Perception of French vowels by American English adults with and without French language experience

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of language experience and consonantal context on American English (AE) listeners' discrimination of contrasts involving Parisian French vowels /y, oe, u, i/. Vowels were produced in /rabVp/ and /radVt/ nonsense disyllables in carrier phrases by 3 speakers and presented in a categorial AXB discrimination task. Two groups were tested: AE listeners who had studied French extensively beginning after age 13 (Exp) and non-French-speaking AE listeners (Inexp). Overall, the Exp gro…