Deficits in the perception of English word-initial consonant clusters by Korean learners of English

Abstract

It is well known that Korean learners of English are deceived into perceiving an illusory epenthetic vowel when hearing consonant clusters. The purpose of this study is to investigate if this deficit in speech perception can be resolved as Korean learners improve their English skills. In previous literature, Lee (2010) conducted a perception test among Korean learners of English with four different proficiency levels: advanced, high-intermediate, intermediate, and low levels. In analyzing the experimental data, she calculated d-prime (d`) scores, based on which she concluded that all of the groups could successfully perceive English word-initial consonant clusters. The present study attempts to reanalyze Lee`s (2010) raw experimental data, employing a different method of analysis (A` scores) rather than d` scores. Contrary to Lee`s (2010) findings, it is found that all groups, even advanced learners, are unsuccessful in perceiving consonant clusters. It is therefore implied that an A` score is better than a d` score when we need insight into subjects` overall performance on a perception test. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that a speech perception deficit will be more difficult to resolve than a speech production deficit.