Representations and transfer processes in L2 speech production : evidence from Catalan learners of English
The present thesis examines L1 transfer in L2 production. This thesis investigates the possible role in L2 speech production of 1) various types of sound representations (underlying and surface segments), their mappings to L2 sound categories and their phonetic realisation 2) speech perception and 3) the effect of the morphological composition of L2 words. The advanced Catalan learners of English, who served as subjects in the study, displayed more accuracy in their production of target English /d/ and /ï/ in contexts where they surface in Catalan than in the production of /d/ in intervocalic position and /ï/ in initial position. Their perceptual identification of target /d/ and /ï/ in both initial and intervocalic position could not predict their production. However, these findings could be accounted for by positing the transfer of L1 underlying segments as well as an L1 underlying to surface realisation mechanism onto the L2 system. The replication of a study by Eckman and Iverson (1997) on the role played by morphology in L2 speech production shows that L2 speakersâ production of /d/ does not depend on whether the lexical items are derived or non-derived. Overall, the findings in the different experiments
CorteÌs PomacoÌndor, Susana MariÌa
Linguistics
Representations and transfer processes in L2 speech production : evidence from Catalan learners of English. The present thesis examines L1 transfer in L2 production. This thesis investigates the possible role in L2 speech production of 1) various types of sound representations (underlying and surface segments), their mappings to L2 sound categories and their phonetic realisation 2) speech perception and 3) the effect of the morphological composition of L2 words. The advanced Catalan learners of English, who served as subjects in the study, displayed more accuracy in their production of target English /d/ and /ï/ in contexts where they surface in Catalan than in the production of /d/ in intervocalic position and /ï/ in initial position. Their perceptual identification of target /d/ and /ï/ in both initial and intervocalic position could not predict their production. However, these findings could be accounted for by positing the transfer of L1 underlying segments as well as an L1 underlying to surface realisation mechanism onto the L2 system. The replication of a study by Eckman and Iverson (1997) on the role played by morphology in L2 speech production shows that L2 speakersâ production of /d/ does not depend on whether the lexical items are derived or non-derived. Overall, the findings in the different experiments
representations transfer process speech_production evidence catalan learners_english present examines transfer production investigates possible role speech_production various_type sound representation underlie surface segment mapping sound category phonetic_realisation speech perception effect morphological composition word advanced catalan learner_english serve subject study display accuracy production target english contexts surface catalan production position initial_position perceptual identification target initial position could predict production however finding could account posit transfer underlie segment well underlie surface realisation mechanism onto system replication study role_play morphology speech_production show speaker production depend whether lexical_item derive non derived overall finding different