Second Language Acquisition of Regionally Indexed Phonological Variation: Advanced L2 Spanish Speakers and the Apicoalveolar Fricative [s̺]
Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0002-2198-8498
Document Type
Paper Presentation
Presenter Language
English
Research Area
Second language acquisition, phonetics and phonology, sociolinguistics
Location
MBSC Omaha Room 304
Start Date
19-10-2024 11:30 AM
End Date
19-10-2024 12:00 PM
Abstract
This study examines acquisition of the regionally indexed apicoalveolar fricative [s̺] found in north-central Spain among advanced second language (L2) Spanish speakers. Previous studies investigating acquisition of sociophonetic variation have found that beginner and intermediate level learners who study abroad may start to adopt sociophonetic variants into their speech, but that degree of incorporation is impacted by personal identity and use of these variants is often less frequent than native speakers (e.g., Escalante, 2018; Ringer-Hilfinger, 2012). However, little is known about adoption of regionally indexed variants, like the apicoalveolar [s̺], among advanced L2 speakers living abroad. Additionally, previous studies lack acoustic analyses to determine potential differences in phonetic realizations between L2 and native Castilian Spanish speakers. This study uses a picture description, wordlist reading, and verbal guise task to investigate not only adoption of the apicoalveolar [s̺] but also its acoustic properties between L2 and native Castilian Spanish speakers, and how language attitudes play a potential role in these differences.
Twenty advanced L2 and twenty native Castilian Spanish speakers living in north-central Spain produced 50 tokens each of the apicoalveolar [s̺]. Tokens were acoustically analyzed via duration, intensity, center of gravity, and spectral frequencies (e.g., Beristain, 2022; Hugh & Halle, 1960; Regan, 2022). Additionally, covert language attitude scores regarding speaker friendliness were analyzed and compared to overt language attitudes.
Preliminary findings demonstrate that advanced L2 speakers do adopt the apicoalveolar [s̺] into their speech following regional norms and that more positive attitudes toward Castilian Spanish positively correlate with [s̺] adoption. Additionally, the findings show developmental differences in terms of duration and point of articulation of [s̺] between advanced L2 and native speakers. Specifically, realizations of [s̺] were significantly longer and produced more posteriorly in the oral cavity than native speakers. These findings support previous studies indicating that advanced L2 speakers may ‘overshoot’ native speaker norms (Gudmestad, 2021). This study contributes to the fields of SLA, language variation, and phonetics and phonology by highlighting the importance of identity in adoption of regional variation and by providing novel acoustic evidence to the gradience in which L2 speakers acquire regional variation.
Second Language Acquisition of Regionally Indexed Phonological Variation: Advanced L2 Spanish Speakers and the Apicoalveolar Fricative [s̺]
MBSC Omaha Room 304
This study examines acquisition of the regionally indexed apicoalveolar fricative [s̺] found in north-central Spain among advanced second language (L2) Spanish speakers. Previous studies investigating acquisition of sociophonetic variation have found that beginner and intermediate level learners who study abroad may start to adopt sociophonetic variants into their speech, but that degree of incorporation is impacted by personal identity and use of these variants is often less frequent than native speakers (e.g., Escalante, 2018; Ringer-Hilfinger, 2012). However, little is known about adoption of regionally indexed variants, like the apicoalveolar [s̺], among advanced L2 speakers living abroad. Additionally, previous studies lack acoustic analyses to determine potential differences in phonetic realizations between L2 and native Castilian Spanish speakers. This study uses a picture description, wordlist reading, and verbal guise task to investigate not only adoption of the apicoalveolar [s̺] but also its acoustic properties between L2 and native Castilian Spanish speakers, and how language attitudes play a potential role in these differences.
Twenty advanced L2 and twenty native Castilian Spanish speakers living in north-central Spain produced 50 tokens each of the apicoalveolar [s̺]. Tokens were acoustically analyzed via duration, intensity, center of gravity, and spectral frequencies (e.g., Beristain, 2022; Hugh & Halle, 1960; Regan, 2022). Additionally, covert language attitude scores regarding speaker friendliness were analyzed and compared to overt language attitudes.
Preliminary findings demonstrate that advanced L2 speakers do adopt the apicoalveolar [s̺] into their speech following regional norms and that more positive attitudes toward Castilian Spanish positively correlate with [s̺] adoption. Additionally, the findings show developmental differences in terms of duration and point of articulation of [s̺] between advanced L2 and native speakers. Specifically, realizations of [s̺] were significantly longer and produced more posteriorly in the oral cavity than native speakers. These findings support previous studies indicating that advanced L2 speakers may ‘overshoot’ native speaker norms (Gudmestad, 2021). This study contributes to the fields of SLA, language variation, and phonetics and phonology by highlighting the importance of identity in adoption of regional variation and by providing novel acoustic evidence to the gradience in which L2 speakers acquire regional variation.