This study investigates the phonetic production of Spanish-English insertional codeswitches, constituents of an embedded language inserted within a discourse of a matrix language. While previous research on the phonetics of code-switching has focused exclusively on the segmental properties, the current study provides a detailed examination of the suprasegmental features of code-switched tokens, including pitch height and duration. Code-switched productions are compared with non-code-switched tokens, and results indicate that insertional code-switched tokens are produced with a degree of hyperarticulation, evidenced by an increase in pitch height and duration. The results are discussed within Hyper- and Hypo-articulation Theory, drawing on the notion of a decreased local probability incurred by insertional code-switches

Phonetic convergence in the speech of Polish learners of English

This dissertation examines variability in the phonetic performance of L2 users of English and concentrates on speech convergence as a result of exposure to native and non-native pronunciation. The term speech convergence refers to a process during which speakers adapt their linguistic behaviour according to who they are talking or listening to. Previous studies show that the phenomenon may take place both in a speaker’s L1 (e.g. Giles, 1973; Coupland, 1984; Gregory and Webster, 1996; Pardo, 2006; Babel; 2010) and L2 (e.g. Beebe, 1977; Berkowitz, 1986; Lewandowski, 2012; Rojczyk, 2013; Trofimovich and Kennedy, 2014). Speech convergence can be subdivided into three types of linguistic behaviour: convergence (the process of making one’s speech more similar to that of another person), divergence (the process of moving away from the speech of another person) and maintenance (the process of maintaining one’s default linguistic behaviour in spite of exposure to the speech of another person). The dissertation consists of four chapters; the first two provide theoretical background, the next two describe the study and its findings. Chapter One is concerned with previous research on speech convergence. The chapter reviews the methodology and approaches used in previous work and discusses the range of factors that may affect convergence strategies. Chapter Two provides an overview of relevant studies in the field of L2 phonetics. It describes the structure and formation of the L2 sound system and the numerous socialpsychological, linguistic and psycholinguistic variables that may influence L2 phonetic performance. Chapter Three describes the study on speech convergence in the pronunciation of Polish learners of English, i.e. the aims, hypotheses, methodology and results. In Chapter Four, the results of the study on phonetic convergence in the speech of Polish learners of English are analysed and discussed. The phenomenon of speech convergence has been explored under different names and with the use of various frameworks and methodological procedures. Some researchers refer to the process as accommodation and investigate it by analysing spontaneous conversational data (e.g. Giles, 1973; Bourhis and Giles, 1977; Coupland, 1984; Gregory and Webster, 1996). Other researches use the term imitation and examine the phenomenon in socially minimal, laboratory-based settings (e.g. Goldinger, 1998; Schokley et al., 2004; Delvaux and Soquet, 2007; Nielsen, 2011). Irrespective of terminological and methodological differences, the results of previous studies on phonetic convergence indicate that the process is conditioned by 171 a variety of linguistic (e.g. Mitterer and Ernestus, 2008; Babel, 2009; Brouwer et al., 2010; Nielsen, 2011) and social-psychological factors (Giles, 1973; Bilous i Krauss, 1988; Gregory and Webster, 1996; Pardo, 2006; Babel, 2009, Yu et al., 2013) Research on L2 acquisition and non-native pronunciation shows that the development of the L2 sound system is a complex and dynamic process. It has been argued that the productions of L2 users are generated by interlanguage (IL), an independent linguistic system that encompasses elements of the learner’s L1 and L2 but does not correspond exactly to either the NL or the TL (e.g. Selinker, 1972; 1992). Importantly, previous findings indicate that the phonetic performance of non-native speakers is influenced not only by their L1 and L2 sound systems but also by a range of various psycholinguistic (e.g. Flege, 1987; Flege et al., 2003) and social-psychological factors (e.g. Taylor et al., 1971; Zuengler, 1982; Gatbonton et al., 2011). The process of adapting one’s pronunciation as a result of exposure to another person’s speech has been detected in the productions of L2 users (e.g. Beebe, 1977; Berkowitz, 1986; Lewandowski, 2012; Rojczyk, 2013; Trofimovich and Kennedy, 2014). Similarly as in the case of L1 speech convergence, previous studies show that the magnitude of L2 speech convergence may depend upon a variety of social-psychological and linguistic variables. An interesting aspect of L2 phonetic convergence that has not yet been thoroughly explored is the comparison of pronunciation shifts upon exposure to the speech of native speakers of the TL as compared with pronunciation shifts upon exposure to the speech of other learners. The aim of the study was to address this issue by investigating and comparing L2 convergence strategies upon exposure to native and non-native pronunciation. The study concentrated on the phonetic performance of advanced Polish learners of English, who were exposed to two pronunciation varieties: Polish-accented English and native English. The participants were 38 native speakers of Polish, majoring in English Studies and recruited from the University of Lodz. The subjects listened to pre-recorded productions provided by two model talkers/interlocutors: a native speaker of Standard Southern British English and a native speaker of Polish (a qualified phonetician imitating a heavy Polish accent in English). The phonetic variables under investigation were the following: aspiration in word-initial /p t k/, pre-voicing in word-initial /b d g/, vowel duration as a cue for consonant voicing in English /æ e ɪ iː/. The experimental procedure consisted of several phases. First, the informants were instructed to identify the target words in an auditory naming task (baseline condition). Next, they were asked to listen to pre-recorded English words provided by the two 172 model talkers/interlocutors and to identify the words by saying them out loud (imitation condition). Finally, the subjects were required to read the target words for the two model talkers/interlocutors to listen to at a later time (accommodation condition). Following the production stage of the experiment, the participants completed a questionnaire whose purpose was to gauge attitudes towards native and foreign-accented English. Three hypotheses were formulated to be tested in the course of the study. Hypothesis 1 predicted that convergence strategies following exposure to native and non-native English will vary as a function of model talker/interlocutor. Hypothesis 2 predicted that convergence strategies following exposure to native and non-native English will be affected by the subjects’ attitudes towards native and Polish-accented English. Hypothesis 3 predicted that convergence strategies following exposure to native and non-native English will differ as a function of phonetic context (place of articulation and vowel category). Acoustic and statistical analysis of the data revealed that the subjects modified their linguistic behaviour following exposure to the speech of the model talkers/interlocutors, which corroborates the claim that L2 speech convergence phenomena are present in nonnative pronunciation. Hypothesis 1 was partially supported by the results of the study. It was found that speech behaviour following exposure to native and non-native English varied as a function of model talker/interlocutor in all but two instances (accommodation on pre-voicing and imitation of vowel duration). The results suggests that when using a second language, speakers may use different convergence strategies depending on the native/non-native status of the model talker or interlocutor. Hypothesis 2 was partially supported by the data. The results indicate that a strong preference for target-like pronunciation may prompt learners to converge towards native speech and diverge from foreign-accented speech. However, the factor does not seem to operate if a learner has not succeeded in mastering a given TL pronunciation feature, i.e. the impact of attitudinal factors on the magnitude of convergence in non-native pronunciation appears to be conditioned by the stage of acquisition of a given TL phonetic feature. Hypothesis 3 was not borne out the results obtained in the study. It was found that convergence strategies following exposure to native and non-native English did not vary depending on phonetic context. Overall, the findings of the study provide support for the claim that the process of speech convergence operates in L2 pronunciation and imply that certain social-psychological and psycholinguistic factors may have an impact on learners’ convergence strategies

Perception of English and Polish obstruents

Praca niniejsza koncentruje się na kontraście dźwięczna-bezdźwięczna w percepcji angielskich i polskich spółgłosek właściwych. Metodologia badań oparta została na manipulacji akustycznej parametrów temporalnych i spektralnych, które biorą udział w implementacji kontrastu dźwięczności w badanych językach. Porównane zastałych trzy grupy badanych – początkujący uczący się języka angielskiego, zaawansowani użytkownicy języka angielskiego, oraz rodowici mówcy języka angielskiego. Praca składa się z dwóch części teoretycznych, ilustrujących problematykę i kontrastujących strategie implementacji kontrastu dźwięczności w badanych językach, oraz części badawczej, prezentującej zastosowaną metodologię badań oraz analizę wyników. Część pierwsza porusza problem roli percepcji mowy w badaniach językoznawczych. Dotyka takich aspektów jak brak bezpośredniej relacji między sygnałem dźwiękowym a kategorią fonologiczną, wyjątkowa plastyczność i zdolność adaptacyjna ludzkiej percepcji mowy, oraz referuje propozycje dotyczące kompleksowego opisu działania ludzkiej percepcji mowy. W kolejnych podrozdziałach praca omawia percepcję w kontekście kontaktu językowego, a więc rozróżnianie kontrastów akustycznych występujących w języku obcym, ale nieobecnych w języku pierwszym. Zostają również zrecenzowane modele, które taki proces opisują, jak i hipotezy opisujące potencjalny sukces w opanowaniu efektywnej percepcji kontrastów percepcyjnych występujących w języku obcym. Część druga koncentruje się na różnicach temporalnych i akustycznych w implementacji dźwięczności w języku angielskim i polskim. Opisane zostają aspekty takie jak; Voice Onset Time, długość samogłoski, długość zwarcia, długość frykcji, ubezdźwięcznienie, długość wybuchu. Cześć trzecia, badawcza, prezentuje materiał poddany badaniu, metodologię manipulacji materiału, oraz charakterystykę grup. Hipotezy oparte na założeniach teoretycznych są następnie weryfikowane przy pomocy otrzymanych wyników. Część końcowa omawia problemy percepcyjne, jakie spotykają Polaków uczących się języka angielskiego oraz wyciąga wnioski pedagogiczne

Learning [Voice]

The [voice] distinction between homorganic stops and fricatives is made by a number of acoustic correlates including voicing, segment duration, and preceding vowel duration. The present work looks at [voice] from a number of multidimensional perspectives. This dissertation\u27s focus is a corpus study of the phonetic realization of [voice] in two English-learning infants aged 1;1--3;5. While preceding vowel duration has been studied before in infants, the other correlates of post-vocalic voicing investigated here --- preceding F1, consonant duration, and closure voicing intensity --- had not been measured before in infant speech. The study makes empirical contributions regarding the development of the production of [voice] in infants, not just from a surface-level perspective but also with implications for the phonetics-phonology interface in the adult and developing linguistic systems. Additionally, several methodological contributions will be made in the use of large sized corpora and data modeling techniques. The study revealed that even in infants, F1 at the midpoint of a vowel preceding a voiced consonant was lower by roughly 50 Hz compared to a vowel before a voiceless consonant, which is in line with the effect found in adults. But while the effect has been considered most likely to be a physiological and nonlinguistic phenomenon in adults, it actually appeared to be correlated in the wrong direction with other aspects of [voice] here, casting doubt on a physiological explanation. Some of the consonant pairs had statistically significant differences in duration and closure voicing. Additionally, a preceding vowel duration difference was found and as well a preliminary indication of a developmental trend that suggests the preceding vowel duration difference is being learned. The phonetics of adult speech is also considered. Results are presented from a dialectal corpus study of North American English and a lab speech experiment which clarifies the relationship between preceding vowel duration and flapping and the relationship between [voice] and F1 in preceding vowels. Fluent adult speech is also described and machine learning algorithms are applied to learning the [voice] distinction using multidimensional acoustic input plus some lexical knowledge

The production and perception of domain-initial strengthening in Seoul, Busan, and Ulsan Korean

Korean exhibits one of the most consistent examples of the cross-linguistic phenomenon of domain-initial strengthening (hereafter DIS; T. Cho & Keating, 2001; Keating, Cho, Fougeron, & Hsu, 2004). DIS is defined as temporal and/or spatial enhancement of segmental articulation in the initial position of prosodic domains. Broadly, this dissertation serves as a detailed case study of the production patterns and the perceptual benefits of this phenomenon. The recent findings of denasalisation and devoicing of the initial nasals in Korean (Young Shin Kim, 2011; Yoo, 2015a) suggest that there is a striking parallelism between the lenis stops /p, t, k/ and the nasal consonants /m, n/ in their patterns of DIS. Nevertheless, we currently lack an account that captures this parallelism. In addition, there is disagreement over the categorical nature of lenis stop voicing (S.-A. Jun, 1993; Docherty, 1995) and denasalisation (Yoshida, 2008; Young Shin Kim, 2011). Despite the obvious similarities between the arguably discrete processes of lenis stop voicing and denasalisation, and the kind of gradient effects widely reported for DIS, there has been no explicit investigation of the links among them. Thus, I examined the hypothesis that DIS, operating in the phonetic component, has given rise to the categorical rules of lenis stop voicing and denasalisation in the phrase-level phonology through rule scattering, as predicted by the theory of the life cycle of phonological processes (Bermúdez-Otero & Trousdale, 2012; Turton, 2014). Recordings were collected in Seoul, Busan, and Ulsan, and various auditory and acoustic analyses were conducted to examine the phonetic variation of the relevant stops. The study adopted the three-city design as these varieties were expected to be at different stages in the life cycle, particularly with regard to the stabilisation of denasalisation. In the second part of this dissertation, I conducted a perception experiment to investigate if listeners are able to use DIS patterns as a cue to a prosodic boundary. According to the results, Seoul showed the most advanced patterns in the stabilisation of DIS. As predicted by rule scattering, speakers who showed evidence of categorical lenis stop voicing and/or denasalisation also showed an overlaid effect of a gradient phonetic process. The perception study strongly supported the hypothesis that listeners exploit DIS cues to detect the beginning of a prosodic domain. Based on these findings, this dissertation offers a unified account of lenis stop voicing, denasalisation, and DIS within a single framework, offering insights into the nature of DIS as well as its functional role in prosodic parsing.Cambridge Trust International Scholarshi