A Multidimensional Analysis of English-L2 Rhythm Development

Abstract

This work aims to discuss the development of L2 English rhythm by Brazilian learners (L2ers) through rhythmic metrics and acoustic parameters. Five L2ers were recorded reading a text in English at the beginning of their college studies in English Language and Literature, and again, four semesters later, after having taken two English phonology courses. They were also recorded reading a Portuguese version of the same text. As for the control group, five native speakers of a North American variety of English were recorded reading the text in English. Data were manually segmented in PRAAT, and the indexes were automatically extracted. As for English-L2, different developmental paths were captured as function of the rhythm dimension, with L1 influencing more L2ers’ rhythm in the f0 and intensity dimensions. Crucially, L2 rhythm patterns converged to the target language in all dimensions, suggesting positive effects of explicit pronunciation teaching. Keywords: phonological acquisition; prosody; rhythmic metrics; acoustic parameters; explicit instruction.