Research has shown that language learners are not only challenged by segmental differences between their native language (L1) and the second language (L2). They also have problems with the correct production of suprasegmental structures, like phone/syllable duration and the realization of pitch. These difficulties often lead to a perceptible foreign accent. This study investigates the influence...

Locative inversion is a non-canonical structure in Chinese and English. According to the Contrastive Analysis theory (Lado, 1957), a structure in L2 is easier to learn if it has the same meaning and distribution as an “equivalent” in L1. Previous studies suggest that English-speaking Chinese L2 learners would have no difficulty in acquiring the unmarked construction (Jin, 2008). The present stu...

This work reports on the construction of a rated database of spontaneous speech produced by second language (L2) learners of English. Spontaneous speech was collected from 28 L2 speakers representing six language backgrounds and five different proficiency levels. Speech was elicited using formats similar to that of the TOEFL iBT and the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) test. ...

Whether non-native speakers’ on-line processing can be native-like remains a hot issue. Recently many have shown that qualitatively native-like processing is attainable, especially for learners with high proficiency. However, most of the studies recruited learners who had been immersed to the English-speaking country. The current study investigated processing of fillergap dependency and island ...

The ability to recognize speech involves sensory, perceptual, and cognitive processes. For much of the history of speech perception research, investigators have focused on the first and third of these, asking how much and what kinds of sensory information are used by normal and impaired listeners, as well as how effective amounts of that information are altered by "top-down" cognitive processes...

Aims and objectives/purpose/research question: This research probes for language effects on witness memory in bilingual speakers whose languages are typologically distinct, English Spanish. The key question is whether speakers’ agentive motion events influenced by first (L1) or second (L2) patterns, both, when the L2 used descriptions. Design/methodology/approach: Four groups were tested an eve...

The objective of the study is to contribute our understanding acquisition second language intonation by comparing L2 Italian and Spanish as produced L1 Czech learners. Framed within Intonation Learning theory, sheds light on which tonal events tend be successfully learnt why. examines different types non-neutral statements (narrow focus, obvious, what-exclamatives), obtained means a Discourse C...

This study draws on teacher perception data gathered from 65 secondary school modern languages (L2) teachers in South-East England. Data were collected via four iterations of an online questionnaire and follow-up interviews with six heads department. paper reports respondents’ perceived strengths development needs relation to their classroom practice, including: L2 teachers’ sense self-efficacy...

In this paper we present a computer assisted language learning (CALL) system that is developed to practice grammar in spoken language. To enable this, the system uses Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) to process the L2 learner’s responses. We investigate the possibility of providing corrective feedback (CF) on learner errors, and compare that with self-monitored language learning through outpu...

An experiment is conducted to investigate rhythm in the ESL production by native Mandarin speakers. Rhythm is characterized not only by the traditional acoustic rhythmic measures of duration, but pitch-based analysis is also used, which include minimum and maximum F0s, pitch range, number of pitch rises and pitch slope. The results show that the ESL production has not met the native-speaking ta...