Work

Native English speakers learning Arabic: The influence of novel orthographic information on second language phonological acquisition

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Recent research has indicated that learners exposed to second language words’ orthographic forms of words can often use this information to make inferences about the words’ phonological forms. Here we asked, do learners benefit even when the orthography is unfamiliar? We taught native English speakers minimal nonword pairs differentiated by the Arabic velar–uvular contrast (e.g., [kubu], [qubu]) and manipulated the quality of orthographic input. We found that participants were consistently unable to associate the novel phonemes with novel words. Results are discussed in terms of (a) the role of orthographic input in second language word form learning, (b) the influence of orthographic familiarity in moderating the role of orthographic input, and (c) the issue of talker variability in word learning.

Source: Applied Psycholinguistics

DOI: 10.1017/s0142716414000411

Authors: CATHERINE E. SHOWALTER, RACHEL HAYES-HARB

Institutions: Indiana University, University of Utah

Language: English

Topic: Phonetics and Phonology Research

Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,550