Orthography affects second language speech: Double letters and geminate production in English

Area of Science:

• Psycholinguistics
• Second Language Acquisition
• Phonetics

Background:

• Second language (L2) learners often encounter pronunciation challenges due to differences between their native language and the L2.
• Orthographic forms (spellings) in L2 can impact spoken output, potentially leading to non-native-like pronunciation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if L2 orthography can induce phonological contrasts in speech production that are absent in the target language.
• To examine how native orthography-phonology mappings influence L2 pronunciation.

Main Methods:

• Experiment 1: Native English speakers and Italian L2 speakers read English words with single vs. double target consonants; consonant duration was measured.
• Experiment 2: Italian L2 speakers performed a delayed word repetition task with and without orthographic input to assess the effect of visual spelling.

Main Results:

• Italian L2 speakers exhibited longer consonant durations for double consonant spellings compared to single consonant spellings in English words.
• Native English speakers' consonant duration was unaffected by single vs. double consonant spelling.
• Orthographic effects on consonant duration were observed in L2 speakers regardless of the presence of orthographic input during a repetition task.

Conclusions:

• L2 orthographic forms can lead experienced L2 speakers to produce phonological contrasts not present in the L2.
• The study provides evidence for the influence of native language orthography-phonology mappings on L2 production.
• Findings have implications for understanding L2 phonological development and the impact of spelling on pronunciation.