Developmental Sequences in Second Language Phonology: Effects of Instruction on the Acquisition of Foreign sC Onsets

This study investigates the effects of three types instruction on acquisition foreign /s/-initial onset clusters (/sl/, /sn/, and /st/-sC clusters), a process characterized by developmental sequence in which /sl/ is acquired before /sn/ /st/. 118 native speakers Brazilian Portuguese participated 4-week language course to learn set vocabulary associated pronunciation Taki, self-constructed miniature linguistic system. The participants were divided into groups, each corresponding one hypotheses that characterize explicit second instruction: Teachability, Projection Markedness (Projection), combination two (Mixed). A mixed analysis variance (ANOVA) participants’ production sC revealed that, tasks employed (read aloud), group focused exclusively more marked/st/ (Projection Group) had best overall performance clusters: this was able generalize their knowledge they not taught. In general, results support Zobl’s Model for explaining phonological development syllable structure, wherein instructional effect focus most marked /st/ projects less structures.