The acquisition of English pronunciation: learners' views
Cenoz, J. & García Lecumberri, M.L.
This paper aims at describing English learners' views on the acquisition of the phonetic component of English by focusing on their awareness of the difficulty and importance of English pronunciation as well as their beliefs about influential factors in the acquisition of pronunciation and their attitudes towards English accents. It also aims at examining the differences in phonetic awareness, beliefs and attitudes between learners of English with different first languages (Basque and Spanish). All the participants (n=86) were asked to complete several questionnaires, including a background questionnaire and a specific questionnaire on awareness, beliefs and attitudes. The results indicate that pronunciation is a difficult and important skill for all learners. It was also found that learners consider contact with native speakers and ear training as the most influential factors in the acquisition of pronunciation and that the difficulty of some English accents is related to learners’ attitude towards these accents.
See: International Journal of Applied Linguistics 9, 3-18 (1999)
Pauses and hesitation phenomena in second language production
Cenoz, J.
This article focuses on the study of pauses in second language production by analysing the frequency of silent and filled pauses and their functions. It also examines the combination of pauses and other hesitation phenomena in second language production and it explores the relationship between pauses and language proficiency. The results confirm that pauses and hesitations are frequent phenomena in second language production and the individual variation in their occurrence. It was also found that pauses are often associated with other hesitation phenomena and that filled and silent pauses can have the same functions.
See: ITL Review of Applied Linguistics 127-128, 53-69 (2000)
Perception of accentual focus by Basque L2 learners of English
García Lecumberri, M.L.
This paper reflects and discusses the results of English accentual focus perception by native English listeners vs. Basque learners of English. Two focus structures were studied: focus on subject and focus on verb. Twenty native English listeners and twenty native Basque speakers took part in two different types of test: identification and naturalness ratings of focus in English sentences. There were two kinds of focus identification test: half the listeners did a multiple choice test, whereas the other half took and open test. The results show that, as was expected, Basque learners had more problems in identifying focus than native speakers. This trend was much more pronounced in the case of verb focus. For both groups of listener verb focus was more difficult to identify and considered to be less natural. Basque listeners rated subject focus in English as even more natural than native listeners did. Some of these results are probably due to first language interference since pre-verbal focus is the neutral case in Basque. However the difference in performance by Basque listeners in multiple choice and open test must be partly due to differences between their passive and active knowledge of English. In the case of verb focus it may be that this difference is also present in their knowledge of their native language and transferred to their multiple choice and open test performance: listeners may understand focus on verb in Basque even if they do not use it often themselves.
See: Anuario del Seminario de Filología Vasca «Julio de Urquijo», 29, 2, 581-59 (1995)
Perceptibility of nuclear focus in English
García Lecumberri, M.L.
Considering the large body of studies on English intonational focus, it was thought appropriate to investigate whether nuclear focus is identifiable to the extent that the literature would lead us to expect. Perception tests were designed in which British listeners had to identify two focus patterns realized by an English R.P. (Received Pronunciation) speaker. A naturalness test was included in which listeners were asked to rate the likelihood of the structures. Results prove that nuclear focus is indeed a familiar structure in British English with a very high degree of correct identifications. Focus on the first constituent of an intonation group (subject) is significantly better identified than focus on a medial constituent (verb focus). Naturalness results indicate that intonational focus is considered to be a very likely pattern in English. Although subject focus was rated as slightly more natural, the difference with ratings for verb focus is not significant. The reasons for which group initial focus is more readily identified than focus on medial items may be related to the semantic content of sentences or to differences in the phonetic realization of the two types of structure .
See: Anuario del Seminario de Filología Vasca «Julio de Urquijo», 29, 2, 581-59 (1996)
L2 perception of English vowels: testing the validity of Kuhl's prototypes
García Lecumberri, M.L. & Cenoz, J.
The present study investigates confusion patterns in the identification of English vowel sounds by native Spanish learners. The aim was to test the validity of Kuhl's Native Language Magnet (NLM) theory for Spanish learners with an intermediate level of competence in English. Following this theory, the English and Spanish vowel systems were compared in order to obtain a set of L2 confusion predictions that could be derived from the NLM model. It was hypothesised that the prototype model would fail to account for all the confusion patterns in our data since our subjects interlanguage phonological system was no longer a direct reflection of their L1 system. A test was conducted in which subjects were asked to identify RP vowels in monosyllabic words after receiving specific phonetic training. It was observed that few perceptual confusions could be explained according to the NLM model as interpreted for L2 acquisition. We propose that the NLM theory can only account for L2 data if revisions are made as to the nature of prototypes in the interlanguage. The NLM model should also take into account other factors that may shape prototypes such as vowel duration and universals principles.
See: Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses, 10, 55-68 (1997)
Identification by L2 learners of English vowels in different phonetic contexts
García Lecumberri, M.L. & Cenoz, J
This paper presents the results of a vowel identification test undertaken by Spanish students. The aim of the test was to investigate whether different consonant articulations influence the distinctiveness of English vowels for non-native speakers. Stimuli were nonsense words in which syllable coda consonants varied in manner of articulation and voicing, whereas place of articulation was kept constant (alveolar). Results show that voicing variation exerted a strong influence overriding possible influences related to manner of articulation. Nevertheless, voicing did not have consistent effects across the vowel series. Voiceless consonants were found to hinder correct identifications for those long vowels which have an acoustic proximity relationship with only one other short vowel (i.e., non-central long vowels). We propose that this is due to the fact that those vowel pairs are usually presented to L2 learners as differing in duration. Voiced contexts per se do not lead to better identifications. The voiced fricative was a favouring context for the identification of long vowels, but not for short vowels. For most vowels, the lateral is one of the worst environments; a trait best understood in the light of its velarized realization with a frequent intervening vocalic glide.
See: New Sounds 97: 196-205 (1997)
Influencia de la Duración en la Adquisición de Vocales Inglesas
García Lecumberri, M.L. & Cenoz, J
Ciertas vocales del inglés suelen describirse como como "largas" o "cortas" a pesar de ser también diferentes cualitativamente y de que su duración depende de la sonoridad de la consonante siguiente. En este trabajo quisimos comprobar hasta qué punto los estudiantes de inglés emplean el parámetro adecuado (cualidad) para la identificación de vocales, independientemente de su duración. Se elaboró un test en el que se debía identificar vocales inglesas "largas" o "cortas" seguidas de consonante sorda o sonora. Los resultados muestran que las vocales "largas" presentan problemas de identificación cuando aparecen acortadas por el contexto. Se produce una confusión con la vocal "corta" correspondiente aunque las vocales "largas" son más parecidas a las de la primera lengua. Concluimos que estas confusiones se deben en gran medida a la extendida costumbre de enseñar las vocales inglesas incidiendo en su duración y no en sus diferencias cualitativas.
See: Perspectivas Pragmáticas en Lingüística Aplicada, Zaragoza: Editorial Anubar, 201-208. (1998)
The effect of training on the discrimination of English vowels
Cenoz, J. & García Lecumberri, M.L.
This study analyses the effect of training on the perception of English vowels by native speakers of Basque and Spanish. Participants were 109 university students who received a training course in English Phonetics and were asked to complete some questionnaires and vowel perception tests. The findings confirm that training exerts a positive effect of the perception of English vowels that that this effect is also related to the desire to acquire a native accent.
See: International Review of Applied Linguistics 37, 261-275 (1999)
English Transcription Course
García Lecumberri, M.L. & Maidment, J.A
This book deals with various connected speech process in contemporary British English and their transcription. The approach is gradual and cumulative starting with phonemic symbols and weak forms and covering processes such as assimilation, elision syllabicity and glottaling. Each lesson is followed by a set of exercises which allow for extensive practice of features learnt in both current and previous chapters. Students can check their progress with the 'model' answers provided in the answers section. Model transcriptions offer very detailed comments and explanations on crucial or problematic aspects of each transcription. The book may be used for self-study of transcription skills and current English connected speech and it may also be used as a course-book in undergraduate English phonetics and phonology courses.
See: Edward Arnold, Londres, ISBN.: 0 340 75978 X (2000)
An experiment on stress-shift perception by English FL vs NL speakers
García Lecumberri, M.L.
This is a preliminary report on a perception experiment in which English stress shift was the object of study. Spanish speaking learners of English (FELs) and native English listeners (NELs) took part in the test. They were asked to identify auditorily the position and relative prominence of stresses in (i) English double-stressed single words and (ii) English compound words with an end-stress pattern, both when these structures exhibited their default end-stress pattern and when stresses appeared shifted to the front. Results indicate that both listener groups recognise the differing stress patterns in the two conditions -unshifted and shifted- very accurately. Looking at the relative strength and number of stresses perceived, it was seen that NELs showed a stronger tendency towards prominence shift perception in single words than FELs, who were more likely to hear single words as displaying one stress only. As far as compound words were concerned, differences between the listener groups were not significant. It is concluded that, in the experimental tasks posed, native competence did not prove to be an indicator of possible advantage for stress identification. It is suggested that such a result may be partly due to differences in metalinguistic knowledge between English and Spanish listeners.
See: New Sounds-2000: 4 International Symposium on Acquisition of Second Language Speech. (in press). (2000)
Identificación del foco entonativo inglés por estudiantes frente a hablantes nativos
García Lecumberri, M.L.
Este artículo presenta un estudio sobre la identificación del foco entonativo inglés por estudiantes de inglés españoles, comparándolos con hablantes ingleses y con el foco en español. Se investigaron dos dominios de foco: sujeto y verbo. Los hablantes ingleses mostraron índices de identificaciones correctas más altos que los estudiantes de inglés, como era predecible. A todos los participantes les resultó más difícil identificar el foco verbal que el de sujeto. Esta tendencia puede obedecer a la potencial ambigüedad del foco inglés cuando no es inicial. Fue también en el foco verbal donde las diferencias entre ambos grupos de hablantes resultaron mayores. Considerando que estos tipos de foco son posibles en español y que el de sujeto es más frecuente que el verbal, se propone que los estudiantes manifiestan la influencia de su lengua materna en una mayor disparidad en la identificación de los dominios de foco analizados. This paper reports on a study of the identification of English intonational focus by Spanish learners of English as compared to native English speakers' perceptions and to focus in Spanish. Two focus domains were investigated: subject and verb focus. Native English speakers showed higher correct identification rates than language learners, as was predicted. All listeners found verb focus more difficult to identify than subject focus. The potential ambiguity of English focus when not utterance initial maybe responsible for this trend. Verb focus was also the condition in which the difference between the two listener groups was most pronounced. Considering that both focus domains are possible in Spanish and that subject focus is far more frequent than verb focus, it is suggested that for learners', native language interference may have increased the difference in discriminations for the two focus domains analyzed.
See: Revista U. Mexico, 32, 19-28. (2000)
Language Learners Assessment of English Focus
García Lecumberri, M.L.
Accentual focus is a frequent linguistic device in English which may also be used in Spanish but less widely and less frequently. Given this disparity, it was expected that native language influence would manifest itself in FL learners' focus assessments as compared to native English speakers. Other factors were also expected to account of listener perceptions, such as task type and linguistic competence. Two focus domains were used to test hypotheses: utterance initial and utterance medial focus. Focus identification was tested using two tasks which differed in their cognitive demands: multiple choice and open questions. Acceptability was estimated by asking listeners to rate utterances on a five point scale. English NL listeners displayed better focus identification rates as compared to FL learners. This result may be understood both as an effect of native competence advantage and also as a reflection of native language influence. Both listener groups found utterance initial focus easier to identify and considered it to be more acceptable than medial focus. Both groups showed worse results in the open test, which is interpreted as a consequence of this task being more demanding on listeners' explicit knowledge. These trends were much more pronounced amongst FL learners. It is suggested that the potential ambiguity of English medial focus is partly responsible for the bias against it. Additionally, Spanish listeners results show the their NL influence in this bias as well as in the good results for initial focus and acceptability estimations.
See: Cuadernos de Filología- CFI, Monographic issue "Perspectives on Contrastive Phonology. English as a FL (in press).
Phonetic Awareness
García Lecumberri, M.L
This paper starts with a short discussion on the definitions of phonetic awareness and the scope of the term. This is followed by the central section of the paper which refers to phonetic awareness raising in foreign language (FL) teaching, both with respect to teacher awareness and also to students awareness. In this section, abundant references are made to bibliography and materials for classroom use, however for brevity and formatting reasons, no actual examples of tasks are included. I conclude with a few considerations to bear in mind which seem of particular relevance.
See: Language Awareness in the Foreign Language Classroom, D. Lasagabaster y J Sierrra (eds.), Bilbao: Servicio Pubicaciones de UPV/EHU (in press)
A tool for automatic feedback on phonemic transcriptions
Cooke, M.P., García Lecumberri, M.L & Maidment,.J.
A tool which provides relevant feedback on learners' attempts at phonemic transcription is described. The tool aims to complement courses in transcription which are currently taught in both linguistics and language learning settings. A variety of types of feedback are provided. These can be staged by a tutor in order to support customization for different groups of learners and course levels. The tool consists of two similar standalone applications (for tutors and learners). The system performs an optimal alignment of student versus model transcriptions using a dynamic programming algorithm, modified to handle optional and alternative pronunciations. As a result, it computes a summary of errors and their locations within the attempt. Portability and internationalization are key design goals, supported in practice through the use of Java and XML. The tool is currently being tested in a controlled experiment which will provide considerable information on its actual usefulness and necessary refinements.
Describimos una herramienta que proporciona feedback sobre transcripciones fonémicas. Esta herramienta pretende ser un complemento para la enseñanza de transcripción, que actualmente se imparte en cursos de lingüística y lengua. Se proporcionan diversos tipos de feedback, que pueden ser elegidos y secuenciados por el tutor, atendiendo al nivel de los estudiantes. La herramienta consta de dos aplicaciones similares independientes (para tutor y alumnos). El sistema efectúa una alineación óptima entre la versión del estudiante y el modelo, empleando un algoritmo de programación dinámica, modificado para contemplar alternativas de pronunciación. Como resultado, se computa una lista de errores y su emplazamiento dentro de cada transcripción. Entre los objetivos se encuentra el que sea un sistema transferible e internacional, lo que se conseguirá utilizando Java y XML. Actualmente se está probando la herramienta en un experimento controlado que proporcionará abundante información sobre su utilidad real y las mejoras necesarias.
See: Proceedings of Eurospeech: VII European Conference on Speech Communication and Technology, 2795-2798.
Phonetic context variation vs. vowel perception in a foreign language
García Lecumberri, M.L & Cenoz, J.
This paper analyzes foreign language learners' perceptions of some English vowels in different phonetic contexts. This was done in an attempt to isolate some of the variables which influence vowel perception and to investigate the extent to which FL learners have formed exemplars for the TL vowels which are robust enough to cope with contextual variation without perceptual space overlapping. Vowels were presented in nonsense words with codas which varied in manner of articulation and voicing. For English front vowels and considering the vowels' spectral characteristics, we found no clear overall tendencies as far as context vs. vowel realization vs. listeners' perceptions. In the case of the spectrally adjacent vowels which differ in intrinsic duration, we found the duration effect to be so powerful that it obscures other spectral forces. Additionally, NL influences can be seen to be at work and maybe stronger even for advanced learners than vowel quality. Learners' vowel categories are still quite vulnerable and prone to overlapping in the face of context variation. There is even a deterioration of perceptions for vowels which are usually considered to be candidates for NL category equivalence due to the effect of neighbouring and new TL categories.
See: Festschrift for Professor Koester, Universität Trier (in press)
English FL sounds in school learners of different ages
García Lecumberri, M.L & Gallardo, F.
Numerous studies have pointed out correlations between age of language acquisition onset and the presence of non-native pronunciation features in speech. Other factors have been found to have an impact on FL learning, such as motivation, metalinguistic awareness, type and amount of exposure. These factors interact with native language (NL) influence and age and contribute significantly to the degree of success in language learning.This paper examines in detail the above issues, particularly the importance of age vs. other factors such as NL influence and input type. These questions are discussed in the light of real data obtained in a longitudinal study which is currently being carried out by researchers at the University of the Basque Country. The data analyzed correspond to English productions from students of English as a third language, whose native languages are Basque and Spanish and who had the same number of years (4) of formal English instruction. The main variable under study was age at the beginning of instruction. Results suggest that, given a setting of formal instruction, age of instruction beginning per se is not a noticeable explanatory factor in the qualitative aspects of FL pronunciation. Nevertheless, some characteristics were observed which can be related to different levels of cognitive development and maturation. Amongst these features we could mention oral production quantities, metalinguistic awareness, and preferred strategies to tackle a foreign phonological system. Other related factors are the varying instruction methods employed with students according to their age. It is thus proposed that caution must be applied when establishing correspondences between age and language acquisition, since results may be due to age-varying variables rather than to the actual age when language acquisition starts.
See: Age and the Acquisition of English as a Foreign Language, MP García Mayo y ML García Lecumberri, (eds.). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters,115-135.
Análisis por configuraciones: la escuela británica
García Lecumberri, M.L
En este artículo se examina detallada y críticamente uno de los primeros modelos lingüísticos para la entonación, el de la escuela británica. Una de las características principales de esta escuela es que analiza los contornos melódicos como secuencias de patrones o 'configuraciones' expresados mediante movimientos tonales, por lo que se ha denominado análisis por configuraciones. En este trabajo se examina la organización interna de los contornos entonativos y sus valores semánticos y fonológicos. Asimismo se compara el análisis aplicado al inglés británico con un modelo comparable empleado para el español (el modelo de T. Navarro Tomás) y con modelos más recientes como el de J. Pierrehumbert.
See: Teorías de la Entonación, P. Prieto (ed.), Barcelona: Ariel, 2003.
La realización del foco entonativo en castellano peninsular
Cabrera, M. & García Lecumberri, M.L.
In
this paper we study the phonological manifestation of various intonational focus
domains in Castilian Spanish. We propose that downstep is one of the
intonational signallers of focus in this language. The phonological problems of
accounting for this phenomenon in Pierrehumbertian models are explored.
Alternative solutions are offered following the single-tone model put forward by
Cabrera Abreu (2000) within the Government Phonology framework, taking into
account other proposals by the author and her co-workers. Typically, the
prefocal and focal items participate in licensing relations which integrate them
in a well-formed phonological structure in terms of onsets and nuclei
respectively as the only two possible constituents within another major
constituent, the intonation group. Pitch movements in the prefocal and focal
items in the various focus domains are accounted for by the presence / absence
of T(one) associated to different constituent boundaries. In addition, the
constituent licensing the focal item is preceded by an intonation group whose
nuclear constituent is empty, thus showing toneless boundaries which are
responsible for the observed downstep effect.
See: Catalan Journal of Linguistics 2: Monograph on Romance Intonation. 33-54. (2003)
"Effect of masker type on native and non-native consonant perception in noise"
García Lecumberri, M.L.
Spoken communication in a non-native language is especially difficult in the presence of noise. This study compared English and Spanish listeners’ perceptions of English intervocalic consonants as a function of masker type. Three maskers -stationary noise, multitalker babble, and competing speech- provided varying amounts of energetic and informational masking. Competing English and Spanish speech maskers were used to examine the effect of masker language. Non-native performance fell short of that of native listeners in quiet, but a larger performance differential was found for all masking conditions. Both groups performed better in competing speech than in stationary noise, andboth suffered most in babble. Since babble is a less effective energetic masker than stationary noise, these results suggest that non-native listeners are more adversely affected by both energetic and informational masking.Astrong correlation was found between non-native performance in quiet and degree of deterioration in noise, suggesting that non-native phonetic category learning can be fragile. A small effect of language background was evident: English listeners performed better when the competing speech was Spanish.
See: Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 119, 2445-2454 (2006).
English double stress perception by Spanish learners vs. native listeners
García Lecumberri, M.L.
A perception experiment required Spanish learners of English (NNLs) and native English listeners (NLs) to identify the position and relative prominence of stresses in polysyllabic English words and compounds. The results indicated that both groups recognized stress shift and lack of shift very accurately. The NLs showed a stronger tendency to perceive prominence shift in simple words than NNLs, who were more likely to hear simple words as containing one stress. For compounds, differences between listener groups were not significant. It was concluded that, in these experimental tasks, native competence did not provide a strong advantage for stress identification. This result may be partly due to differences in metalinguistic awareness between the English and Spanish participants.
See: English with a Latin Beat: Studies in Portuguese/Spanish Interphonology, John Benjamins. 185-198 (2006).
La introducción temprana de la lengua extranjera y sus efectos sobre la competencia lingüística.
Gallardo del Puerto, F.
Actualmente existe una tendencia generalizada en el sistema educativo español hacia una introducción cada vez más temprana de la lengua extranjera, tal vez como consecuencia de la evidente constatación de la dificultad que tienen los adultos para aprender con éxito una segunda lengua y la facilidad con la que los niños bilingües se manejan en dos idiomas. Sin embargo, los resultados de una serie de recientes estudios empíricos llevados a cabo en nuestro país en torno a los efectos de la edad de inicio sobre distintos aspectos de la competencia lingüística en la lengua extranjera parecen señalar unánimemente que los escolares que comenzaron su exposición a dicha lengua a una edad más tardía muestran una mayor habilidad lingüística. Estos resultados ponen en tela de juicio la promoción de la introducción temprana de la lengua extranjera llevada a cabo desde las distintas instancias educativas como el único factor para lograr que nuestros escolares consigan una mejor competencia lingüística. Creemos que, además de una edad de inicio menor, es necesario que nuestro sistema educativo facilite una mayor cantidad e intensidad de la exposición a la lengua extranjera, todo lo cual permita que los aprendices más jóvenes puedan sacar ventaja de su menor edad.
See: “La introducción temprana de la lengua extranjera y sus efectos sobre la competencia lingüística” Actas de las Jornadas del Día Europeo de las Lenguas DELs05. Valladolid: Universidad de Valladolid.