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Vowel Inherent Spectral Change pp 231–259Cite as

Vowel Inherent Spectral Change and the Second-Language Learner

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Part of the book series: Modern Acoustics and Signal Processing ((MASP))

Abstract

Because vowel inherent spectral change (VISC) is necessary for optimal identification of vowels by native English speakers, learners of English as a second language must acquire relevant information about VISC in order to achieve native-like levels of performance in both perception and production of vowels in English. This chapter reviews studies of both perception and production of VISC by learners of English as a second language, whose first language is Spanish, with either an earlier or later age of immersion in an English speaking environment. In perception, later learners of English appeared to rely more heavily on duration cues than monolinguals and early learners and, in some cases, to be less able to use VISC to discriminate near neighbors in the vowel space. In production, acoustic analyses were performed for American English vowels produced by participants in each group. The data are examined in terms of the degree of separation achieved by each talker group across the course of the vowel, as represented by three time points (20, 50 and 80 % of vowel duration). Additional analyses of productions by the most and least intelligible talkers in each group were used to explore individual talkers’ strategies for using VISC to distinguish neighbor vowels from one another.

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Abbreviations

CV:

Consonant-vowel

EL:

Early learners of English

f0:

Fundamental frequency

F1:

First formant

F2:

Second formant

MO:

Monolingual English speakers

LL:

Later learners of English

VC:

Vowel-consonant

VISC:

Vowel inherent spectral change

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Acknowledgments

Research supported by NIH-NIDCD Grant #5R03 DC005561-01. Thanks to Peter F. Assmann, Geoffrey Stewart Morrison, Winifred Strange, and Keith Kluender for many helpful discussions, suggestions and encouragement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, PCD1017, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA

    Catherine L. Rogers, Merete M. Glasbrenner, Teresa M. DeMasi & Michelle Bianchi

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  1. Catherine L. Rogers
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  2. Merete M. Glasbrenner
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  3. Teresa M. DeMasi
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  4. Michelle Bianchi
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Correspondence to Catherine L. Rogers .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical Engineering, and Telecommunications, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, New South Wales, Australia

    Geoffrey Stewart Morrison

  2. School of Behavioral and, Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Richardson, TX, 75083, Texas, USA

    Peter F. Assmann

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Rogers, C.L., Glasbrenner, M.M., DeMasi, T.M., Bianchi, M. (2013). Vowel Inherent Spectral Change and the Second-Language Learner. In: Morrison, G., Assmann, P. (eds) Vowel Inherent Spectral Change. Modern Acoustics and Signal Processing. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14209-3_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-14209-3_10

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