Making Room for Second Language Phonotactics: Effects of L2 Learning and Environment on First Language Speech Perception

Abstract

Language-specific restrictions on sound sequences in words can lead to automatic perceptual repair of illicit sound sequences. As an example, no Spanish words begin with /s/-consonant sequences ([#sC]), and where necessary (e.g., foreign loanwords) [#sC] is repaired by inserting an initial [e], (e.g. foreign loanwords, cf., esnob, from English snob). As a result, Spanish speakers tend to perceive an illusory [e] before [#sC] sequences. Interestingly, this perceptual illusion is weaker in early Spanish-English bilinguals, whose other language, English, allows [#sC]. The present study explored whether this apparent influence of the English language on Spanish is restricted to early bilinguals, whose early language experience includes a mixture of both languages, or whether later learning of second language (L2) English can also induce a weakening of the first language (L1) perceptual illusion. Two groups of late Spanish-English bilinguals, immersed in Spanish or English, were tested on the same Spanish AX (same-different) discrimination task used in a study by Carlson et al., (2016) and their results compared with the Spanish monolinguals from Carlson et al.'s study. Like early bilinguals, late bilinguals exhibited a reduced impact of perceptual prothesis on discrimination accuracy. Additionally, late bilinguals, particularly in English immersion, were slowest when responding against the Spanish perceptual illusion. Robust L1 perceptual illusions thus appear to be malleable in the face of later L2 learning. It is argued that these results are consonant with the need for late bilinguals to navigate alternative, conflicting representations of the same acoustic material, even in unilingual L1 speech perception tasks.

Ease and Difficulty in L2 Phonology: A Mini-Review

“…Cabrelli et al (2019), looking at Brazilian Portuguese learners of English coda consonants, also demonstrate that L2 learners can restructure their phonological grammars insofar as the L2 learners are licensing coda consonants which are not found in the L1. Carlson (2018) found similar effects in L1 Spanish. Garcia (2020) describes an interesting case where a property of the L2 (stress placement) which could be acquired on the basis of transferring an L1 property of weight-sensitivity is, in fact, difficult to acquire because another property of the L1 is able to account for the L2 data, and this property (positional bias) is more robust in the L2 input.…”

Listeners’ Linguistic Experience Affects the Degree of Perceived Nativeness of First Language Pronunciation

“…If we assume that L1-modifications resulting from L2 learning experience do not only influence speech production, but also affect speech perception, then it might be argued that the bilingual listeners in the present study have experienced underlying changes in their perception of L1 speech, triggered by their own bilingual background and L2 learning experience. Despite the fact that most studies examining phenomena of L1-L2 interactions in late sequential bilinguals focus on speech production either at the segmental level (e.g., Mayr et al, 2012;Stoehr et al, 2017;Kornder and Mennen, 2021) or at the level of global accent (e.g., De Leeuw et al, 2010;Bergmann et al, 2016;Mayr et al, 2020), some investigations set out to explore to what extent L1 speech perception in adult listeners is influenced by the L2 (Caramazza et al, 1973;Flege et al, 1999;Major, 2010;Alcorn and Smiljanic, 2017;Cabrelli Amaro, 2017;Carlson, 2018;Cabrelli et al, 2019). These studies either examine bilinguals' ability to discriminate native vs. non-native L1 pronunciation (Major, 2010), or assess bilingual listeners' perceptions of individual L1 segments, sound contrasts, or suprasegmental features (e.g., Caramazza et al, 1973;Flege et al, 1999;Alcorn and Smiljanic, 2017;Cabrelli Amaro, 2017;Carlson, 2018;Cabrelli et al, 2019).…”

“…Despite the fact that most studies examining phenomena of L1-L2 interactions in late sequential bilinguals focus on speech production either at the segmental level (e.g., Mayr et al, 2012;Stoehr et al, 2017;Kornder and Mennen, 2021) or at the level of global accent (e.g., De Leeuw et al, 2010;Bergmann et al, 2016;Mayr et al, 2020), some investigations set out to explore to what extent L1 speech perception in adult listeners is influenced by the L2 (Caramazza et al, 1973;Flege et al, 1999;Major, 2010;Alcorn and Smiljanic, 2017;Cabrelli Amaro, 2017;Carlson, 2018;Cabrelli et al, 2019). These studies either examine bilinguals' ability to discriminate native vs. non-native L1 pronunciation (Major, 2010), or assess bilingual listeners' perceptions of individual L1 segments, sound contrasts, or suprasegmental features (e.g., Caramazza et al, 1973;Flege et al, 1999;Alcorn and Smiljanic, 2017;Cabrelli Amaro, 2017;Carlson, 2018;Cabrelli et al, 2019). Some of these investigations provide evidence for a partial perceptual restructuring of the L1, showing that a late-acquired L2 does not only influence L1 production, but might also have an effect on L1 perception abilities (see e.g., Cabrelli et al, 2019, for Portuguese-English;Carlson, 2018, for Spanish-English;Celata and Cancila, 2010, for Lucchese-English).…”

“…In this context, we also examined if the extent to which bilinguals are perceived to sound (non-)native in their L1 pronunciation changes at different stages after immigrating to an L2 speaking country, judged by the rater groups described above. The decision to include two rater groups differing in terms of their language background is based on recent findings concerning L2 phonetic and phonological influences on L1 perception, showing that bilinguals' L1 perceptive abilities might be modified as a result of L2 learning experience (e.g., Celata and Cancila, 2010;Major, 2010;Carlson, 2018;Cabrelli et al, 2019). Hence, the present study sought to determine if differences in listeners' linguistic background may lead to differences in their perception of L1 nativeness.…”

Visual Word Recognition in Bilinguals

“…Previous investigations have examined whether bilinguals access L1 constraints when processing L1-conflicting L2 words (e.g., Freeman et al, 2021Parlato-Oliveira et al, 2010Weber & Cutler, 2006); however, input was presented auditorily. Moreover, bilinguals and monolinguals may even perceptually repair these conflicting sound sequences to make them more L1-like (Carlson, 2018;Carlson et al, 2016;Dupoux et al, 2008;Hallé et al, 2008;Parlato-Oliveira et al, 2010). For example, findings from Freeman et al (2016Freeman et al ( , 2021 suggest that bilinguals activate L1 phonotactic constraints during L2 processing.…”