L1 Phonetic permeability and phonetic path towards a potential merger

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica de la Fuente Iglesias ◽  
Susana Pérez Castillejo
Keyword(s):  
Speech Production ◽  
Production Data ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Phonological Processes ◽  
Phonetic Variation ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Specific Category

Abstract This study investigates the phonetic implementation of Galician /ɛ-e/ and /ɔ-o/ as produced by Galician-Spanish early bilinguals. It examines whether there is variation that can be explained by differences in participants’ linguistic histories (as captured by their language dominance scores). Based on production data from one point in participants’ lives, the study uses regression to predict phonetic variation from participants’ language dominance at that point in life. Results reveal that, although participants produce a robust /ε/ vs /e/ contrast, the L1 specific category, /ε/ presented a more fronted position, more like /e/, as a function of lower dominance in Galician. However, this effect was not replicated for the back vowels. Given our results, we argue that differences in language dominance may trigger phonetic variation in bilingual speech production in some variables, but not others. This result is consistent with the current cognitive approach in bilingualism research claiming the plasticity of native phonetic domains throughout an individual’s lifespan. Results also align with recent claims that language dominance does not equally affect multiple phonological processes for the same individual.

Language dominance does not always predict cross-linguistic interactions in bilingual speech production

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 847-872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Amengual ◽  
Miquel Simonet
Keyword(s):  
Speech Production ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Cognitive Resources ◽  
Vowel Reduction ◽  
Phonological Process ◽  
Phonological Processes ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Phonological Learning ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Phonemic Contrasts

Abstract The present study describes the results of two experiments that analyze the effects of language dominance on Catalan/Spanish bilingual speech production. We examined the acoustics of the Catalan [a]~[ə] alternation (a phonological process induced by lexical stress) and of the Catalan mid vowel contrasts /e/-/ɛ/ and /o/-/ɔ/ (two phonemic contrasts) in the speech of Catalan- vs. Spanish-dominant early Catalan/Spanish bilinguals from Majorca (Spain). The results indicate that, contrary to the analysis of the Catalan mid vowels, stressed and unstressed Spanish and Catalan /a/ yielded no significant difference as a function of language dominance. These findings suggest that unstressed vowel reduction, a phonological process, may be relatively easier to acquire than phonemic contrasts with a low functional load (/e/-/ɛ/, /o/-/ɔ/), perhaps because its predictability and high frequency may attract attention and/or relieve cognitive resources, which could be conducive to phonological learning. These findings demonstrate that language dominance effects in the production of phonemic contrasts, widely researched in the literature on early bilingualism, do not guarantee the same effects on the implementation of phonological processes.

Scalar and categorical phenomena in a unified model of phonetics and phonology

Phonology ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Flemming
Keyword(s):  
Speech Production ◽  
Unified Model ◽  
Unified Framework ◽  
Phonological Processes ◽  
Production Constraints ◽  
Phonetic Detail

It is often assumed that there is a sharp division between phonetic and phonological processes, but the two are often strikingly similar, as in the case of phonetic consonant–vowel coarticulation and phonological assimilation between consonants and vowels. Parallels of this kind are best accounted for if both types of phenomena are analysed within a unified framework, so similarities result from the fact that both phonetic and phonological processes are subject to the same constraints. A unified model of phonetics and phonology is developed and exemplified through the analysis of parallel phonetic and phonological assimilation processes. The model operates in terms of scalar phonetic representations to accommodate phonetic detail, but categorical phenomena can still be derived from the interaction of speech production constraints with constraints that motivate the formation of distinct categories of sounds for the purposes of linguistic contrast.

A diachronic look at the syllable: the case of Icelandic

1981 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-230
Author(s):  
Kristján Árnson
Keyword(s):  
Speech Production ◽  
Linguistic Terms ◽  
Phonological Processes ◽  
Phonological Units

I. Like so many linguistic terms, the term syllable has been used in many different senses, and theoretical distinctions have been made, aimed at avoiding confusion. There is hardly any need to remind the reader of Pike's distinction between PHONETIC and PHONEMIC syllables: ‘the phonetic syllables must be analyzed into the structural phonemic syllables’ (Pike, 1947: 90). Although obviously beneficial, this division still leaves considerable room for confusion, both on the phonetic and on the phonological side. On the phonological side the syllable can be thought of as a unit of organization of smaller phonological units (cf. e.g. Bell (1977), Bell & Hooper (1978)) or as a unit defining the scope or environment for phonological processes, or as accounting for regularities of quantity and tonality (cf. e.g. Pike (1947: 90), and Hooper (1972)). On the phonetic side there are at least two approaches to the syllable. It has been looked on as defining units in speech production (cf. Stetson (1951), Catford (1977: 89–90)) or as a means of describing sonority variation in the phonetic signal (cf. e.g. Jespersen (1949/1934: 118–121)). This latter aspect relates to the perception of the linguistic signal by speakers and to the acoustic buildup of the phonetic medium. Finally, there are those who deny the usefulness of the concept altogether.

scholarly journals Durational Differences of Word-Final /s/ Emerge From the Lexicon: Modelling Morpho-Phonetic Effects in Pseudowords With Linear Discriminative Learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominic Schmitz ◽  
Ingo Plag ◽  
Dinah Baer-Henney ◽  
Simon David Stein
Keyword(s):  
Speech Production ◽  
Discriminative Learning ◽  
Production Data ◽  
Real Word ◽  
Theoretical Level ◽  
Learning Network ◽  
Recent Approach ◽  
Production Study ◽  
Different Types

Recent research has shown that seemingly identical suffixes such as word-final /s/ in English show systematic differences in their phonetic realisations. Most recently, durational differences between different types of /s/ have been found to also hold for pseudowords: the duration of /s/ is longest in non-morphemic contexts, shorter with suffixes, and shortest in clitics. At the theoretical level such systematic differences are unexpected and unaccounted for in current theories of speech production. Following a recent approach, we implemented a linear discriminative learning network trained on real word data in order to predict the duration of word-final non-morphemic and plural /s/ in pseudowords using production data by a previous production study. It is demonstrated that the duration of word-final /s/ in pseudowords can be predicted by LDL networks trained on real word data. That is, duration of word-final /s/ in pseudowords can be predicted based on their relations to the lexicon.

Statistical comparison of similarity tests applied to speech production data

2004 ◽  
Vol 115 (5) ◽  
pp. 2430-2431
Author(s):  
H. Kollia ◽  
Jay Jorgenson ◽  
Rose Saint Fleur ◽  
Kevin Foster
Keyword(s):  
Speech Production ◽  
Production Data ◽  
Statistical Comparison

scholarly journals Ethnicity and phonetic variation in Sheffield English liquids

2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Kirkham
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
The Other ◽  
Smoothing Spline ◽  
British English ◽  
Phonetic Variation ◽  
Polarity Effect

This article reports a study of acoustic phonetic variation between ethnic groups in the realisation of the British English liquids /l/ and /ɹ/. Data are presented from ‘Anglo’ and ‘Asian’ native speakers of Sheffield English. Sheffield Anglo English is typically described as having ‘dark’ /l/, but there is some disagreement in the literature. British Asian speakers, on the other hand, are often described as producing much ‘clearer’ realisations of /l/, but the specific differences between varieties may vary by geographical location. Regression analysis of liquid steady states and Smoothing Spline ANOVAs of vocalic–liquid formant trajectories show consistent F2−F1 differences in /l/ between Anglo and Asian speakers in non-final contexts, which is suggestive of a strong distinction between varieties in terms of clearness/darkness. There is also evidence of a polarity effect in liquids, with differing relationships between liquid phonemes in each variety: Asian speakers produce /l/ with higher F2−F1 values than /ɹ/, and Anglo speakers produce /ɹ/ with higher F2−F1 values than /l/. The results are discussed in terms of phonetic variation in liquids and socioindexical factors in speech production.

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