“Identical” vowels in L1 and L2? Criteria and implications for L2 phonetics teaching and learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 144-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikola Maurova Paillereau

Researchers in the field of the teaching and learning of phonetics agree that learners of a foreign/second language (L2) acquire identical vowels by positive transfer from their first language (L1). This statement prompted us to examine whether the French and Czech languages, differing in the size of their vowel inventories, possess any identical vowels that could thus be omitted from French as a Foreign Language (FFL) phonetic curricula intended for Czech learners. The quantification of the vowels’ phonetic similarity is based on the comparison of their (1) phonetic symbols, (2) formant values (F-patterns), and (3) perceptual characteristics. The combined results show that strictly identical vowels between the two languages do not exist, but some French vowels can be defined as highly similar to some Czech vowels. Different coarticulatory effects of vowels produced in isolation and in labial, dental and palato-velar symmetrical environments point to a very strong influence of phonetic contexts on vowel similarity. Indeed, no French vowel is highly similar to any Czech vowel in all of the contexts studied. The findings suggest that phonetic exercises designed for Czech learners should focus on allophonic variations of all French vowels.

Author(s):  
Iitha Priyastiti

Discussions of the second language (L2) pedagogy have been studied not only in the language and education fields. Experts working in the psychology field also propose theories on applied linguistics because L2 acquisitions involve external and internal processes. However, despite numerous studies on the field, it appears that an issue regarding the use of first language (L1) still creates continuous debates. Although arguments opposing the use of first L1 present compelling theories as to their rationale, they appear to overlook the context in which teaching and learning process takes place. The studies were either conducted in English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL), where teachers are native speakers who do not share the same L1 with students. Considering the uniqueness in classroom contexts, this paper is not going to argue or take sides on the conflicting views on the use of L1. Instead, it attempts to acknowledge the gap of the context in language teaching used in previous studies. Using a sociocultural theory, this article will describe the beneficial use of L1 with a focus on its use by teachers in an EFL context where teachers share the same L1 with students. Keywords: first language, English as a Foreign Language, sociocultural theory


Abjadia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Santi Andriyani

<p>There are so many questions come to mind in relation to language learning. One of which is the ways in teaching and learning the language especially in formal education. This issue has been discussed since 1980s until now. Linguists who get involved in education field have done research in this field. They found that the main concentration in language teaching is the selection of approach based on the system governed the learners. Some perspectives appear in the language learning. The methods, approach, and principles which come and arise in the language learning are discussed. These terms influence the learning of English as a first language, second language or foreign language. English as a first language will be taught differently. It also happens to the learning of English as second and foreign language. It is because of different purpose in learning the language. In this article, the writer discuss some perspectives in language learning in first language situation, second language situation and foreign language situation.</p><p>هناك كثير من الأسئلة تتبادر إلى الذهن فيما يتعلق بتعليم اللغة. واحدة منها هي الطرق في تعليم وتعلم اللغة وخاصة في التعليم الرسمي. وقد نوقشت هذه المسألة منذ 1980 (ثمانين) حتى الآن. وكان اللغويون يتورطون في مجال التعليم وإجراء الأبحاث في هذا المجال. ووجد الباحثون أن تركيز الرئيسي في تدريس اللغة هو اختيار النهج القائم على نظام محكوم المتعلمين. ويبدو أن بعض وجهات النظر في تعلم اللغة. وتناقش الطرق، والنهج والمبادئ التي تأتي وتنشأ في تعلم اللغة. هذه الشروط تؤثر على تعلم اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة أولى، لغة ثانية أو لغة أجنبية. اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة أولى وسيتم تدريسها بشكل مختلف. ويحدث أيضا في تعلم اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة ثانية والأجنبية. فذلك الاختلاف لأجل أغراض مختلفة في تعلم اللغة. وفي هذه المقالة، قامت الكاتبة بمناقشة بعض وجهات النظر في تعلم اللغة في وضع اللغة الأولى، واللغة الثانية واللغة الأجنبية</p><p>Ada banyak pertanyaan terkait dengan pembelajaran bahasa. Salah satunya adalah tentang bagaimana cara atau metode yang perlu diterapkan dalam proses belajar mengajar khususnya di lembaga pendidikan formal. Masalah ini telah dibahas sejak tahun 1980-an hingga sekarang. Para ahli bahasa di bidang pendidikan juga telah melakukan berbagai penelitian terkait masalah klasik ini. Mereka menemukan bahwa konsentrasi utama dalam pembelajaran bahasa adalah pemilihan pendekatan yang harusnya didasarkan pada sistem yang mengacu pada peserta didik. Oleh karenanya lalu muncul beberapa perspektif dalam pembelajaran bahasa. Ada metode, pendekatan dan prinsip-prinsip yang muncul dalam bahasan pembelajaran bahasa. Istilah-istilah ini mempengaruhi proses belajar bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa pertama, bahasa kedua, atau bahasa asing. Bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa pertama akan diajarkan berbeda. Hal itu juga terjadi pada pembelajaran yang menempatkan bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa kedua dan bahasa asing. Perbedaan ini karena tujuan yang hendak dicapai juga beda. Tulisan ini membahas beberapa perspektif dalam pembelajaran bahasa dalam situasi bahasa pertama, situasi bahasa kedua, dan situasi bahasa asing.</p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojtaba Teimourtash ◽  
Nima Shakouri

Considering the notion of multi-competence coined by Cook (1991) calls on the necessity to revisit the stance of first language in foreign language teaching.  The use of mother tongue in second language acquisition (SLA) is widely criticized by many practitioners, notably Krashen (1981). However, more recently Widdowson (2003) also called for an explicitly bilingual approach. The present paper, though arguing for the use of L1 in L2 context, did not ignore the fact that L2 can exert inevitable effects on L1.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Feng Li

<p>Much research has been conducted on factors that impact on second language (L2) speech production in light of the age of L2 acquisition, the length of residence in the L2 environment, motivation, the amount of first language (L1) usage, etc. Very little of this research has taken the perspective of interference between L1 and L2, especially with respect to Asian languages. This article tries to locate the differences in pronunciation between Chinese L1 and English L2 by contrastive analysis through observing genuine teaching and learning contexts, in hope of facilitating English pronunciation pedagogy in China.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 2319-2324
Author(s):  
Rina Muka ◽  
Irida Hoti

The language acquired from the childhood is the language spoken in the family and in the place of living. This language is different from one pupil to another, because of their social, economical conditions. By starting the school the pupil faces first the ABC book and then in the second grade Albanian language learning through the Albanian language textbook. By learning Albanian language step by step focused on Reading, Writing, Speaking and Grammar the pupil is able to start learning the second language on the next years of schooling. So, the second language learning in Albanian schools is related to the first language learning (mother tongue), since the early years in primary school. In our schools, the second language (English, Italian) starts in the third grade of the elementary class. On the third grade isn’t taught grammar but the pupil is directed toward the correct usage of the language. The textbooks are structured in developing the pupil’s critical thinking. The textbooks are fully illustrated and with attractive and educative lessons adequate to the age of the pupils. This comparative study will reflect some important aspects of language learning in Albanian schools (focused on Albanian language - first language and English language - second language), grade 3-6. Our point of view in this paper will show not only the diversity of the themes, the lines and the sub-lines but also the level of language knowledge acquired at each level of education. First, the study will focus on some important issues in comparing Albanian and English language texts as well as those which make them different: chronology and topics retaken from one level of education to another, so by conception of linear and chronological order will be shown comparatively two learned languages (mother tongue and second language). By knowing and learning well mother tongue will be easier for the pupil the foreign language learning. The foreign language (as a learning curriculum) aims to provide students with the skills of using foreign language written and spoken to enable the literature to recognize the achievements of advanced world science and technology that are in the interest of developing our technique. Secondly, the study will be based on the extent of grammatical knowledge, their integration with 'Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing' as well as the inclusion of language games and their role in language learning. The first and second language learning in Albanian schools (grade III-VI) is based on similar principles for the linearity and chronology of grammatical knowledge integrated with listening, reading, writing and speaking. The different structure of both books help the pupils integrate and use correctly both languages. In the end of the sixth grade, the pupils have good knowledge of mother tongue and the second language and are able to write and speak well both languages.


Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Lisa Kornder ◽  
Ineke Mennen

The purpose of this investigation was to trace first (L1) and second language (L2) segmental speech development in the Austrian German–English late bilingual Arnold Schwarzenegger over a period of 40 years, which makes it the first study to examine a bilingual’s speech development over several decades in both their languages. To this end, acoustic measurements of voice onset time (VOT) durations of word-initial plosives (Study 1) and formant frequencies of the first and second formant of Austrian German and English monophthongs (Study 2) were conducted using speech samples collected from broadcast interviews. The results of Study 1 showed a merging of Schwarzenegger’s German and English voiceless plosives in his late productions as manifested in a significant lengthening of VOT duration in his German plosives, and a shortening of VOT duration in his English plosives, closer to L1 production norms. Similar findings were evidenced in Study 2, revealing that some of Schwarzenegger’s L1 and L2 vowel categories had moved closer together in the course of L2 immersion. These findings suggest that both a bilingual’s first and second language accent is likely to develop and reorganize over time due to dynamic interactions between the first and second language system.


2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hang Wei ◽  
Julie E. Boland ◽  
Jonathan Brennan ◽  
Fang Yuan ◽  
Min Wang ◽  
...  

Prior work has shown intriguing differences between first language (L1) and second language (L2) comprehension priming of relative clauses. We investigated English reduced relative clause priming in Chinese adult learners of English. Participants of different education levels read sentences in a self-paced, moving window paradigm. Critical sentences had a temporarily ambiguous reduced relative clause. Across lists, critical sentences were rotated, so that they occurred either as prime or as target, and had either the same or different verb as the critical sentence with which they were paired. Prime/target pairs were separated by several filler sentences, which never contained a relative clause. Mean reading times for the disambiguating region in the target sentences were faster than in the prime sentences, but only in the same-verb condition, not in the different-verb condition. This pattern of results is consistent with L1 comprehension priming research, suggesting that similar lexically specific mechanisms are involved in L1 and L2 comprehension priming of reduced relative clauses. These findings are in line with lexicalist accounts of sentence comprehension (e.g. MacDonald et al., 1994), according to which syntactic information is bound to specific words. In addition, these findings argue against theories that postulate fundamental differences in processing of L1 and L2 (e.g. Clahsen and Felser, 2006a, 2006b).


2001 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 278-281
Author(s):  
D. Bradford Marshall

Judith Rosenthal has brought together a wide variety of articles on second language (L2) teaching and learning that will surely interest foreign language (FL) educators in U.S. universities who are struggling to increase or maintain enrollment in their courses or who are seeking new ideas to meet the needs and demands of an increasingly diverse student population. Rather than encourage individual language departments to continue their separate battles for survival, Rosenthal hopes to enhance the “integration” of FL programs in order “to better promote proficiency in more than one language” (p. 353). This volume clearly illustrates how teachers of various languages can collaborate and share experiences in order to find solutions to what are often very similar problems.


Author(s):  
Setya Resmini

ABSTRACTThe issue of using first language (L1) in teaching English has always been a controversy in the field of teaching and learning English.  The purpose of this study was to investigate the English as Foreign Language (EFL) students’ perceptions towards the use of L1 (Bahasa Indonesia) in the English classroom. In this study, the descriptive qualitative method was employed.  The participants involved in this study are 40 EFL students in the second semester who learn General English in IKIP Siliwangi. A questionnaire which consists of 15 questions was distributed to the participants to gain primary data. To support the data from questionnaire, observation also conducted in the classroom. The findings reveal that the teacher’s use of bahasa Indonesia brought positive/negative perceptions towards students. The students give negative perception towards the teacher’s use of bahasa Indonesia in General English classroom. However, the students also recognized the advantages and disadvantages of the teacher’s use of bahasa Indonesia in the classroom.Key words: EFL; students’ perception; first language (L1); foreign language


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Abdalmonem S. Rajab ◽  
Saadiyah Darus ◽  
Ashinida Aladdin

The aim of this paper is to investigate some semantic interlingual errors in the writing performance of Libyan English as Foreign Language Learners (LEFLLS). The study seeks to analyze these errorsthat appear in the learners’ written production. The data was gathered from 25 essays written by 25 Libyan postgraduates majoring in different fields. It was collected and organized according to the errors committed. Errors taxonomy adapted from James’ (1998) and Al-Shormani and Al-Sohbani’s (2012) was used in identifying and analyzing these errors. Semantic errors were classified into five categories namely formal mis-selection, formal mis-formation, lexical choice, collocation and lexico-grammatical choice. The semantic errors identified were 346. These errors were classified into four categories namely, formal misformation (46.7%), distortion due to spelling (32.4%), lexical choice (40.6%) and lexicogrammatical choice (2.4%). The results show that direct translation from the first language (L1), assumed synonym and misselection of letters sub-categories score the highest number of the errors, i.e.14.2%, 13.08% and 12.08% respectively. While the sub-category, both collocations incorrect error was the lowest (0.52%). The other errors take the form of paraphrase (11.5%) and Idiomacity (8.5%). Two main sources have been found to be the cause behind these errors namely, L1 influence and insufficient knowledge about the second language (L2). Moreover, cultural differences between L1 and L2 had its impact in the written products of Libyan students.


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