Voice Onset Timing in the English of Spanish Heritage Speakers

Abstract

The phonological system of bilinguals has been the subject of many recent studies. Several studies have specifically looked at Voice Onset Time (VOT) production in bilinguals in order to answer questions about the phonological system or systems of different types of bilinguals. For example, prior studies have looked at the effects of bilingual phonological production based on age of acquisition of a second language, cross-linguistic influence, and childhood experience with the language. This study will specifically examine the VOT production of a group of bilingual English-Spanish students who are enrolled in a Spanish as a Heritage Language Program (henceforth, SHL) at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This population is of particular interest as Spanish and English have been in long-standing contact in this region of the country. This study will measure the VOT of this diverse group of bilinguals in order to assess whether and to what extent exposure to and/or proficiency in Spanish has an effect on the production of English VOTs in this region of the country.