Do Dutch learners reuse L1 non-final cues in English final voicing? Using Danish learners as controlsa)

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Psycholinguistics
• Second Language Acquisition

Background:

• Previous research suggested indirect evidence of native language (L1) auditory cue reuse in second language (L2) perception.
• The exact mechanisms and extent of this L1 influence on L2 auditory processing remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To directly investigate whether L1 experience with specific auditory cues is reused in L2 perception.
• To compare L2 English perception abilities between learners with and without relevant L1 auditory cues.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of L2 English obstruent voicing perception between native Dutch speakers and native Danish speakers.
• Utilized naturally produced and manipulated English stimuli to analyze cue usage.

Main Results:

• Dutch listeners demonstrated superior performance in perceiving the English final obstruent voicing contrast compared to Danish listeners.
• Dutch listeners exhibited greater reliance on the periodicity cue in manipulated English stimuli.

Conclusions:

• The findings provide direct evidence supporting the reuse of L1 auditory cue experience in L2 perception.
• L1 phonological inventories and cue usage significantly influence the acquisition of L2 sound contrasts.