Accuracy of perception and production of compound and phrasal stress by Vietnamese-Australians

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study considered the accuracy of perception and production of the compound-phrasal contrast by Vietnamese-Australians learning English and examined phonological, demographic, and speaker normalization factors that might influence acquisition of the contrast. In the study, 32 Vietnamese subjects took part; their performance on the perception part of the study was compared to that of 32 native English-speaking Australians. Complexity of phonological environment, in terms of number of syllables and consonant clusters alien to Vietnamese phonology, and length of residence in Australia were found to be the major factors influencing both the perception and production of the contrast. Accuracy of perception and production were highly correlated. Australian subjects, while performing significantly better than Vietnamese subjects on the perception task, nevertheless demonstrated the same pattern of accuracy across different levels of phonological complexity as had the latter.