Presentation

Perception and Prodcution of Unfamiliar L2 Segments: Using Technology for Teaching and Research

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Abstract

In this paper I discuss the first step in an ongoing empirical study on the perception and production of French nasal vowels in a classroom context. The first phase of the study, presented here, analyzes L1 English learners’ perception and production of L2 French nasalvowels/ɑ̃/and/ɔ/̃,animportantcontrastinspokenFrench,asitdistinguishes between many minimal pairs in the lexicon as well as between gerundive and nominal forms of verbs. Since nasality is not phonemic in English, and because both L2 segments are open back vowels differing mostly in roundedness, learners have difficulty perceiving the difference between these segments. This leads to trouble pronouncing them as distinct phones in spontaneous production. Results from the pilot study reveal that, regardless of level, university-level French learners are not improving with regard to the target sounds in either perception or production.

How to Cite:

Becker, S., (2016) “Perception and Prodcution of Unfamiliar L2 Segments: Using Technology for Teaching and Research”, Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Proceedings 8(1).