TY - JOUR
T1 - Phonetic similarity of /s/ in native and second language: individual differences in learning curves
AU - Quené, H.
AU - Orr, R.
AU - van Leeuwen, David A.
PY - 2017/12/1
Y1 - 2017/12/1
N2 - Second language learners may merge similar sounds from their native (L1) and second (L2) languages into a single phonetic category, neutralizing subphonemic differences in these similar sounds. This study investigates whether Dutch speakers produce phonetically distinct variants of /s/ in their L1 Dutch and L2 English, and whether and how this phonetic categorization develops over time. Target /s/ sounds in matching words in L1 and L2 were compared in their centre of spectralgravity. Speakers varied in their individual learning curves in the categorization of produced /s/ sounds, both in starting points and in longitudinal trajectories. After 3 years, however, all speakers had converged in producing their /s/ variants in L1 and L2 as two similar but different sounds.
AB - Second language learners may merge similar sounds from their native (L1) and second (L2) languages into a single phonetic category, neutralizing subphonemic differences in these similar sounds. This study investigates whether Dutch speakers produce phonetically distinct variants of /s/ in their L1 Dutch and L2 English, and whether and how this phonetic categorization develops over time. Target /s/ sounds in matching words in L1 and L2 were compared in their centre of spectralgravity. Speakers varied in their individual learning curves in the categorization of produced /s/ sounds, both in starting points and in longitudinal trajectories. After 3 years, however, all speakers had converged in producing their /s/ variants in L1 and L2 as two similar but different sounds.
KW - phonetic categorization
KW - second language learning
KW - longitudinal development
KW - individual differences
KW - phonetic convergence
U2 - 10.1121/1.5013149
DO - 10.1121/1.5013149
M3 - Article
SN - 0001-4966
VL - 142
SP - 519
EP - 524
JO - Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
JF - Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
IS - 6
ER -