The L1 perception of English vowels and its implications for L2 acquisition: sub-phonemic 'reliance' in the perception of the /i/-/I/ contrast

Paola R. Escudero

The perception of phonological contrasts is based on the integration of multiple acoustic cues. That is, there is a many-to-one relation: more than one sub-phonemic cue signals the same phonemic contrast. Likewise, the cues manifest a relative effect on the perception of contrasts. In other words, speakers have a particular weighting of the different sub-phonemic information. In order to attain native-like perception in a second language (L2), the speaker needs to learn the exact target-like cue weighting of a contrast and not just to distinguish the two sounds involved.

This presentation will show a comparative study of the L1 (first language) and L2 perception of the English /i/-/I/ vowel contrast. The findings show that speakers of Scottish English use both spectral and durational cues for perceiving the contrast but have a higher reliance on spectral information. Conversely, experienced L2 speakers of English (L1 Spanish) may use both cues but rely on durational ones more than native speakers do. This suggests that there is an intermediate stage where the learners perceive TL contrasts using non-native cue weighting. It will also be suggested that a mapping perception/production might enhance the detection of native-like reliance and a possibility for ultimate attainment.