23.3939, Diss: Lang Acq/ Phonetics/ Phonology/ Socioling: Leung: 'Child L2 Phonology Acquisition...'

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LINGUIST List: Vol-23-3939. Sun Sep 23 2012. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 23.3939, Diss: Lang Acq/ Phonetics/ Phonology/ Socioling: Leung: 'Child L2 Phonology Acquisition...'

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Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2012 14:58:39
From: Alex Ho-Cheong Leung [alex.ho-cheong at unn.ac.uk; alexlhc at gmail.com]
Subject: Child L2 Phonology Acquisition under the Influence of multiple Varieties

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Institution: Newcastle University 
Program: School of English Literature, Language & Linguistics (SELLL) 
Dissertation Status: Completed 
Degree Date: 2012 

Author: Alex Ho-Cheong Leung

Dissertation Title: Child L2 Phonology Acquisition under the Influence of
multiple Varieties 

Linguistic Field(s): Language Acquisition
                     Phonetics
                     Phonology
                     Sociolinguistics


Dissertation Director(s):
Prof. Karen Corrigan
Prof Martha Young-Scholten

Dissertation Abstract:

Input variability is vividly present even in L1 acquisition contexts 
(Foulkes and Docherty 2006), let alone in an FL/ L2 context where 
learners are exposed to input in one form from fellow students, to a 
different variety from the local teacher, and possibly another variety 
from the institutional model which typically represents the "native-
standard norm" (Cook 2008; Regan 2013). However, little is currently 
known about (second) language acquisition in relation to input 
multiplicity (cf. Siegel 2010). In fact, it is unclear how L2 acquisition 
models such as Speech Learning Model (Flege 1995) or Optimality 
Theory (Prince and Smolensky 1993) cope with input comprising 
multiple varieties. Against this backdrop, this study set out to 
investigate the nature of child L2 phonology acquisition under the 
influence of multiple varieties and its interface with sociolinguistic 
factors in Hong Kong (HK). 

The study looks at L2 English phonology acquisition by Hong Kong 
Cantonese children when various varieties are present. Specifically, it 
targets youngsters exposed to Filipino-accented English from live-in 
housekeepers in addition to the school and community input 
encompassing UK, US, and HK varieties. Results show that the 31 
kindergarten 3rd graders aged 4;6 to 6, and the 29 1st year secondary 
students aged 11 to 14 who had received/were still receiving Filipino-
accented English significantly outperformed 34 age-matched controls, 
who were not exposed to such input on a picture-choosing task and a 
sound discrimination AX3 task targeting Filipino English plosives /p, t, k/ 
and fricatives /f, v/ (plosive onsets are often unaspirated while /f ,v/ are 
sometimes rendered as [p, b] respectively in this variety (Tayao 2008)). 
These findings confirm predictions made by L2 speech acquisition 
theories in that the acquisition of L2 phonology is possible given a 
sufficient amount of exposure to the target input.

However, participants did not produce this variety in the production 
part of the experiment (a picture naming and a pair matching task) 
despite showing signs of perceptual knowledge. In addition, a separate 
instrument (verbal-guise technique) tapping into informants' attitude 
towards Filipino accented English reveals ambivalent attitudes towards 
this variety, making it challenging for one to resort to speech 
accommodation (Beebe and Giles 1984) or speech design models (Bell 
1984; 2001) for an adequate explanation. 

This study highlights the complexity involved when multiple varieties 
are present in the acquisition context, which is arguably the norm 
rather than the exception in this current age of unprecedented 
geographic, social, and occupational mobility (Chambers 2002). It also 
reminds us of the importance of scrutinising from several perspectives 
the nature of input in L2 phonology (Moyer 2011; Piske and Young-
Scholten 2009). Without a clear understanding of the diversity present 
in the input, it is difficult to make any solid claims about learners' 
phonological competence in a given target language. In addition, the 
seemingly conflicting results on the perceptual and production parts of 
the study underline how essential it is to analyse the acquisition 
outcome from several perspectives through task triangulation. 

 






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