TY - JOUR
T1 - Processing of consonant clusters by Japanese native speakers
T2 - Influence of English learning backgrounds
AU - Masuda, Hinako
AU - Arai, Takayuki
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Previous research has revealed that Japanese native speakers are highly likely to both perceive and produce epenthetic vowels between consonants. The goal of the present study is to investigate the influence of English learning backgrounds in the perception and production of consonant clusters by Japanese native speakers. In Experiment 1, a forced-choice AXB task to identify VC(u)CV is assigned to 17 highly fluent Japanese-English bilinguals and 22 Japanese monolinguals. Results show that monolinguals made significantly more errors than bilinguals. In Experiment 2, the influence of English proficiency on the production of consonant clusters, and the effect of consonant voicing on vowel epenthesis are investigated. The epenthetic vowels are acoustically analyzed and categorized into three degrees: full, partial and no epenthesis. The voicing combinations of the consonant clusters are C[+voice]-C[+voice], C[-voice]-C[+voice], and C[-voice]-C[-voice]. Results show that monolinguals inserted more epenthetic vowels than bilinguals, and that the influence of consonant voicing was stronger in monolinguals than bilinguals. Furthermore, monolinguals' epenthetic vowels between C[-voice]-C[+voice] and C[-voice]-C[-voice] tended to become devoiced than bilinguals. This result suggests a stronger L1 influence on monolinguals. The results of the two experiments thus suggest that the English proficiency influences the perception and production of consonant clusters.
AB - Previous research has revealed that Japanese native speakers are highly likely to both perceive and produce epenthetic vowels between consonants. The goal of the present study is to investigate the influence of English learning backgrounds in the perception and production of consonant clusters by Japanese native speakers. In Experiment 1, a forced-choice AXB task to identify VC(u)CV is assigned to 17 highly fluent Japanese-English bilinguals and 22 Japanese monolinguals. Results show that monolinguals made significantly more errors than bilinguals. In Experiment 2, the influence of English proficiency on the production of consonant clusters, and the effect of consonant voicing on vowel epenthesis are investigated. The epenthetic vowels are acoustically analyzed and categorized into three degrees: full, partial and no epenthesis. The voicing combinations of the consonant clusters are C[+voice]-C[+voice], C[-voice]-C[+voice], and C[-voice]-C[-voice]. Results show that monolinguals inserted more epenthetic vowels than bilinguals, and that the influence of consonant voicing was stronger in monolinguals than bilinguals. Furthermore, monolinguals' epenthetic vowels between C[-voice]-C[+voice] and C[-voice]-C[-voice] tended to become devoiced than bilinguals. This result suggests a stronger L1 influence on monolinguals. The results of the two experiments thus suggest that the English proficiency influences the perception and production of consonant clusters.
KW - 43.70.Kv
KW - Consonant cluster
KW - L2 perception
KW - L2 production
KW - Proficiency PACS number: 43.71.Hw
KW - Vowel epenthesis
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U2 - 10.1250/ast.31.320
DO - 10.1250/ast.31.320
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77956334500
VL - 31
SP - 320
EP - 327
JO - Journal of the Acoustical Society of Japan (E) (English translation of Nippon Onkyo Gakkaishi)
JF - Journal of the Acoustical Society of Japan (E) (English translation of Nippon Onkyo Gakkaishi)
SN - 1346-3969
IS - 5
ER -