Doctoral Dissertation Research: Restructuring Phonetic Space in Second Language Acquisition

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Early research in second language (L2) acquisition found that late L2 learners pronounce L2 differently from native speakers. Learners' pronunciation shows influence from the sounds of their first language (L1); this is the phenomenon of "foreign accent". Recent studies have suggested that cross-language influence is not limited to the effect of L1 on L2; rather, the pronunciation of L1 sounds can also change under the influence of L2 sounds learned later in life. With NSF support, Mr. Chang will conduct a longitudinal phonetic study addressing the following two research questions about the earliest stages of L2 acquisition. First, how is adult acquisition of L2 sounds hindered by the L1 sound system? Second, how long does it take for the learning and use of L2 sounds to affect the pronunciation of L1 sounds? The proposed dissertation project will track 20 native English speakers learning Korean over the course of an intensive language program to examine the time course and limits of their L2 production and perception abilities. The study focuses in particular on their learning of the Korean laryngeal contrast (English has 'b' vs. 'p', whereas Korean has no 'b' and instead three kinds of 'p'). Three different methodologies will be used to benchmark learners' progress during the language program: imitation, reading, and identification. Responses in the first two tasks will be analyzed acoustically, while responses in the third task will be analyzed for perceptual boundaries between sounds. By examining the early stages of how a non-English L2 is learned, this dissertation will contribute to a better understanding of how the mental representations of new sounds develop, and how new L2 sounds are connected to old L1 sounds. Thus, the findings have implications for the theory of linguistic competence as well as the practice of pronunciation teaching.