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The role of orthographic input in the distributional and lexical learning of non-native speech sounds
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- Author / Creator
- Alarifi, Abdulaziz
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This dissertation explores the interaction between orthographic information and auditory forms in the distributional and lexical learning of consonant length contrast by monolingual English speakers. Two potentially important orthographic variables were examined: Orthographic compatibility (whether the orthographic information supports or contradicts the distributional or lexical information) and orthographic familiarity (whether the native and target languages share the same orthography).
In the first experiment, 10 groups of learners were trained on either a unimodal or bimodal distribution of two length continua. Out of the 10 groups, 8 groups were additionally exposed to orthographic cues that varied in their compatibility with the distributional information (compatible vs. incompatible) and familiarity with the orthography of learners’ native language (Roman vs. Arabic). Following training, all participants performed an AX discrimination task to examine their perception of the length contrast. The results revealed that, in general, the availability of either familiar or unfamiliar orthographic input that signaled the existence of a single length category significantly lowered learners' discrimination of the length contrast regardless of the auditory distribution. Further, the exposure to orthographic input that supported two-category length distinction enhanced the discrimination of length contrast irrespective of the distribution. However, the most significant improvement occurred when both distributional information and familiar orthographic input were compatible. In the second experiment, the same orthographic variables were tested in the lexical learning of 12 pseudowords containing either a singleton or geminate along with their pictured meanings. The results revealed that presenting learners with compatible Roman orthography (where singleton and geminate consonants had distinct spellings) significantly improved their lexical encoding and subsequent retrieval of words containing the length contrast. For the compatible Arabic orthography group, the improvement was only significant for those who had multiple training cycles, indicating that unfamiliar orthography may require more exposure before it can be learned. Finally, no significant differences were found for learners who were presented with incompatible Roman or Arabic orthography (where both singletons and geminates had the same spellings) compared to those who received no orthography. Together, these findings indicate that orthographic input, regardless of its level of compatibility or familiarity, influences the acquisition of non-native speech sounds. However, systematic individual variations were present, suggesting that learners exhibit differential preference towards learning from written cues. Overall, the results provide original contributions to the body of work on the interaction between orthography and L2 phonology and offer theoretical implications for the models of L2 phonology. -
- Graduation date
- Spring 2020
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- Type of Item
- Thesis
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- Degree
- Doctor of Philosophy
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- License
- Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission.