Valenzuela Farias, M.G. and French, P. (Cover date: 2023-08-31) Production of English Vowel Contrasts in Spanish L1 Learners: A Longitudinal Study. Loquens, 10 (1-2). e102. ISSN 1979-9500
Abstract
The present study undertakes a longitudinal examination of forty postgraduate students, native Spanish speakers, during their first year at a UK university. The research focuses on both individual and collective progress in mastering distinctions within English vowel pairs (/iː/-/ɪ/, /ɪ/-/e/, and /uː/-/ʊ/), with a specific focus on adaptations towards achieving native-like English vowel pronunciation, particularly in terms of vowel quality. Prior research indicates that adult Spanish learners encounter difficulties in mastering the intricate linguistic nuances presented by English. The methodology involved recording Spanish-speaking participants reading a list of words (CVC context) at three different time points over a year. The analysis was based on formant frequencies using Praat, and Euclidean distances were calculated to represent the degree of separation between each pair of vowels. Information about external factors potentially influencing the development of vowel productions among speakers was gathered through a language background questionnaire. The outcomes suggested varying rates of advancement within the group, which could be attributed to the diverse levels of exposure and interaction with native English speakers during their year of study in the UK. These results affirm the learning processes in adult L2 production, emphasizing the critical role played by both the quantity and quality of time in the assimilation of pronunciations to novel L2 segments.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 CSIC. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License. |
Keywords: | formants, native Spanish-speaking learners, longitudinal study, L2 English, vowels |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Education (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 12 Feb 2024 14:11 |
Last Modified: | 12 Feb 2024 14:11 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas |
Identification Number: | 10.3989/loquens.2023.v10.i1-2 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:209006 |