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Overview

How does first language influence second language rhythm? Laurence White and Sven Mattys Experimental Psychology Bristol University. Overview. Background: Speech rhythm and “rhythm classes”. New speech rhythm metrics. Speech production study:

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Overview

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  1. How does first language influence second language rhythm?Laurence White and Sven Mattys Experimental Psychology Bristol University

  2. Overview • Background: • Speech rhythm and “rhythm classes”. • New speech rhythm metrics. • Speech production study: • Do new rhythm metrics serve to illustrate the influence of first language on second language rhythm?

  3. Background: Rhythm • Rhythm (music, speech, etc.) arises from the repetition of related sounds. • In English speech, rhythm arises from repetition of stressed syllables. I did not have sexual relations with thatwoman –Miss Lewinsky. • In Spanish, there is much less contrast between stressed and unstressed syllables. A pocos pasos de mi casa está una tienda bonita. • Traditional distinction: • Syllable-timed languages (e.g. Romance). • Stress-timed languages (e.g. Germanic).

  4. Stress-timing vs syllable-timing • Stress-timed languages: isochrony? • sleep.ing. soundly vs sleep.il.y. re.searches • Stress-timing is alternation rather than regularity: • Greater differences between stressed and unstressed syllables… including: • Vowel reduction. • More complex consonant clusters, particularly in stressed syllable onsets and codas. e.g. (s)(t)(r)a(n)(d)(s) • Fewer open syllables.

  5. Basis of rhythmic analysis • Separate signal into vocalic and intervocalic sections the standards committee and examine variations in length of each.

  6. New rhythm metrics • Variance-based metrics (Ramus, Nespor & Mehler, 1999): • ΔV: standard deviation of vocalic intervals. • ΔC: standard deviation of intervocalic intervals. • %V: vocalic proportion of total utterance. • Also examined • PVI metrics (Low, • Grabe & Nolan, 2000; • Grabe & Low, 2002). Ramus, Nespor & Mehler (1999)

  7. Overview • Background: • Speech rhythm and “rhythm classes”. • New speech rhythm metrics. • Speech production study: • Do new rhythm metrics serve to illustrate the influence of first language on second language rhythm?

  8. Second language recordings • Comparison between “rhythm classes”: • Spanish (“syllable-timed”) vs English (“stress-timed”). • Six speakers per condition. • Five sentences per language. • Other materials also recorded for most speakers: • Map task to elicit non-read speech. SpSp SpEng EngEng EngSp

  9. Spanish &English L1/L2 results: Variance-based metrics Key Lang. spoken Native lang. Speech rate (syls/sec) EngEng EngSp 5.2 4.8 SpEng SpSp 6.6 8.0

  10. All speakers:Effect of speech rate on ΔV • VarcoV – ΔV normalised for speech rate: ΔV / Mean V (Dellwo & Wagner, 2003)

  11. Spanish &English L1/L2 results: Rate normalised ΔV and%V Key Lang. spoken Native lang. EngEng EngSp SpEng SpSp

  12. Spanish L1/L2:%V differences continued… • A mí no me gustaba su coche pequeño y viejo. Vowel duration (ms) Vowel duration (ms) SpSp SpEng 65, 67vs 67, 66 47, 32 vs 71, 56 40, 41 vs 27, 24

  13. Second language recordings • What is the effect of speaking a second language, when languages are rhythmically similar? • Comparison within “rhythm classes”: • Dutch (“stress-timed”) vs English (“stress-timed”). • Six speakers per condition. • Five sentences per language. DutDut DutEng EngEng EngDut

  14. Cross-linguistic results: Dutch vs English Key Lang. spoken Native lang. DutEng EngEng DutDut EngDut EngSp SpEng SpSp

  15. First and second language rhythm: summary • Influence of L1 on L2: • Consonantal metrics show little influence of L1. • Vocalic metrics: • Normalisation for speech rate necessary (VarcoV). • Clearly show influence of L1 on L2. • But… • Not necessarily intermediate between L1 and L2. • Little accommodation to L2 when languages are rhythmically similar.

  16. Interpretation of rhythm metrics • Rhythmic distinctions can be seen as arising from specific segmental and prosodic processes: • Rhythm as emergent property rather than product of top-down timing control. • Variation within “rhythm classes” sometimes as large as between. • Suggests distinction is not simply bimodal. • Further research: How do rhythm metrics relate to the subjective experience of linguistic rhythm?

  17. Credits Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, U.K. Juan Toro, Barcelona. Elizabeth Johnson, Nijmegen. Eric-Jan Wagenmakers & Atie Vogelenzang de Jong, Amsterdam. Ineke Mennen, Edinburgh. Reinier Salverda, London.

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