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

Silveira, Rosane

doi:10.1590/S1984-63982002000100006

Abstracts

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 part ially 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.

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 simpl ificação 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 util izaram a vogal curta podem estar desenvolvendo uma categoria distinta para o padrão silábico testado.

Perception and production of English initial /s/ clusters by Brazilian learners¹ 1 I would like to thank Professor Barbara O. Baptista and the two anonymous reviewers for the comments and suggestions.

Rosane Silveira

Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

ABSTRACT

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 part ially 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.

RESUMO

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 simpl ificação 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 util izaram a vogal curta podem estar desenvolvendo uma categoria distinta para o padrão silábico testado.

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References

ABRAHAMSSON, N. Vowel epenthesis of initial /sC(C)/ cluster in Spanish speakers'L1 and L2 production: puzzle or evidence for natural phonology? In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER, J. (Ed.) New Sounds 97: Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on the Acquisi t ion of Second-language Speech. Klagenfurt: University of Klagenfurt, 1997. p. 8-16.

CÂMARA, J.M. Estrutura da Língua Portuguesa. 8^a ed. Petrópolis: Editora Vozes, 1970.

CARLISLE, R.S. The influence of environment on vowel epenthesis in Spanish/English Interphonology. Applied Linguistics, v. 12, n.1, p. 76-95, 1991.

CARLISLE, R.S. Environment and markedness as interacting constraints onepenthesis. In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER, J. (Ed.) New Sounds 92: Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on the Acquisition of Second-language Speech. Klagenfurt: University of Klagenfurt, 1992. p. 64-75.

CARLISLE, R.S. Markedness and environment as internal constraints on the variability of interlanguage phonology. In: YAVAS, H. (Ed.) First and second language phonology. San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, Inc. 1994. p. 223-249.

CARLISLE, R.S. The acquisition of onsets in a markedness relationship: a longitudinal study. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, v.20, p. 245- 260, 1998.

CRISTÓFARO, T. S. Fonética e fonologia do português roteiro de estudos e guia de exercícios. São Paulo: Contexto, 1999.

ECKMAN, F.R. The structural conformity hypothesis and the acquisition of consonant clusters in the interlanguage of ESL learners. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, v.13, n.1, p. 23-41, 1991.

ECKMAN, F.R. & IVERSON, G.K. Sonority and markedness among onset clusters in the interlanguage of ESL learners. Second Language Research, v. 9, n.3, p. 234- 252, 1993.

ECKMAN, F.R. & IVERSON, G.K. Pronunciation difficulties in ESL: coda consonants in English Interlanguage. In: YAVAS, H. (Ed.) First and second language phonology. San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, Inc., 1994. p. 251-265.

FERNANDES, P.R.C. A Epêntese Vocálica na Interfonologia do Português Brasileiro. 1997, 121 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Letras) Escola de Educação, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas FLEGE, J.E. Effects of equivalence classification on the production of foreign language speech sounds. In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER, J. (Ed.) Sound patterns of second language acquisition. Dortrecht: Foris, 1987. p. 9-39.

FLEGE, J. E. Factors affecting degree of perceived foreign accent in English sentences. Journal of Acoustic Society, v. 84, n. 1, p. 70-79, 1988.

FLEGE, J. E. Second language speech learning theory, findings and problems. In: STRANGE, W. (Ed.) Speech perception and linguistic experience. Baltimore: York Press, 1995. p. 233-277.

ISTRE, G.L. Fonologia transformacional e natural: uma introdução crítica. Florianópolis: UFSC, 1983.

KOERICH, R.D. Perception and Production of Vowel Epenthesis in Word Final Single Consonant Codas. (em andamento). Tese (Doutorado em Língua Inglesa) Programa de Pós-Graduação em Língua Inglesa e Literatura Correspondente, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianóplois.

MAJOR, R.C. A model for interlanguage phonology. In: IOUP, G.; WEINBERGER, S.H. (Ed.) Interlanguage phonology: the acquisition of a second language sound system. New York: Newbury House, 1987. p. 101- 124.

MAJOR, R.C. Current trends in interlanguage phonology. In: YAVAS, H. (Ed.) First and second language phonology. San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, Inc. 1994, p. 181-203.

NEUFELD, Gerald Phonological asymmetry in L2 percept ion and production. In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER, J. (Ed.) New Sounds 97: Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on the Acquisition of Second-language Speech. Klagenfurt: University of Klagenfurt, 1997. p. 176-185.

PRATOR, C.H.J.; ROBINETT, B.W. Manual of American English Pronunciation. 4. Ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1985.

REBELLO, J.T. The Acquisition of English Initial /s/ Clusters by Brazilian Learners. 1997, 198 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Língua Inglesa) Programa de Pós-Graduação em Língua Inglesa e Literatura Correspondente, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianóplois.

ROCHET, B.L. Percept ion and production of second-language speech sounds by adults. In: STRANGE, W. (Ed.), Speech perception and linguistic experience: issues in cross linguistic research. Timonium: York, 1995. p. 379-410.

SILVA FILHO, J. The Product ion of English Syllable-Final Consonants by Brazilian Learners. 1998, 123 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Língua Inglesa) Programa de Pós-Graduação em Língua Inglesa e Literatura Correspondente, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianóplois. TROPF, H. Sonority as a variability factor in second language phonology. In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER (Ed.), Sound patterns in second language phonology. Dordrecht: Foris, 1986. p. 173-191.

ABRAHAMSSON, N. Vowel epenthesis of initial /sC(C)/ cluster in Spanish speakers'L1 and L2 production: puzzle or evidence for natural phonology? In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER, J. (Ed.) New Sounds 97: Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on the Acquisi t ion of Second-language Speech Klagenfurt: University of Klagenfurt, 1997. p. 8-16.
CÂMARA, J.M. Estrutura da Língua Portuguesa. 8^a ed. Petrópolis: Editora Vozes, 1970.
CARLISLE, R.S. The influence of environment on vowel epenthesis in Spanish/English Interphonology. Applied Linguistics, v. 12, n.1, p. 76-95, 1991.
CARLISLE, R.S. Environment and markedness as interacting constraints onepenthesis. In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER, J. (Ed.) New Sounds 92: Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on the Acquisition of Second-language Speech Klagenfurt: University of Klagenfurt, 1992. p. 64-75.
CARLISLE, R.S. Markedness and environment as internal constraints on the variability of interlanguage phonology. In: YAVAS, H. (Ed.) First and second language phonology. San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, Inc. 1994. p. 223-249.
CARLISLE, R.S. The acquisition of onsets in a markedness relationship: a longitudinal study. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, v.20, p. 245- 260, 1998.
CRISTÓFARO, T. S. Fonética e fonologia do português roteiro de estudos e guia de exercícios. São Paulo: Contexto, 1999.
ECKMAN, F.R. The structural conformity hypothesis and the acquisition of consonant clusters in the interlanguage of ESL learners. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, v.13, n.1, p. 23-41, 1991.
ECKMAN, F.R. & IVERSON, G.K. Sonority and markedness among onset clusters in the interlanguage of ESL learners. Second Language Research, v. 9, n.3, p. 234- 252, 1993.
ECKMAN, F.R. & IVERSON, G.K. Pronunciation difficulties in ESL: coda consonants in English Interlanguage. In: YAVAS, H. (Ed.) First and second language phonology San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, Inc., 1994. p. 251-265.
FERNANDES, P.R.C. A Epêntese Vocálica na Interfonologia do Português Brasileiro 1997, 121 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Letras) Escola de Educação, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas FLEGE,
J.E. Effects of equivalence classification on the production of foreign language speech sounds. In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER, J. (Ed.) Sound patterns of second language acquisition. Dortrecht: Foris, 1987. p. 9-39.
FLEGE, J. E. Factors affecting degree of perceived foreign accent in English sentences. Journal of Acoustic Society, v. 84, n. 1, p. 70-79, 1988.
FLEGE, J. E. Second language speech learning theory, findings and problems. In: STRANGE, W. (Ed.) Speech perception and linguistic experience. Baltimore: York Press, 1995. p. 233-277.
ISTRE, G.L. Fonologia transformacional e natural: uma introdução crítica. Florianópolis: UFSC, 1983.
KOERICH, R.D. Perception and Production of Vowel Epenthesis in Word Final Single Consonant Codas (em andamento). Tese (Doutorado em Língua Inglesa) Programa de Pós-Graduação em Língua Inglesa e Literatura Correspondente, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianóplois.
MAJOR, R.C. A model for interlanguage phonology. In: IOUP, G.; WEINBERGER, S.H. (Ed.) Interlanguage phonology: the acquisition of a second language sound system. New York: Newbury House, 1987. p. 101- 124.
MAJOR, R.C. Current trends in interlanguage phonology. In: YAVAS, H. (Ed.) First and second language phonology. San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, Inc. 1994, p. 181-203.
NEUFELD, Gerald Phonological asymmetry in L2 percept ion and production. In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER, J. (Ed.) New Sounds 97: Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on the Acquisition of Second-language Speech Klagenfurt: University of Klagenfurt, 1997. p. 176-185.
PRATOR, C.H.J.; ROBINETT, B.W. Manual of American English Pronunciation. 4. Ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1985.
REBELLO, J.T. The Acquisition of English Initial /s/ Clusters by Brazilian Learners. 1997, 198 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Língua Inglesa) Programa de Pós-Graduação em Língua Inglesa e Literatura Correspondente, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianóplois.
ROCHET, B.L. Percept ion and production of second-language speech sounds by adults. In: STRANGE, W. (Ed.), Speech perception and linguistic experience: issues in cross linguistic research Timonium: York, 1995. p. 379-410.
SILVA FILHO, J. The Product ion of English Syllable-Final Consonants by Brazilian Learners 1998, 123 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Língua Inglesa) Programa de Pós-Graduação em Língua Inglesa e Literatura Correspondente, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianóplois.
TROPF, H. Sonority as a variability factor in second language phonology. In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER (Ed.), Sound patterns in second language phonology. Dordrecht: Foris, 1986. p. 173-191.

1

I would like to thank Professor Barbara O. Baptista and the two anonymous reviewers for the comments and suggestions.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
11 June 2013
Date of issue
2002

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] ABRAHAMSSON, N. Vowel epenthesis of initial /sC(C)/ cluster in Spanish speakers'L1 and L2 production: puzzle or evidence for natural phonology? In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER, J. (Ed.) New Sounds 97: Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on the Acquisi t ion of Second-language Speech Klagenfurt: University of Klagenfurt, 1997. p. 8-16.

[2] CÂMARA, J.M. Estrutura da Língua Portuguesa. 8^a ed. Petrópolis: Editora Vozes, 1970.

[3] CARLISLE, R.S. The influence of environment on vowel epenthesis in Spanish/English Interphonology. Applied Linguistics, v. 12, n.1, p. 76-95, 1991.

[4] CARLISLE, R.S. Environment and markedness as interacting constraints onepenthesis. In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER, J. (Ed.) New Sounds 92: Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on the Acquisition of Second-language Speech Klagenfurt: University of Klagenfurt, 1992. p. 64-75.

[5] CARLISLE, R.S. Markedness and environment as internal constraints on the variability of interlanguage phonology. In: YAVAS, H. (Ed.) First and second language phonology. San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, Inc. 1994. p. 223-249.

[6] CARLISLE, R.S. The acquisition of onsets in a markedness relationship: a longitudinal study. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, v.20, p. 245- 260, 1998.

[7] CRISTÓFARO, T. S. Fonética e fonologia do português roteiro de estudos e guia de exercícios. São Paulo: Contexto, 1999.

[8] ECKMAN, F.R. The structural conformity hypothesis and the acquisition of consonant clusters in the interlanguage of ESL learners. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, v.13, n.1, p. 23-41, 1991.

[9] ECKMAN, F.R. & IVERSON, G.K. Sonority and markedness among onset clusters in the interlanguage of ESL learners. Second Language Research, v. 9, n.3, p. 234- 252, 1993.

[10] ECKMAN, F.R. & IVERSON, G.K. Pronunciation difficulties in ESL: coda consonants in English Interlanguage. In: YAVAS, H. (Ed.) First and second language phonology San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, Inc., 1994. p. 251-265.

[11] FERNANDES, P.R.C. A Epêntese Vocálica na Interfonologia do Português Brasileiro 1997, 121 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Letras) Escola de Educação, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas FLEGE,

[12] J.E. Effects of equivalence classification on the production of foreign language speech sounds. In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER, J. (Ed.) Sound patterns of second language acquisition. Dortrecht: Foris, 1987. p. 9-39.

[13] FLEGE, J. E. Factors affecting degree of perceived foreign accent in English sentences. Journal of Acoustic Society, v. 84, n. 1, p. 70-79, 1988.

[14] FLEGE, J. E. Second language speech learning theory, findings and problems. In: STRANGE, W. (Ed.) Speech perception and linguistic experience. Baltimore: York Press, 1995. p. 233-277.

[15] ISTRE, G.L. Fonologia transformacional e natural: uma introdução crítica. Florianópolis: UFSC, 1983.

[16] KOERICH, R.D. Perception and Production of Vowel Epenthesis in Word Final Single Consonant Codas (em andamento). Tese (Doutorado em Língua Inglesa) Programa de Pós-Graduação em Língua Inglesa e Literatura Correspondente, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianóplois.

[17] MAJOR, R.C. A model for interlanguage phonology. In: IOUP, G.; WEINBERGER, S.H. (Ed.) Interlanguage phonology: the acquisition of a second language sound system. New York: Newbury House, 1987. p. 101- 124.

[18] MAJOR, R.C. Current trends in interlanguage phonology. In: YAVAS, H. (Ed.) First and second language phonology. San Diego: Singular Publishing Group, Inc. 1994, p. 181-203.

[19] NEUFELD, Gerald Phonological asymmetry in L2 percept ion and production. In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER, J. (Ed.) New Sounds 97: Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on the Acquisition of Second-language Speech Klagenfurt: University of Klagenfurt, 1997. p. 176-185.

[20] PRATOR, C.H.J.; ROBINETT, B.W. Manual of American English Pronunciation. 4. Ed. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1985.

[21] REBELLO, J.T. The Acquisition of English Initial /s/ Clusters by Brazilian Learners. 1997, 198 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Língua Inglesa) Programa de Pós-Graduação em Língua Inglesa e Literatura Correspondente, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianóplois.

[22] ROCHET, B.L. Percept ion and production of second-language speech sounds by adults. In: STRANGE, W. (Ed.), Speech perception and linguistic experience: issues in cross linguistic research Timonium: York, 1995. p. 379-410.

[23] SILVA FILHO, J. The Product ion of English Syllable-Final Consonants by Brazilian Learners 1998, 123 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Língua Inglesa) Programa de Pós-Graduação em Língua Inglesa e Literatura Correspondente, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianóplois.

[24] TROPF, H. Sonority as a variability factor in second language phonology. In: JAMES, A.; LEATHER (Ed.), Sound patterns in second language phonology. Dordrecht: Foris, 1986. p. 173-191.