Linguistic Perception and Second Language Acquisition Explaining the attainment of optimal phonological categorization Published by LOT phone: +31 30 253 6006 Trans 10 fax: +31 30 253 6000 3512 JK Utrecht e-mail: [email protected] The Netherlands http://wwwlot.let.uu.nl/ Cover illustration: painting by Mike Sharwood Smith ISBN 90-76864-80-2 NUR 632 Copyright © 2005: Paola Escudero. All rights reserved. Linguistic Perception and Second Language Acquisition Explaining the attainment of optimal phonological categorization Linguïstische Perceptie en Tweedetaalverwerving, of hoe men leert optimaal fonologisch te categoriseren (with summaries in Spanish, English, and Dutch) Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Utrecht op gezag van de Rector Magnificus, Prof. dr. W. H. Gispen, ingevolge het besluit van het College voor Promoties in het openbaar te verdedigen op dinsdag 8 november 2005 des middags te 12:45 uur door Paola Rocío Escudero Neyra geboren op 5 december 1976 te Lima, Perú Promotoren: Prof. dr. W. Zonneveld Prof. dr. P.P.G. Boersma (UvA) Co-promotor: dr. R.W.J. Kager A Marco y Rocío, los cimientos y pilares de mi vida Contents 0 Introduction…………………………………………………………… .... 1 0.1 Why L2 perception? ……………………………………………………1 0.2 Contribution and outline…………………………………………….. 4 PART I: LINGUISTIC MODELLING OF SOUND PERCEPTION AND ITS ACQUISITION 1 Modelling speech perception………………………………………… ……7 1.1 Modelling speech perception as an auditory mapping ……….…….… 9 1.1.1 Speech perception as a single universal mapping ………………… 9 1.1.2 Speech perception has a universal and a linguistic component………. 11 1.2 Evidence for the linguistic nature of speech perception………………13 1.2.1 Auditory perception versus linguistic perception………………… 14 1.2.2 Language-specific one-dimensional sound categorization. ……… 17 1.2.3 Language-specific auditory cue integration…...………….……… 21 1.3 Modelling speech perception as a language-specific phenomenon….. 26 1.3.1 Language-specific perception within phonetics………….……… 27 1.3.2 Language-specific perception within psycholinguistics…..……… 29 1.3.3 Language-specific perception within phonology………..………. 32 1.4 Summary and implications..……………………………….. ……… 35 1.4.1 Resolving the nature of sound representation………….……… 36 1.4.2 How to model linguistic perceptual mappings………..………… 37 1.4.3 Implications for a comprehensive model of sound categorization 38 2 Linguistic Perception (LP): a phonological model of sound perception ................................................................................................................41 2.1 The elements of Linguistic Perception (LP)..................................................42 2.1.1 Perceptual mapping component: the perception grammar .....................44 2.1.2 Representational component: the perceptual input.................................49 2.2 The optimal perception hypothesis ............................................................52 2.2.1 Optimal one-dimensional categorization..............................................53 2.2.2 Optimal cue integration...........................................................................58 2.3 Acquiring optimal L1 linguistic perception...............................................65 2.3.1 Initial perception grammar......................................................................66 ii CONTENTS 2.3.2 The Gradual Learning Algorithm (GLA).............................................68 2.3.3 Learning mechanism 1: one-dimensional auditory-driven learning.......................................................................................................71 2.3.4 Learning mechanism 2: lexicon-driven learning and cue integration..................................................................................................75 2.4 The proposal for word recognition ............................................................77 2.4.1 Lexical representations and recognition grammar ..............................77 2.4.2 The L1 acquisition of optimal L1 recognition.....................................79 2.4.3 Summary: adult Linguistic Perception and its L1 acquisition ...........81 PART II: MODELLING THE L2 ACQUISITION OF SOUND PERCEPTION 3 The Second Language Linguistic Perception (L2LP) model.................85 3.1 The L2LP model: five ingredients ..............................................................85 3.1.1 Distinction between perceptual mappings and sound categories... 86 3.1.2 L2LP ingredient 1: optimal L1 perception and optimal target L2 perception...........................................................................................87 3.1.2.1 L2LP ingredient 1: prediction and explanation.........................88 3.1.2.2 L2LP phonological/phonetic description..................................89 3.1.3 The logical states of L2 sound perception and the L2LP model .....94 3.2 L2LP ingredient 2: the L2 initial state ........................................................97 3.2.1 L2LP prediction: L2 initial equals cross-language perception.........98 3.2.2 Background explanation: L1 Transfer.................................................99 3.2.3 L2LP explanation/description .............................................................100 3.2.3.1 Full Copying of L1 perceptual mappings ................................101 3.2.3.2 Already-categorized versus non-previously categorized dimensions....................................................................................102 3.2.3.3 Phonemic equation and category re-use..................................104 3.3 Ingredient 3: The L2 learning task...........................................................105 3.3.1 Prediction: learning task equals cross-language difference .............105 3.3.2 Explanation/description: perceptual and representational tasks ..........................................................................................................107 3.3.2.1 L2LP perceptual task: Changing and creating mappings .....107 3.3.2.2 L2 representational task: Changing the number of L2 categories.......................................................................................109 CONTENTS iii 3.4 Ingredient 4: L2 development ...................................................................109 3.4.1 L2LP prediction: L2 development equals L1 development ...........111 3.4.2 Background explanation: access to development and learning mechanisms .............................................................................................111 3.4.3 L2LP explanation/description: Full Access to the GLA.................112 3.4.3.1 GLA category formation in L2 development .........................112 3.4.3.2 GLA category boundary shifts in L2 development ..............113 3.5 Ingredient 5: the L2 end state....................................................................113 3.5.1 L2LP prediction: optimal L2 and optimal L1....................................114 3.5.2 Background explanation: limitations for the L2 end state...............115 3.5.2.1 The role of cognitive plasticity and the L2 input....................115 3.5.2.2 The interrelation between the L1 and the L2……… …. .. 116 3.5.3 L2LP explanation/description: Input versus plasticity ....................117 3.5.3.1 Rich L2 input overrules small cognitive plasticity..................117 3.5.3.2 The hypothesis of separate perception grammars..................118 3.6 Summary and L2LP sound perception scenarios...................................121 3.6.1 Learning scenarios: L2LP prediction/explanation............................123 3.6.2 Scenarios: L2LP description of the different learning tasks ...........124 4 A review of other L2 sound perception models .........................................127 4.1 Aim and scope of five L2 perception models.........................................127 4.2 Speech perception and its acquisition ......................................................128 4.2.1 Speech perception in phonological models of L2 sound perception ................................................................................................129 4.2.2 Speech perception within phonetic models of L2 perception .......130 4.2.3 L1 acquisition within the five models .................................................131 4.2.4 Comparison with the L2LP’s framework model...............................132 4.3 L2 sound perception ...................................................................................135 4.3.1 L2 initial state ..........................................................................................135 4.3.1.1 Major’s OPM and Brown’s PIM...............................................135 4.3.1.2 PAM, NLM, and SLM............................................................... 136 4.3.1.3 Comparison with the L2LP initial state ...................................137 4.3.2 L2 development......................................................................................139 4.3.2.1 OPM and PIM's developmental proposals………………. 139 4.3.2.2 PAM, NLM, and SLM's developmental proposals..…….. 140 4.3.2.3 Comparison with the L2LP developmental state .. …… 141 iv CONTENTS 4.3.3 L2 end state .............................................................................................143 4.3.3.1 Comparison with the L2LP end state…………………… 145 4.3.4 L2 sound perception scenarios.............................................................146 4.3.4.1 Comparison with the L2LP scenarios………….....…….…149 4.4 Summary and general comparison with the L2LP model.....................150