The acquisition of consonant clusters and word stress by early second language learners of German
Evidence for cross-linguistic influence?
This study compared word-prosodic abilities of early second language learners (eL2) and monolingual learners of German. We examined the production of word-initial and word-final clusters and the placement of stress and analyzed potential effects of cross-linguistic influence (CLI). Monolingual German-speaking children (n = 38) and eL2-learners of German (n = 26; age of onset to German 24 to 41 months) aged between 53 and 60 months completed a pseudoword repetition task following the metrical and phonotactic constraints of German. We collected background information via parental questionnaires. The eL2-learners acquired 12 different L1s. To explore the effects of CLI, we grouped the heritage languages by the number of consonants permitted in word-initial and word-final position, the segmental make-up of clusters, and stress patterns. The production accuracy of word-initial clusters and word stress was very high, indicating a high degree of maturation and showing no effects of CLI. In contrast, the production accuracy of word-final clusters was lower and effects of CLI were found, presumably related to smaller sonority distances compared to word-initial clusters. The study contributes empirically to the under-investigated area of eL2 word-prosodic development.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Phonological properties of clusters and word stress
- 2.1Consonant clusters
- 2.2Word stress
- 3.The development of consonant clusters and word stress in monolingual and bilingual children
- 3.1Cross-linguistic influences in bilingual phonological acquisition
- 3.2Acquisition of consonant clusters
- 3.3Acquisition of word stress
- 3.4Summary of previous findings and open questions
- 4.Predictions
- 4.1Crosslinguistic interaction: Predictions for word-initial consonant clusters
- 4.2Crosslinguistic interaction: Predictions for word-final consonant clusters
- 4.3Crosslinguistic interaction: Predictions for stress shifts
- 4.4Predictions regarding the connection of CLI and maturation
- 5.Method
- 5.1Participants
- 5.2Material
- 5.3Procedure
- 5.4Data transcription
- 5.5Data coding
- 5.6Statistical analysis
- 6.Results
- 6.1Monolingual vs. eL2-learners
- 6.2Cross-linguistic interaction: Word-initial clusters
- 6.3Cross-linguistic interaction: Word-final clusters
- 6.4Cross-linguistic interaction: Stress shifts
- 7.Discussion
- 7.1Consonant clusters
- 7.2Stress shifts
- 8.Conclusions
- Data availability statement
- Conflict of interest statement
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
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References
https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.21026.gri