The Acquisition of L2 Phonology

Edited by Prof. Janusz Arabski, Adam Wojtaszek

Publication date:

06 June 2011

Publisher

Multilingual Matters

Dimensions:

234x156mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781847693754

The Acquisition of L2 Phonology is a wide-ranging new collection which focuses on various aspects of the acquisition of an L2 phonological system. The authors are researchers and practitioners from five different countries. The volume has been divided into three major sections. Phonetic Analysis presents five studies of language learners in both naturalistic and formal-educational settings, which illustrate aspects of L2 production and perception. In Phonological Analysis a more abstract and comparative perspective is taken, in order to use recent theories modeling the route of L1/L2 pronunciation and reading ability development to account for observable tendencies in learner behavior. Pedagogical Perspectives consists of four contributions of high practical value, which look at the mastery of native-like or highly intelligible pronunciation as an important component of L2 education.

Janusz Arabski and Adam Wojtaszek: Introduction to the volume

Part 1: Phonetic analysis

1. Abeer Nasser Eddine: Second language acquisition: the articulation of vowels and the importance of tools in the learning process

2. Luo Xiaorong and Gao Jian: On phonetic negative transfer from Chinese to English

3. Linda Shockey: Understanding L2 and the perspicacious Pole

4. Arkadiusz Rojczyk: Perception of the English Voice Onset Time continuum by Polish learners

5. Marta Nowacka: The productive and receptive acquisition of consonants and connected speech by Polish students of English

Part II: Phonological analysis

6. Monika Kusiak: The role of phonological awareness in beginning reading: a cross-linguistic perspective

7. Anna Bloch-Rozmej: Aspects of phonological strength: evidence from language acquisition

8. Liliana Piasecka: The role of phonemic awareness in the development of L1 and L2 reading

Part III: Pedagogical perspectives

9. Danuta Gabryś-Barker: Phonological issues in second language acquisition studies: focus areas and implications for FL instructional practices

10. Wiesława Ferlacka and Włodzimierz Sobkowiak: PDI as a tool of phonetic enhancements to graded e-readers

11. Tammy Gregersen: Suprasegmentals: tools for increased language teacher effectiveness

12. Mirosław Pawlak: Students’ successes and failures in learning foreign language pronunciation: insights from diary data

Second language phonetics and phonology continue to attract researchers and teachers, theoreticians and practitioners, with the former marvelling at the degree of variability in the L2 sound systems and the latter trying to find most effective ways of limiting this variability in their learners. As the field continues to grow, we need as much cooperation between the two approaches as possible. This volume offers a perfect balance between theory and practice, presenting original phonetics/phonology and classroom research. The applied approach that links all the contributions to the volume puts the sound system in the right perspective as an integral element of L2 proficiency. The book will be of interest to anyone involved in researching and/or teaching English to speakers of other languages.