Markedness Relations in the L2 Perception of English Obstruents by Arabic Speakers
| Author(s) | Alkahtani, Faisal | |
| Date Accessioned | 2025-05-22T11:09:25Z | |
| Date Available | 2025-05-22T11:09:25Z | |
| Publication Date | 2025 | |
| SWORD Update | 2025-05-05T04:03:24Z | |
| Abstract | This dissertation investigated the effect of markedness theory on second language (L2) speech perception. Markedness theory was developed based on the observation of speech output (i.e., speech production) of first language (L1) speakers. Research on speech productions showed that L2 speakers also exhibit similar patterns to L1 where the effects of markedness theory play a role in the learning process. Specifically, L2 speakers were found to have more difficulty with marked sounds than unmarked sounds. However, there is not a large body of research that focus on how markedness theory plays a role in the speech perception process. In this study, the perception of Arabic speakers learning English of 8 English obstruents were investigated to see if the effects of markedness would be exhibited. Specifically, the study attempted to see if voiced obstruents would be more difficult to perceive than voiceless obstruents and if sounds in word final position would be more difficult to perceive than in word initial position. Arabic was chosen as a case study since Arabic has voicing gaps in its obstruents phonemic inventory which runs counter to implicational universals. Specifically, while Arabic has the marked sound /b/, it lacks the unmarked sound /p/. An experiment was conducted where 31 Arabic participants and 31 native English speakers participated. They listened to nonce words containing the target sounds (/p/, /b/, /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /t/, and /d/), and they were asked to match auditory stimuli with visual representations of the nonce words that appeared on a screen. Results showed mixed patterns; Arabic speakers showed greater perceptual accuracy to sounds in initial position than final position confirming the principle that initial position is unmarked relative to final position. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between the perception of voiced and voiceless obstruents in initial position. This indicates that markedness theory doesn’t apply to L2 speech perception as it does to L2 speech production. In fact, it seems that phonetic factors played more prominent role on the participants' behavior. This research has significant implications for theory and practice that are discussed in the study in light of the existing knowledge of the problem under investigation. | |
| Advisor | Pincus, Nadya | |
| Advisor | Tomioka, Satoshi | |
| Degree | Ph.D. | |
| Department | University of Delaware, Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science | |
| Unique Identifier | 1521243413 | |
| URL | https://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/36180 | |
| Language | en | |
| Publisher | University of Delaware | |
| URI | https://www.proquest.com/pqdtlocal1006271/dissertations-theses/markedness-relations-l2-perception-english/docview/3200062362/sem-2?accountid=10457 | |
| Keywords | Second language | |
| Keywords | Markedness theory | |
| Keywords | English speakers | |
| Keywords | Speech production | |
| Title | Markedness Relations in the L2 Perception of English Obstruents by Arabic Speakers | |
| Type | Thesis |