External factors and the interference of L1 Estonian on L2 English pronunciation: An apparent-time study
Abstract
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5128/ERYa11.02
This study focusses on external factors of second language learning (L2) and their effect on L2 sound production. The aim was to find out whether young adults whose first language (L1) is Estonian speak L2 English with less accent than older speakers of L1 Estonian. Prior studies have claimed that more exposure to the target language lessens the effect of L1 interference (internal factors) (e.g. Piske et al. 2001, Muñoz, Llanes 2014). An apparent-time study was imple- mented in order to test whether a change in learner setting (i.e. limited exposure to the target language vs. abundant exposure) shows any evidence which can be explained by such external factors. Data was elicited from the speech samples of 97 speakers of L1 Estonian and L1 interference effects were analysed sound by sound. The results show that the younger generation displays less L1 Estonian interference than the older generation. Both greater exposure to the target language and earlier age of L2 learning onset correlate with the ability to produce more sounds target-like.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Abrahamsson, Niclas; Hyltenstam, Kenneth 2009. Age of onset and nativelikeness in a second language: Listener perception versus linguistic scrutiny. – Language Learning, 59 (2), 249–306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2009.00507.x
Asu, Eva-Liina 1999. British or American English: A study of Estonian students’ attitudes to pronunciation. – Pilvi Rajamäe (Ed.). New Britain: The Heritage of the Past and the Challenge of the Future: Proceedings of the 2nd International Tartu Conference on British Studies Held at the University of Tartu, August 24–25, 1998. Tartu: Tartu University Press, 22–30.
Brown, H. Douglas 2007. Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. 3rd ed. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.
Derwing, Tracey M.; Munro, Murray J. 2005. Second language accent and pronunciation teaching: A research-based approach. – TESOL Quarterly, 39 (3), 379–399. http:// dx.doi.org/10.2307/3588486
Flege, James Emil 1991. Perception and production: The relevance of phonetic input to L2 phonological learning. – Thom Huebner, Charles A. Ferguson (Eds.). Cross Currents in Second Language Acquisition and Linguistic Theory. Language Acquisition and Language Disorders 2. Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 249–289. http://dx.doi. org/10.1075/lald.2.15fle
Flege, James Emil; Frieda, Elaina M.; Nozava, Takeshi 1997. Amount of native-language (L1) use affects the pronunciation of an L2. – Journal of Phonetics, 25 (2), 169–186. http://jimflege.com/files/Flege_Frieda_L1_use_JP_97.pdf (18.2.2015). http:// dx.doi.org/10.1006/jpho.1996.0040
Flege, James Emil; Liu, Serena 2001. The effect of experience on adult’s acquisition of a second language. – Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 23 (4), 527–552. http://jimflege. com/files/Flege_Liu_effect_experience_SSLA_2001.pdf (18.2.2015).
Flege, James Emil; Birdsong, David; Bialystok, Ellen; Mack, Molly; Sung, Hyekyung; Tsu- kada, Kimiko 2006. Degree of foreign accent in English sentences produced by Korean children and adults. – Journal of Phonetics, 34 (2), 153–175. http://jimflege.com/ files/Flege_Birdsong_foreign_accent_JP_20062.pdf (18.2.2015). http://dx.doi. org/10.1016/j.wocn.2005.05.001
Granena, Gisela; Long, Michael H. 2013. Age of onset, length of residence, language aptitude, and ultimate L2 attainment in three linguistic domains. – Second Language Research, 29 (3), 311–343. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0267658312461497
Guion, Susan G.; Flege, James Emil; Loftin, Jonathan D. 2000. The effect of L1 use on pronunciation in Quichua-Spanish bilinguals. – Journal of Phonetics, 28 (1), 27–42. http://jimflege.com/files/Guion_Flege_L1_use_JP_2000.pdf (18.2.2015). http:// dx.doi.org/10.1006/jpho.2000.0104
Hamid, M. Obaidul; Baldauf, Richard B. Jr. 2013. Second language errors and features of world Englishes. – World Englishes, 32 (4), 476–494. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ weng.12056
Kalk, Jana 2001. Typical Mistakes in the Pronunciation of English Sounds for the Estonian Learner. Diploma thesis. University of Tartu.
Kostabi, Leili 1993. A Contrastive Analysis of English and Estonian Monophthongs: Teach- ing the Pronunciation of English Monophthongs to the Estonian Learner. MA thesis. University of Tartu.
Kostabi, Leili 2004. Pronunciation Practice for Advanced Students. Tallinn: Koolibri.
Kull, Rasmus 2006. Students’ Pronunciation Preferences Based on an Example of the 1st Year Students of English. BA thesis. University of Tartu.
Levis, John M. 2005. Changing contexts and shifting paradigms in pronunciation teaching. – TESOL Quarterly, 39 (3), 369–377. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3588485
Marinova-Todd, Stefka H.; Marshall, Bradford D.; Snow, Catherine E. 2000. Three miscon- ceptions about age and L2 learning. – TESOL Quarterly, 34 (1), 9–34. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3588486
McAllister, Robert; Flege, James Emil; Piske, Thorsten 2002. The influence of L1 on the acquisition of Swedish quantity by native speakers of Spanish, English and Estonian. – Journal of Phonetics, 30 (2), 229–258. http://www.jimflege.com/files/McAl- lister_Flege_The_influence_of_JP_2002.pdf (18.2.2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/ jpho.2002.0174
Moyer, Alene 2014. Exceptional outcomes in L2 phonology: The critical factors of learner engagement and self-regulation. – Applied Linguistics, 35 (4), 418–440. http://dx.doi. org/10.1093/applin/amu012
Muñoz, Carmen; Llanes, Ángels 2014. Study abroad and changes in degree of foreign accent in children and adults. – The Modern Language Journal, 98 (1), 432–449. http:// dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2014.12059.x
Mutt, Oleg 1971. An Introduction to English Phonetics for the Estonian Learner. 2nd ed. Tartu: Tartu State University.
Piske, Thorsten; MacKay, Ian R. A.; Flege, James Emil 2001. Factors affecting degree of foreign accent in an L2: A review. – Journal of Phonetics, 29 (2), 191–215. http://jimflege. com/files/Piske_MacKay_factors_affecting_JP_2001.pdf (18.2.2015). http://dx.doi. org/10.1006/jpho.2001.0134
Roach, Peter 2000. English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Schaetzel, Kirsten; Low, Ee Ling 2009. Teaching Pronunciation to Adult English Language Learners. – CAELA Network Briefs. http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/pdfs/Teach- ingPronunciationWeb.pdf (18.2.2015).
Scovel, Thomas 1988. A Time to Speak: A Psycholinguistic Inquiry into the Critical Period for Human Speech. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5128/ERYa11.02
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2015 Kristiina Ader, Merilin Miljan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
ISSN 1736-2563 (print)
ISSN 2228-0677 (online)
DOI 10.5128/ERYa.1736-2563