Phonotactic probability and phonotactic constraints : processing and lexical segmentation by Arabic learners of English as a foreign language
A fundamental skill in listening comprehension is the ability to recognize words. The ability to accurately locate word boundaries(i . e. to lexically segment) is an important contributor to this skill. Research has shown that English native speakers use various cues in the signal in lexical segmentation. One such cue is phonotactic constraints; more specifically, the presence of illegal English consonant sequences such as AV and MY signals word boundaries. It has also been shown that phonotactic probability (i. e. the frequency of segments and sequences of segments in words) affects native speakers' processing of English. However, the role that phonotactic probability and phonotactic constraints play in the EFL classroom has hardly been studied, while much attention has been devoted to teaching listening comprehension in EFL. This thesis reports on an intervention study which investigated the effect of teaching English phonotactics upon Arabic speakers' lexical segmentation of running speech in English. The study involved a native English group (N= 12), a non-native speaking control group (N= 20); and a non-native speaking experimental group (N=20). Each of the groups took three tests, namely Non-word Rating,
Al-jasser, Faisal M. A.
Phonotactic probability and phonotactic constraints : processing and lexical segmentation by Arabic learners of English as a foreign language. A fundamental skill in listening comprehension is the ability to recognize words. The ability to accurately locate word boundaries(i . e. to lexically segment) is an important contributor to this skill. Research has shown that English native speakers use various cues in the signal in lexical segmentation. One such cue is phonotactic constraints; more specifically, the presence of illegal English consonant sequences such as AV and MY signals word boundaries. It has also been shown that phonotactic probability (i. e. the frequency of segments and sequences of segments in words) affects native speakers' processing of English. However, the role that phonotactic probability and phonotactic constraints play in the EFL classroom has hardly been studied, while much attention has been devoted to teaching listening comprehension in EFL. This thesis reports on an intervention study which investigated the effect of teaching English phonotactics upon Arabic speakers' lexical segmentation of running speech in English. The study involved a native English group (N= 12), a non-native speaking control group (N= 20); and a non-native speaking experimental group (N=20). Each of the groups took three tests, namely Non-word Rating,
phonotactic probability phonotactic constraint processing lexical segmentation arabic learner_english foreign_language fundamental skill listen_comprehension ability recognize word ability accurately locate word_boundary lexically segment important contributor skill show english_native speaker_use various cue signal lexical segmentation cue phonotactic constraint specifically presence illegal english consonant sequence signal word_boundary also_show phonotactic probability frequency segment sequence segment word affect native_speaker processing english however role phonotactic probability phonotactic constraint play efl_classroom hardly study much_attention devote teach listen_comprehension efl report intervention study_investigate effect teach_english upon arabic speaker lexical segmentation run speech english study involve native_english group non_native speaking control_group non_native speaking experimental_group group take test namely non word rating