Doctoral Dissertation Research: Restructuring Phonetic Space in Second Language Acquisition

早期的二语习得研究发现，后天的二语学习者的二语发音与本族语者不同。学习者的发音受到母语(L1)发音的影响，这就是“外国口音”现象。最近的研究表明，跨语言影响不仅限于第一语言对第二语言的影响；相反，第一语言声音的发音也会受到后来学习的第二语言声音的影响而发生变化。在NSF的支持下，张先生将进行一项纵向语音研究，解决以下两个关于第二语言习得最早阶段的研究问题。首先，L1发音系统是如何阻碍成人习得L2发音的？第二，学习和使用第二语言的发音需要多长时间才能影响第一语言的发音？拟议的论文项目将跟踪20名以英语为母语的人在密集语言课程中学习韩语的过程，以考察他们的二语产出和感知能力的时间进程和限制。这项研究特别关注他们对韩语喉部对比的学习(英语中有b与p，而韩语中没有b，而是三种p)。三种不同的方法将被用来衡量学习者在语言项目中的进步：模仿、阅读和识别。前两个任务中的反应将进行声学分析，而第三个任务中的反应将分析声音之间的感知边界。通过考察非英语第二语言习得的早期阶段，本论文将有助于更好地理解新发音的心理表征是如何发展的，以及新的二语发音是如何与旧的第一语言发音联系起来的。因此，这一发现对语言能力理论和语音教学实践都有一定的指导意义。

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.