Storage and retrieval of English words by Hong Kong Cantonese speakers of English
This thesis is concerned with the phonological representations of words used in lexical storage and retrieval, during speech perception by second language speakers. There is evidence of categorical perception of certain phonological features of words by native speakers of particular languages. This can be constrained by language- particular phonological properties, such as lexical tone, or by distinctions between certain types of consonant. If native language perceptual strategies were used in second language word retrieval, then this would mean there were differences in word storage for second language speakers. This would be reflected in differing patterns of word retrieval for second language speakers of a language with different phonological properties from their own. In order to test this possibility, Hong Kong Cantonese speakers with English as their second language were required to retrieve English words from their word store. Their native language is tonal, unlike English, and they have been found to perceive tones in their native language categorically. Subjects were presented aurally with English sentences which each contained a malapropism for the last word, and were asked to produce the correct
Partington, Ann
Second language speakers
Storage and retrieval of English words by Hong Kong Cantonese speakers of English. This thesis is concerned with the phonological representations of words used in lexical storage and retrieval, during speech perception by second language speakers. There is evidence of categorical perception of certain phonological features of words by native speakers of particular languages. This can be constrained by language- particular phonological properties, such as lexical tone, or by distinctions between certain types of consonant. If native language perceptual strategies were used in second language word retrieval, then this would mean there were differences in word storage for second language speakers. This would be reflected in differing patterns of word retrieval for second language speakers of a language with different phonological properties from their own. In order to test this possibility, Hong Kong Cantonese speakers with English as their second language were required to retrieve English words from their word store. Their native language is tonal, unlike English, and they have been found to perceive tones in their native language categorically. Subjects were presented aurally with English sentences which each contained a malapropism for the last word, and were asked to produce the correct
storage retrieval english word hong_kong cantonese speaker_english concerned phonological_representation word_use lexical storage retrieval speech perception second_language speaker evidence categorical perception certain phonological_feature word native_speaker particular language constrain language particular phonological property lexical_tone distinction certain_type consonant native_language perceptual strategy_use second_language word retrieval would mean difference word storage second_language speaker would reflect differ pattern word retrieval second_language speaker language different phonological property own order_test possibility hong_kong cantonese speaker_english second_language require retrieve english word word store native_language tonal unlike english find perceive tone native_language categorically subjects present english sentence_contain last word ask produce correct