Continuous speech segmentation by L1 and L2 speakers of English: the role of syntactic and prosodic cues

Abstract

We investigated how native and fluent users of English segment continuous speech and to what extent they use sound-related and structure-related cues. As suggested by the notion of multi-competence, L1 users are not seen as ideal models with perfect command of English, and L2 users not as lacking in competence. We wanted to see how language experience affects speech segmentation. We had participants listen to extracts of spontaneous spoken English and asked them to mark boundaries between speech segments. We found that in chunking authentic speech, both groups made the most use of prosody, with L1 users relying slightly more on it. However, the groups did not differ in segmentation strategies and performed alike in efficiency and agreement. Results show that in line with multi-competence, native speakers do not have an advantage over fluent speakers in higher-level speech processes, and that the outcome of natural speech comprehension does not significantly depend on the different language experiences at high levels of fluency. We suggest that research on speech segmentation should take natural continuous speech on board and investigate fluent users independently of their L1s to gain a more holistic view of processes and consequences of speech segmentation.