Perception and production of English initial /s/ clusters by Brazilian learners

Abstract

No presente estudo foi investigada a relação percepção-produção na aquisição de encontros consonantais iniciados em /s/, em início de palavra, na interlíngua de brasileiros aprendendo inglês como língua estrangeira. Além da interface percepção-produção, foram analisados outros fatores que podem vir a influenciar os dois processos, e.g., percepção deficiente, interferência da língua materna ou uma combinação desses e outros fatores. Os resultados validam parcialmente outros estudos que propõem a influência da percepção sobre a produção. Constatou-se também a supremacia da influência da língua materna em detrimento de fatores como Marcação e Estrutura Silábica Canônica Universal. A estratégia de simplificação silábica usada por todos os sujeitos foi a inserção de uma vogal diante de todos os tipos de encontros consonantais testados. Houve uma certa variação na qualidade da vogal proclítica (/i/ e /I/), sugerindo que os sujeitos que utilizaram a vogal curta podem estar desenvolvendo uma categoria distinta para o padrão silábico testado.The present study investigated the relationship between perception and production in the acquisition of word-initial /s/ clusters in the interlanguage of Brazilians learning English as a foreign language. In addition to the interface between perception and production, other factors that might influence both mental processes, e.g., faulty perception, L1 interference, or a combination of these factors, were taken into account. The results partially support studies which propose that perception influences production. There was also support for the power of L1 interference over Markedness and Universal Canonical Syllable Structure. Epenthesis was the strategy of syllable simplification present in all cluster types. Some subjects, though, resorted to a short epenthetic vowel (/I/), thus indicating that they might be developing a separate category for initial /s/ clusters. 1 I would like to thank Professor Barbara O. Baptista and the two anonymous reviewers for the comments and suggestions. 2 IntroductionIn his review of current trends in interlanguage phonology, Major (1994) observes that research in the area has moved from a single focus on transfer and contrastive analysis, to studies involving markedness, universal development factors and non-linear phonology. Among the issues that have been investigated in the area of interlanguage phonology, one that has been considerably studied is the second language (L2) learners' production of syllabic patterns absent from their first language (L1) inventory. (Silva Filho, 1998; Rebello, 1997;Fernandes, 1997;Abrahamsson, 1997;Carlisle, , 1992Carlisle, , 1994Carlisle, , 1998Eckman & Iverson, 1994;Abrahamsson, 1997; Koerich, forthcoming).Research has indicated that the two most important strategies of syllable simplification found in L2 renditions of illicit syllabic patterns are consonant deletion and vowel epenthesis. The latter is subdivided into prothesis-inserting a vowel before the / / segment (e.g., Brazilian learners may pronounce "sky" a...

Preceding Phonological Context and Cluster Type Effects on Word-Initial /S/-Cluster Pronunciation in Brazilian Portuguese/English Interphonology

“…The investigation concerned the perception and production of word--initial /σ/-clusters in BP/English interphonology in relation to two variables previously tested in the production domain by Rauber (2002Rauber ( , 2006, Silveira (2002), Cornelian (2003), and Rebello and Baptista (2006), namely -phonological context and cluster type. And in the perception domain by Silveira (2002), namely -cluster type.…”

“…And in the perception domain by Silveira (2002), namely -cluster type. The influence of phonological context had not been tested in the perception domain considering word-initial /σ/-clusters.…”

“…This research was motivated by conflicting results of studies in Brazilian Portuguese/English interphonology about the influence of preceding phonological context and cluster type in the production of word-initial /σ/-clusters ( REBELLO, 1997;RAUBER, 2002;SILVEIRA, 2002;CORNELIAN, 2003;RAUBER, 2006;BAPTISTA, 2006), and the lack of studies investigating such influence on perception. Differently from previous studies (e.g., RAUBER, 2006;BAPTISTA, 2006), preceding phonological context did not significantly affect the production of word-initial /σ/-clusters (x2 = 4.066, p = .254), thus Hypothesis 1 was refuted.…”

“…Research on production of word-initial /σ/-clusters by Brazilian learners of English (REBELLO, 1997;RAUBER, 2002;SILVEIRA, 2002;CORNELIAN, 2003;BAPTISTA, 2006;RAUBER, 2006) has shown that (1) Brazilian Portuguese phonotactics do not allow word-initial /σ/-clusters causing learners to turn /σC(C)/ into /VσC(C)/; also, (2) the Brazilian Portuguese process of voicing assimilation to the following sound tends to make learners produce /ζ/+sonorant instead of /σ/+sonorant. Different studies have provided different hierarchies of difficulty in production of word-initial /σC(C)/.…”

“…Hypothesis 5: There will be a positive correlation between identification and production of word-initial /s/-clusters. Background: Silveira (2002).…”