Exposure, Motivation, Context of Learning and L2 Spanish Rhotic Development
Document Type
Paper Presentation
Presenter Language
English
Research Area
Phonetics & Phonology, Second Language Acquisition
Location
MBSC Gallery Room 308
Start Date
17-10-2024 2:30 PM
End Date
17-10-2024 3:00 PM
Abstract
The Spanish sound system contains two rhotics: the alveolar tap [ɾ] and trill [r]. They are contrastive intervocalically, in complementary distribution in C._V context, and in free variation in V_.C contexts. Contrastingly, American English employs the voiced approximant [ɹ], which appears in word-initial, word-medial, and word-final positions. While American English does not use [r], it does employ [ɾ] as an allophone of /t/ and /d/. Due to the prominent differences in articulation between the American English and Spanish rhotic systems, L1English/L2Spanish learners (L1E/L2S) struggle to produce L2 Spanish rhotics.
Studies on L1E/L2S rhotic production demonstrate that [ɾ] is often produced more successfully than [r], with non-target-like productions attributed to L1 English influence. These studies also highlight that speaker experience plays an integral role in target-like production. This study addresses the role of experience, motivation, and context of learning in Spanish rhotic acquisition through a comparison of two L1E/L2S groups. The experimental group consists of six L1E/L2S enrolled in intermediate-level Spanish courses while also living in an on-campus, Spanish-themed language house, providing increased Spanish exposure. The control group consists of five L1E/L2S also enrolled in intermediate-level Spanish courses but not residing in the language house. After completing the LEAP-Q and a motivation questionnaire, participants were recorded at ten time points across an academic year producing a series of words containing a word-medial intervocalic (i.e., contrastive) rhotic, which were analyzed in Praat. Alveolar trills were analyzed for duration and number of occlusions, while alveolar taps were analyzed for duration and classified as approximate, perceptual, or true.
While the descriptive and inferential analysis of approximately 3000 tokens is nearing completion, preliminary general observations indicate that the control group exhibited minimal progress through the ten sessions, consistently showing evidence of English influence and the overgeneralization of [ɾ]. We predict that the experimental group will exhibit more target-like productions of the tap and trill over time and show faster improvement due to their increased exposure and a higher degree of motivation (as shown in questionnaire data). As such, a key takeaway from this work deals with the influence of (partial) domestic immersion settings.
Exposure, Motivation, Context of Learning and L2 Spanish Rhotic Development
MBSC Gallery Room 308
The Spanish sound system contains two rhotics: the alveolar tap [ɾ] and trill [r]. They are contrastive intervocalically, in complementary distribution in C._V context, and in free variation in V_.C contexts. Contrastingly, American English employs the voiced approximant [ɹ], which appears in word-initial, word-medial, and word-final positions. While American English does not use [r], it does employ [ɾ] as an allophone of /t/ and /d/. Due to the prominent differences in articulation between the American English and Spanish rhotic systems, L1English/L2Spanish learners (L1E/L2S) struggle to produce L2 Spanish rhotics.
Studies on L1E/L2S rhotic production demonstrate that [ɾ] is often produced more successfully than [r], with non-target-like productions attributed to L1 English influence. These studies also highlight that speaker experience plays an integral role in target-like production. This study addresses the role of experience, motivation, and context of learning in Spanish rhotic acquisition through a comparison of two L1E/L2S groups. The experimental group consists of six L1E/L2S enrolled in intermediate-level Spanish courses while also living in an on-campus, Spanish-themed language house, providing increased Spanish exposure. The control group consists of five L1E/L2S also enrolled in intermediate-level Spanish courses but not residing in the language house. After completing the LEAP-Q and a motivation questionnaire, participants were recorded at ten time points across an academic year producing a series of words containing a word-medial intervocalic (i.e., contrastive) rhotic, which were analyzed in Praat. Alveolar trills were analyzed for duration and number of occlusions, while alveolar taps were analyzed for duration and classified as approximate, perceptual, or true.
While the descriptive and inferential analysis of approximately 3000 tokens is nearing completion, preliminary general observations indicate that the control group exhibited minimal progress through the ten sessions, consistently showing evidence of English influence and the overgeneralization of [ɾ]. We predict that the experimental group will exhibit more target-like productions of the tap and trill over time and show faster improvement due to their increased exposure and a higher degree of motivation (as shown in questionnaire data). As such, a key takeaway from this work deals with the influence of (partial) domestic immersion settings.