L2 Accent Research Articles

The Interplay of Cross-Linguistic Differences and Context in L2 Idiom Comprehension

The present study investigates to what extent the effect of cross-linguistic differences on L2 idiom comprehension is modulated by the presence of a context. Sixty students of German as a foreign language (L1 French) completed a comprehension test consisting of metaphorical idioms in the L2 that differed from their L1 equivalents conceptually and formally and were presented with or without context. The results show that an increasing degree of conceptual and formal distance as well as the absence of context are generally associated with lower performance in the idiom comprehension test. However, the analysis of interactions shows that the presence of the context was especially supportive for conceptually different items, whereas the facilitative effect of formal similarity considerably diminished with increasing conceptual distance.

English as a lingua franca in Europe: The identification of L1 and L2 accents

AbstractWhile empirical research on attitudes towards languages and linguistic varieties has become increasingly popular from the 1960s onwards (e.g.Lambert, Hodgson, Gardner, & Fillenbaum, 1960), experimental investigations into the ability to correctlyidentifythe origin of speakers are in comparison still relatively scarce. We know that the ability to correlate a stretch of uncategorised speech (token) with a series of models (types) is experientially acquired in early childhood (e.g.Kristiansen, 2010), but how similar are those abilities in adulthood and across European nations? English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) has become an integral part of the linguistic reality in Europe (and of the linguistic scenario in the entire world) (e.g.Jenkins, Baker, & Dewey, 2018). Whenever we communicate with anyone who is not a speaker of our own native language in any European country, most of the time we communicate in English. But does our L1 accent still shine through? Will we be recognised (and in most cases probably also stereotypically judged) on the basis of just a short stretch of speech when we communicate in ELF? In Part I of this paper we outline the design of the first large-scale pan-European project on L1 and L2 identifications of ELF in Europe, including 785 respondents from 8 countries. Exploratory analyses confirm the hypothesis that statistically significant asymmetries would show up across different European countries or regions. In Part II of this paper we then aim to explain these asymmetries through a multifactorial statistical analysis (Geeraerts, Grondelaers, & Speelman, 1999;Tagliamonte & Baayen, 2012;Speelman, Heylen, & Geeraerts, 2018).

Mandarin learners' ESL fricatives

Although English interdentals have been much studied in L2 acquisition, other English fricatives have not received comparable attention. The assumption is that the other fricatives, e.g., [s] which often have L1 counterparts do not pose a problem for ESL learners. However, it is now well understood that similarity between L1 and L2 counterparts may be more problematic in perpetuating an L2 accent. To gain insights into the issue, Mandarin speakers’ production of both ESL and native fricatives and their perception of the ESL fricatives is collected and analyzed. The results show that the lack of a problem is true for perception which shows ceiling performance. Production-wise, all ESL voiceless fricatives, not just [θ], are problematic for the Mandarin speakers, judged by a native speaker and measured acoustically on spectral moments and peak. Typically, these fricatives are not on target, but are produced more or less in the L1 fashion. A surprise finding is also made that an L1 counter part may not be the choice of a match; e.g., English [s] which has a close Mandarin counterpart is found replaced with [θ] or [ʃ] by some participants. The paper also discusses the production-perception relation over the findings on the fricatives.

The influence of L1 frequency in instructed second language learning of L2 idioms

AbstractThis study investigates the influence of L1 frequency on the acquisition of L2 idioms with an experiment employing structured input instruction based on the input processing model. Intermediate L2 Korean learners completed a pretest, computer-assisted instructional treatment session, and posttest. The tests included production, interpretation, and meaning tasks, which manipulated amount of context and idiom type (i.e., Shared L1-L2 idioms, which have linguistic representations in both languages and are subgrouped by high or low L1 frequency, and L2 Only idioms, which have no L1 equivalent). The results show that high L1 frequency had a consistently facilitatory effect on the learning of equivalent L2 idioms, but that context had the strongest effect on the learning of L2 idioms that have no counterpart in the L1.

The Effect of Input Enhanced Task Activities on L2 Idiom Learning

This study examined how three task activities with receptive (R) reading, cloze (CZ) and receptive-productive (RP) integration differently lead to L2 idiom recall and retention by Korean EFL adult learners when they are enhanced with bolding, L1 glossing and three repetitions. It further looks into what features of the enhanced input tasks influence L2 idiom gains. The theories of input enhancement, receptive and productive task input are the basis for the present study. The results revealed that overall the three tasks contributed to high score of L2 idiom gains in immediate receptive, productive recall and delayed receptive retention, except delayed productive retention. There was no significant difference in idiom recall and retention by the three tasks. The descriptive analysis showed R group performed better on immediate receptive recall, while CZ group led the highest score of immediate productive recall. In terms of retention gap between immediate and delayed tests, the three tasks yielded high percentage of receptive idiom retention. The CZ task yielded the highest percentage of receptive retention but relatively low percentage of productive retention, while the R group retained most memory of productive knowledge. The results suggest some implications for effective L2 idiom teaching materials using input enhanced tasks such as bolding, L1 glossing and repetition.

Listening effort during speech perception enhances auditory and lexical processing for non-native listeners and accents

Speech communication in a non-native language (L2) can feel effortful, and the present study suggests that this effort affects both auditory and lexical processing. EEG recordings (electroencephalography) were made from native English (L1) and Korean listeners while they listened to English sentences spoken with two accents (English and Korean) in the presence of a distracting talker. Neural entrainment (i.e., phase locking between the EEG recording and the speech amplitude envelope) was measured for target and distractor talkers. L2 listeners had relatively greater entrainment for target talkers than did L1 listeners, likely because their difficulty with L2 speech recognition caused them to focus more attention on the speech signal. N400 was measured for the final word in each sentence, and L2 listeners had greater lexical processing in high-predictability sentences than did L1 listeners. L1 listeners had greater target-talker entrainment when listening to the more difficult L2 accent than their own L1 accent, and similarly had larger N400 responses for the L2 accent. It thus appears that the increased effort of L2 listeners, as well as L1 listeners understanding L2 speech, modulates their auditory and lexical processing during speech recognition. This may provide a mechanism to compensate for their perceptual challenges under adverse conditions.

Reexamining L2 accent: How much can personality explain?

Previous studies have shown that learners’ individual differences (e.g., motivation, age) can impact second language learners’ pronunciation. This study focused on one individual difference that has received relatively little attention, namely personality, and sought to determine to what extent personality accounts for learners’ L2 accent during quasispontaneous and unplanned speech. Fifty-one English-speaking learners of Spanish performed a speaking task that was scored for degree of L2 accentedness. Results revealed that personality explained a considerable portion of the variance, and that extraversion and neuroticism were significant predictors of L2 accent.

THE IMPACT OF DIFFERENT LOADS OF INVOLVEMENT ON EFL STUDENTS’ INCIDENTAL LEARNING OF IDIOMS

Idioms are essential parts of any language learning that indicate second language proficiency of learners in their communication. However, there is no doubt that idioms are more difficult to learn and comprehend than usual words of phrases. The present study investigated the possible effects of providing different task types with involvement loads on Iranian pre-intermediate EFL students' learning of idiom. A total number of 60 EFL students were selected based on their performance on Quick Placement Test and idiom familiarity test. The participants were randomly divided into three groups each containing 20 students. The data gathered through conducting pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest of L2 idioms were analyzed through descriptive statistics and inferential statistics of one way ANOVA and paired samples t test. The findings revealed that tasks with higher involvement load led to better performance of students both in initial learning and the retention of idioms. The findings would hopefully encourage teachers and learners to use tasks and with deeper cognitive processing and higher involvement load to have more effective learning of English idioms.

Differences in phonetic-to-lexical perceptual mapping of L1 and L2 regional accents

This study investigates how second language (L2) listeners match an unexpected accented form to their stored form of a word. The phonetic-to-lexical mapping for L2 as compared to L1 regional varieties was examined with early and late Italian-L2 speakers who were all L1-Australian English speakers. AXB discrimination and lexical decision tasks were conducted in both languages, using unfamiliar regional accents that minimize (near-merge) consonant contrasts maintained in their own L1-L2 accents. Results reveal that in the L2, early bilinguals’ recognition of accented variants depended on their discrimination capacity. Late bilinguals, for whom the accented variants were not represented in their L2 lexicon, instead mapped standard and accented exemplars to the same lexical representations (i.e., dual mapping: Samuel & Larraza, 2015). By comparison, both groups showed the same broad accommodation to L1 accented variants. Results suggest qualitatively different yet similarly effective phonetic-to-lexical mapping strategies both for L2 versus L1 regional accents.

The conflation of /l/ and /r/: New Zealand perceptions of Japanese-accented English

ABSTRACTAs a case study of non-linguists’ perceptions of accent, this paper investigates how accurately and on what basis Japanese-accented English (JAE) is discernible from other L2 varieties of English in New Zealand (NZ). The paper sheds light on how a feature salient in speech is associated with the perceived sociolinguistic identity of speakers. An analysis of a test with local university students demonstrates that JAE had the highest identification rate among six L2 English accents and that the lack of contrast between English /l/ and /r/ was the most crucial to their identification of major segmental features previously noted as characteristic of JAE. Although the participants also frequently perceived the /l/–/r/ conflation in Cantonese- and Korean-accented speakers, they were more likely to assume that the accent was Japanese rather than any other L2 accent. The conflation served as an indexical cue of JAE in NZ society at the beginning of this century because of New Zealanders’ extensive contact with Japanese visitors and familiarity with the Japanese language in secondary education, along with ESL reference books’ frequent reference to this feature as peculiar to JAE. The study confirms the applicability of the concept of indexicality to L2 accent investigation.

The pedagogical relevance of processing instruction in second language idiom acquisition

AbstractThis study explores the relevance and effectiveness of processing instruction in second language (L2) idiom learning by examining (1) whether structured input (SI) is more effective than non-SI, comprehension-based activities and (2) whether explicit information (EI) in addition to SI can facilitate L2 idiom learning. One hundred adult L2 English speakers were randomly assigned to one of six conditions: four groups who participated in SI activities in one of four EI conditions (i. e., no EI; EI before SI, EI during SI, or EI both before and during SI), a non-SI group, and a control group. Results from three types of tasks (translation, interpretation, and production) showed that (1) SI is more effective than comprehension-based activities in developing learners’ L2 idiom production ability and (2) EI can facilitate learners’ accurate L2 idiom translation, particularly when it is provided before the SI activities. No beneficial effect was observed from EI provided during the SI activities.

Idiom acquisition by second language learners: the influence of cross-linguistic similarity and context

ABSTRACT This study of second language idiom acquisition investigates the interaction of two factors, the L1 effect and the effect of supportive context in the L2 input, when both are available to learners. An experiment consisting of a pretest, a computer-assisted instructional treatment session and a posttest employed three idiom types that differed in terms of shared similarities in first and second languages (Same L1–L2: identical linguistic form and figurative meaning; Different L1–L2: identical linguistic form but different figurative meaning and L2 Only: occurs only in L2), and three task types (a production, an interpretation and a meaning task). On the pretest, participants’ scores were the highest for Same L1–L2 type idioms in all tasks. On the posttest, participants’ scores were the highest for L2 Only type idioms in all tasks. The analysis of the posttest scores found significant main effects of idiom types and of tasks, indicating a strong treatment effect. This study’s findings suggest that the influence of crosslinguistic similarity is lessened when supportive context is available in the instructional input, and that learners can learn L2 idioms, regardless of degree of L1–L2 similarity, when instructional input includes enough context.

The power of sound in L2 idiom learning

Corpus analyses of learners’ dictionaries of English idioms have revealed that 11% to 35% of English figurative idioms show either alliteration ( miss the mark) or assonance ( get this show on the road), depending on the type considered. Because English multiword combinations, particularly idiomatic expressions, present a huge challenge even to advanced learners, techniques for helping learners come to grips with this part of the lexicon should be welcomed. A quasi-experiment was conducted to investigate whether interword phonological similarity (specifically, alliteration and assonance) facilitates the delayed recall of the forms of common second language (L2) English figurative idioms which were not known at pretest. Twenty-six advanced-level EFL learners learned significantly more phonologically similar, or ‘sound-repeating’, idioms than phonologically dissimilar control idioms after a treatment designed to raise awareness of phonological similarity and to direct learners’ attention toward occurrences of it. Learners in a comparison group ( n = 24), who experienced no awareness raising or attention direction, recalled more non-sound-repeating control idioms than sound-repeating ones. We conclude that the presence of sound-repetition in idioms makes the forms of those idioms relatively easy to recall, but only when learners experience appropriate awareness raising and attention direction. It appears that the techniques of awareness raising and attention direction did not hinder learning of the control idioms.

On Anthropomorphism in Technology-Enhanced Language Learning: Does Modality Matter in Agent-Based Multimedia Instruction on L2 Idioms?

The present study aimed to satisfy a twofold purpose: On the one hand, it sought to verify the postulation that agent-based instruction could offer a compromise approach to teaching L2 idioms where form and meaning would be equally emphasized during instruction. Given that anthropomorphism has not been much under scrutiny, this research, on the other hand, sought to ascertain whether learning and retention of English idioms would be differentially impacted when two different modalities of virtual tutors —anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic— were present in the tutorial. To this aim, the participants of the study received instruction on 128 English idioms from human teachers, a multimedia application featuring a humanoid virtual teacher, or a piece of multimedia courseware with a non-anthropomorphic virtual tutor. Analysis of the post-intervention measures of L2 idiom knowledge revealed that agent-based instruction had proved more effective in improving both learning and retention of the target idioms among the participants. A further finding was that despite the greater motivational benefits of the humanoid virtual tutor, it had not privileged the participants, performance-wise.

Accent and fluency in third language acquisition

This paper examined the influence of L2 on L3 accent and fluency. Target participants were native speakers of Chinese who have studied English as an L2 prior to beginning their study of Japanese as L3. Participants were recorded in L2 and L3, and their speech samples were rated by expert judges of respective language. The judges were asked to rate each speaker based on foreign accentedness and overall fluency. The results from English and Japanese were analyzed using correlation analysis. The result of the correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between accent in L2 and L3, which suggests that, regarding foreign accentedness, the better a speaker performs in L2, the better they also perform in L3. The correlation between L2 and L3 in terms of fluency did not reach significance, mostly due to the fact that fluency rating in English was done mildly by the judges. The result nevertheless showed a clear trend toward positive correlation between the two languages. This study contributes to the area of Third Language Acquisition by supporting the idea that L3 acquisition is qualitatively different from L2 acquisition, and phonological acquisition in L3 is influenced not only by the learner’s L1 but also their L2.

Etymology, Contextual Pragmatic Clues, and Lexical Knowledge in L2 Idioms Learning

To investigate the effects of etymological elaboration, contextual pragmatic clues, and lexical knowledge on L2 idioms comprehension and production, 60 male intermediate level EFL students in three groups were selected. Each group was randomly assigned to one treatment condition. Group one participants were presented with the etymological explanation of idioms. In group two, the same idioms were presented in short, familiar contexts, and in the third group, the participants focused on the exact meaning of the constituent parts of each idiom. At the end of the experimental period, comprehension and production posttests of idioms were administered. Two one–way ANOVA procedures were used to analyze data. Results showed that the participants of the etymological elaboration group performed significantly better than the participants of the lexical knowledge group on idiom production. The differences between the means in all other comparisons were not statistically significant. These findings may have implications for teachers, learners, and syllabus designers.

Doing away with the ‘native speaker’: a complex adaptive systems approach to L2 phonological attainment

Employing the complex adaptive systems (CAS) model, the present case study provides a self-report description of the attitudes, perceptions and experiences of an advanced adult L2 English learner with respect to his L2 phonological attainment. CAS is predicated on the notion that an individual's cognitive processes are intricately related to his or her experiences in particular social contexts and all language activities are dynamically regulated. In the study, interview data and reflective essay entries were analysed. The findings revealed that motives for L2 speech production and the concomitant attempts to improve L2 phonology were in a phase transition between idiolect (individual) and communal (social) levels. Autonomy, experience and environment were influential in the reorganisation of the learner's attitudes and perceptions about L2 pronunciation and accent. In addition, the learner's awareness of phonological variation, external motives and individual goals interact with one another in a dynamic fashion. The learner appreciates linguistic diversity and rejects the idealised ‘native speaker’ norm in the acquisition of L2 phonology. Finally, based on the findings of the study, implications pertaining to L2 learning, teaching and research are discussed.

Comprehension and Idiom Learning of Iranian EFL Learners

This study investigated the effects of different types of multimedia glosses, namely text, picture, and text plus picture on online computerized L2 text comprehension and idiom learning of English university students. From a population of 141 volunteers based on their performance on a Standard English proficiency text (Nelson), 60 female university students were selected. Then, they were randomly assigned to 4 groups of 15, three gloss groups, subsequently exposed to the research treatment and one control group. Taking advantage of the results of the pilot study, some idioms of the computerized written texts were glossed and hyperlinked by a computer software program. When the students clicked on hyperlinked idioms, a new page appeared and showed the idiom with a definition in English (textual gloss group), a picture (pictorial gloss group), or a combination of both definition and picture (textual plus pictorial gloss group ).Participant in each experimental group read the text under one of the three mentioned conditions. Statistical analyses of the results reveal that 1) all multimedia gloss groups comprehended computerized L2 texts significantly better than the control group, 2). A significant difference between the multimedia gloss groups and the control group in the production of the target idiom items was found. 3)The mix gloss group insignificantly outperformed the textual and pictorial gloss groups in computerized L2 text comprehension, and 4) regarding idiom learning, the findings of this study indicate that utilizing computers and multimedia glosses can be influential in language teaching in general and online L2 text comprehension as well as idiom learning in particular. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n1p45

The effect of language distance and language experience in third language acquisition

This research aims to examine the role of second-language (L2) phonology in third-language (L3) acquisition. As a mean to assess the degree of influence of the L1 accent and L2 accent in L3 production, an experiment that involved the judgment of a foreign accent was developed. Two groups of native English speakers [(i) five who had not learned any language other than Korean, and (ii) five who had learned Japanese before learning Korean] produced Korean sentences, and 25 native Korean-speaking raters identified each production according to the speaker’s dominant accent, either English or Japanese. The results revealed that native English speakers who had learned Japanese before learning Korean were more frequently identified as having a strong Japanese, rather than English, accent in their Korean production. In accounting for the results, several hypotheses were discussed, including language distance (typological proximity), inherently different mechanisms for foreign language acquisition as compared with the natural acquisition of the L1, psycho-affective factors, and stronger links between foreign languages in the speaker’s mind. The findings of this study provide further evidence for the claim that L2 exerts an influence on L3 accent; however, this interference is reduced with an increase in L3 proficiency

Quantitative and qualitative aspects of L1 (Swedish) and L2 (English) idiom comprehension

In the present investigation, 15 first term university students were faced with 80 context-based idioms in English (L2) and Swedish (L1) respectively, 30 of which were in the source domain of animals, commonly used in both languages, and asked to explain their meaning. The idioms were of varying frequency and transparency. Three main research questions were thus addressed: 1. How well do students master idioms in their L2 as compared to their L1? 2. How do (a) degrees of transparency, (b) idiom frequency and (c) the choice of source domain affect students’ L1 and L2 comprehension? 3. To what extent is context used when interpreting L1 and L2 idioms? Results show that while the frequency of an idiom does not appear to play a part in whether it is comprehended or not in either language, the degree of transparency is of great importance in students’ L2. Also, students make extensive use of context in their L2.