Arabic and English Phonotactic Convergence: A Case Study

Abstract

Learning a second language bears traces of the first language at different levels and with differing degrees. The number of studies devoted to the morpho-syntactic and lexical outcomes of transfer seems to outnumber those investigating phonological ones. This paper tries to investigate variation in Algerian Arabic speakers’ performance of English as a second language with an emphasis on the phonological level. It further studies the production of English phonemes /t/ and /d/ by these learners. There are differences in the realisation of /t/ and /d/ in Arabic and English phonological paradigms. While they are realized as dentals in the former, they are produced as alveolars in the latter. The observation and investigation of the data under light for the present study reveal that, as learners of English, our informants display variation in the realization of /t/ and /d/ while using English in formal settings. These informants realize them as dentals in some English words and alveolars in some others. Our study is a trial to understand the reasons behind such variation. There seems to be some interference mechanism that does not operate at all phonological contexts. We further hypothesized that in addition to interference there are mechanisms of convergence between the phonotactics of the two languages operating in contact situation involving Algerian Arabic and English. The results of this investigation also reveal that the above mentioned hypotheses seem to be more plausible than the one related to informants’ English proficiency as a reason behind variation in the production of/t/ /d/and other English phonemes.