ABSTRACT

Previous research has shown that an increased second language (L2) vocabulary size leads to better attunement to the cues required to distinguish L2 contrastive phones. This has been the central tenet of the vocabulary-tuning model (vocab) on the basis of evidence by Japanese learners of English in Australia. We aim to test the validity of the aforementioned hypothesis by extending the research for learners with a different first language (L1) background and learners who do not have naturalistic access to the L2 input (i.e., learn the L2 through a controlled foreign classroom setting). To this purpose, 28 Russian speakers, who were learning English in Russia at the time, participated in two psychoacoustic tests in which they were asked to assimilate L2 vowels to their L1 phonological system and discriminate vowel contrasts respectively. The participants were divided into two groups according to their vocabulary size in English; comprising the small vocabulary (SV) and the high vocabulary (HV) groups. The results showed that the HV group demonstrated similar assimilation scores to the SV group. However, the HV group was able to perceive within-category differences and more accurately discriminate specific pairs of English vowel contrasts in comparison to the SV group. The findings are partially consistent with the central hypothesis of the Perceptual Assimilation Model-L2 and the vocab model as the expansion of L2 vocabulary was linked with better attunement to phonetic differences in the L2. Another important finding is that a more developed vocabulary results in fine-tuning to L2 phonetic differences, even in a restricted L2 learning setting [work supported by the “RUDN University Program 5–100”].

摘要

先前的研究表明，第二语言（L2）词汇量的增加导致对区分L2对比电话所需线索的更好理解。根据澳大利亚的日本英语学习者的证据，这一直是词汇调整模型（vocab）的中心宗旨。我们旨在通过将研究扩展到具有不同第一语言（L1）背景的学习者和没有自然主义方式访问L2输入（即通过受控的外国教室设置学习L2）的学习者，从而检验上述假设的有效性。 。为此，当时在俄罗斯学习英语的28位讲俄语的人参加了两次心理声学测试，要求他们将L2元音同化为L1语音系统并区分元音对比。根据他们的英语词汇量将参与者分为两组；包括小词汇（SV）和高词汇（HV）组。结果表明，HV组的同化得分与SV组相似。但是，与SV组相比，HV组能够感知类别内的差异，并且可以更准确地区分特定的英语元音对。这些发现部分与感知同化模型L2和vocab模型的中心假设一致，因为L2词汇的扩展与L2语音差异的更好协调有关。另一个重要的发现是，词汇量的增加会导致L2语音差异的微调，