Linguistic Perception and Second Language Acquisition: Explaining the attainment of optimal phonological categorization

363 Pages·2005·1.54 MB·English

by  Paola Escudero

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Paola Escudero P Paola Escudero
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Linguistic Perception s Linguistic Perception
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and Second Language d and Second Language
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Acquisition Acquisition
Explaining the attainment of
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i optimal phonological categorization
In Linguistic Perception and Second Language Acquisition, Paola Escudero n
provides a detailed description, explanation, and prediction of how optimal g
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second language (L2) sound perception is acquired, and presents three
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empirical studies to test the model’s theoretical principles. s
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The author introduces the L2 Linguistic Perception (L2LP) model, a new formal

and comprehensive proposal which integrates, synthesizes, and improves on P
previous studies, and therefore constitutes the most explanatorily adequate e
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account of the whole process of L2 sound acquisition. More specifically, it c
proposes that the description of optimal L1 and L2 perception allows us to e
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predict and explain the initial state, the learning task, and the end state that
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are involved in the acquisition process. It advances the hypothesis of Full i
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Copying which constitutes a formal linguistic explanation for the prediction n
that learners will initially manifest an L2 perception that matches their
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optimal L1 perception. It also predicts that the degree of mismatch between
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perception grammars will define the number and nature of the learning tasks.
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With respect to L2 development, it posits that learners will either need to create
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new perceptual mappings and categories, or else adjust any existing
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mappings through the same learning mechanisms that operate in L1 c
acquisition. Finally, the model’s hypotheses of separate perception grammars o
and language activation predict that learners will achieve optimal L2 n
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perception while preserving their optimal L1 perception.

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This book addresses questions of speech perception, phonetics, phonology, a
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psycholinguistics, and language acquisition, and should therefore be of
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interest to researchers working in any of these areas.
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ISBN 90-76864-80-2 UiLOTS
Linguistic Perception and
Second Language Acquisition

Explaining the attainment of
optimal phonological categorization
Published by
LOT phone: [phone]
Trans 10 fax: [phone]
3512 JK Utrecht e-mail: [email protected]
The Netherlands http://wwwlot.let.uu.nl/

Cover illustration: painting by Mike Sharwood Smith

ISBN 90-76864-80-2

NUR 632

Copyright © 2005: Paola Escudero. All rights reserved.
Linguistic Perception and
Second Language Acquisition

Explaining the attainment of
optimal phonological categorization

Linguïstische Perceptie en Tweedetaalverwerving,
of hoe men leert optimaal fonologisch te categoriseren

(with summaries in Spanish, English, and Dutch)

Proefschrift

ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor
aan de Universiteit Utrecht op gezag van
de Rector Magnificus, Prof. dr. W. H. Gispen,
ingevolge het besluit van het College voor Promoties
in het openbaar te verdedigen
op dinsdag 8 november 2005
des middags te 12:45 uur

door

Paola Rocío Escudero Neyra
geboren op 5 december 1976 te Lima, Perú
Promotoren: Prof. dr. W. Zonneveld
Prof. dr. P.P.G. Boersma (UvA)

Co-promotor: dr. R.W.J. Kager
A Marco y Rocío,
los cimientos y pilares de mi vida
Contents
0 Introduction……………………………………………………………....1
0.1 Why L2 perception? ……………………………………………………1
0.2 Contribution and outline……………………………………………..4

PART I: LINGUISTIC MODELLING OF SOUND
PERCEPTION AND ITS ACQUISITION

1 Modelling speech perception………………………………………… ……7
1.1 Modelling speech perception as an auditory mapping ……….…….… 9
1.1.1 Speech perception as a single universal mapping ………………… 9
1.1.2 Speech perception has a universal and a linguistic component………. 11
1.2 Evidence for the linguistic nature of speech perception………………13
1.2.1 Auditory perception versus linguistic perception………………… 14
1.2.2 Language-specific one-dimensional sound categorization. ……… 17
1.2.3 Language-specific auditory cue integration…...………….……… 21
1.3 Modelling speech perception as a language-specific phenomenon….. 26
1.3.1 Language-specific perception within phonetics………….……… 27
1.3.2 Language-specific perception within psycholinguistics…..……… 29
1.3.3 Language-specific perception within phonology………..………. 32
1.4 Summary and implications..……………………………….. ……… 35
1.4.1 Resolving the nature of sound representation………….……… 36
1.4.2 How to model linguistic perceptual mappings………..………… 37
1.4.3 Implications for a comprehensive model of sound categorization 38

2 Linguistic Perception (LP): a phonological model of sound
perception................................................................................................................41
2.1 The elements of Linguistic Perception (LP)..................................................42
2.1.1 Perceptual mapping component: the perception grammar.....................44
2.1.2 Representational component: the perceptual input.................................49
2.2 The optimal perception hypothesis............................................................52
2.2.1 Optimal one-dimensional categorization..............................................53
2.2.2 Optimal cue integration...........................................................................58
2.3 Acquiring optimal L1 linguistic perception...............................................65
2.3.1 Initial perception grammar......................................................................66
ii CONTENTS
2.3.2 The Gradual Learning Algorithm (GLA).............................................68
2.3.3 Learning mechanism 1: one-dimensional auditory-driven
learning.......................................................................................................71
2.3.4 Learning mechanism 2: lexicon-driven learning and cue
integration..................................................................................................75
2.4 The proposal for word recognition............................................................77
2.4.1 Lexical representations and recognition grammar..............................77
2.4.2 The L1 acquisition of optimal L1 recognition.....................................79
2.4.3 Summary: adult Linguistic Perception and its L1 acquisition...........81

PART II: MODELLING THE L2 ACQUISITION OF SOUND
PERCEPTION

3 The Second Language Linguistic Perception (L2LP) model.................85
3.1 The L2LP model: five ingredients..............................................................85
3.1.1 Distinction between perceptual mappings and sound categories... 86
3.1.2 L2LP ingredient 1: optimal L1 perception and optimal target
L2 perception...........................................................................................87
3.1.2.1 L2LP ingredient 1: prediction and explanation.........................88
3.1.2.2 L2LP phonological/phonetic description..................................89
3.1.3 The logical states of L2 sound perception and the L2LP model.....94
3.2 L2LP ingredient 2: the L2 initial state........................................................97
3.2.1 L2LP prediction: L2 initial equals cross-language perception.........98
3.2.2 Background explanation: L1 Transfer.................................................99
3.2.3 L2LP explanation/description.............................................................100
3.2.3.1 Full Copying of L1 perceptual mappings................................101
3.2.3.2 Already-categorized versus non-previously categorized
dimensions....................................................................................102
3.2.3.3 Phonemic equation and category re-use..................................104
3.3 Ingredient 3: The L2 learning task...........................................................105
3.3.1 Prediction: learning task equals cross-language difference .............105
3.3.2 Explanation/description: perceptual and representational
tasks..........................................................................................................107
3.3.2.1 L2LP perceptual task: Changing and creating mappings .....107
3.3.2.2 L2 representational task: Changing the number of L2
categories.......................................................................................109
CONTENTS iii
3.4 Ingredient 4: L2 development...................................................................109
3.4.1 L2LP prediction: L2 development equals L1 development ...........111
3.4.2 Background explanation: access to development and learning
mechanisms.............................................................................................111
3.4.3 L2LP explanation/description: Full Access to the GLA.................112
3.4.3.1 GLA category formation in L2 development.........................112
3.4.3.2 GLA category boundary shifts in L2 development ..............113
3.5 Ingredient 5: the L2 end state....................................................................113
3.5.1 L2LP prediction: optimal L2 and optimal L1....................................114
3.5.2 Background explanation: limitations for the L2 end state...............115
3.5.2.1 The role of cognitive plasticity and the L2 input....................115
3.5.2.2 The interrelation between the L1 and the L2……… …. .. 116
3.5.3 L2LP explanation/description: Input versus plasticity....................117
3.5.3.1 Rich L2 input overrules small cognitive plasticity..................117
3.5.3.2 The hypothesis of separate perception grammars..................118
3.6 Summary and L2LP sound perception scenarios...................................121
3.6.1 Learning scenarios: L2LP prediction/explanation............................123
3.6.2 Scenarios: L2LP description of the different learning tasks ...........124

4 A review of other L2 sound perception models.........................................127
4.1 Aim and scope of five L2 perception models.........................................127
4.2 Speech perception and its acquisition......................................................128
4.2.1 Speech perception in phonological models of L2 sound
perception................................................................................................129
4.2.2 Speech perception within phonetic models of L2 perception .......130
4.2.3 L1 acquisition within the five models.................................................131
4.2.4 Comparison with the L2LP’s framework model...............................132
4.3 L2 sound perception...................................................................................135
4.3.1 L2 initial state..........................................................................................135
4.3.1.1 Major’s OPM and Brown’s PIM...............................................135
4.3.1.2 PAM, NLM, and SLM............................................................... 136
4.3.1.3 Comparison with the L2LP initial state...................................137
4.3.2 L2 development......................................................................................139
4.3.2.1 OPM and PIM's developmental proposals………………. 139
4.3.2.2 PAM, NLM, and SLM's developmental proposals..…….. 140
4.3.2.3 Comparison with the L2LP developmental state .. . …… 141
iv CONTENTS
4.3.3 L2 end state.............................................................................................143
4.3.3.1 Comparison with the L2LP end state…………………… 145
4.3.4 L2 sound perception scenarios.............................................................146
4.3.4.1 Comparison with the L2LP scenarios………….....…….…149
4.4 Summary and general comparison with the L2LP model.....................150

PART III: EMPIRICAL TESTS OF THE L2LP MODEL

5 Learning NEW L2 sounds................................................................................155
5.1 What does learning to perceive NEW sound categories involve? …. 158
5.2 L2 Linguistic Perception in a NEW scenario..........................................161
5.2.1 Ingredient 1: predicting L1 and target L2 optimal perception........161
5.2.2 Ingredient 2: predicting cross-language and initial L2
perception................................................................................................170
5.2.3 Ingredient 3: predicting the L2 learning task.....................................173
5.2.4 Ingredient 4: predicting L2 development...........................................175
5.2.5 Ingredient 5: predicting the L2 end state............................................180
5.3 Evidence: Spanish learners of Southern British English (SBE)...........181
5.3.1 Model ingredient 1: Spanish and SBE perception data....................183
5.3.2 Model ingredient 2: cross-language and initial L2 perception
data............................................................................................................187
5.3.3 Spanish learners’ development and end state....................................195
5.3.4 Discussion................................................................................................198
5.4 Learning new sounds: L2LP predictions versus the
evidence.........................................................................................................200

6 Learning SUBSET L2 sounds..........................................................................203
6.1 Is there a learning task in a SUBSET L2 perception scenario............. 204
6.2 Ingredients of L2 linguistic perception in a SUBSET scenario............209
6.2.1 Ingredient 1: predicting optimal perception from
environmental production.....................................................................209
6.2.2 Ingredient 2: predicting cross-language and initial L2
perception................................................................................................214
6.2.3 Ingredient 3: predicting the L2 learning task.....................................218
6.2.4 Ingredient 4: predicting L2 development...........................................220
6.2.5 Ingredient 5: predicting the L2 end state............................................236