Languages

21 pages, 818 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Analysis of Language Skills and Parent–Child Interactions in Monolingual and Bilingual Children Born Preterm

by Kimberly Crespo, Emma Libersky, Julie Poehlmann and Margarita Kaushanskaya

Languages 2024, 9(12), 361; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9120361 (registering DOI) - 26 Nov 2024

Abstract

Children born preterm are at an elevated risk of language delays compared to children born full-term. However, there is a dearth of research investigating language outcomes in premature children exposed to more than one language. There is also limited empirical evidence linking the [...] Read more.

Children born preterm are at an elevated risk of language delays compared to children born full-term. However, there is a dearth of research investigating language outcomes in premature children exposed to more than one language. There is also limited empirical evidence linking the quantity and quality of parent input and language outcomes in premature children and the strength of these relationships in bilingual contexts remains unknown. Therefore, the current study examined language skills, parent input, conversational turns, and their associations at 16 months to 36 months in monolingual and bilingual children born preterm. Nine English-speaking monolingual parent–child dyads, and nine Spanish–English bilingual parent–child dyads participated in parent–child interactions that occurred over time in play-based contexts. Results revealed that preterm monolingual and bilingual children exhibited similar language abilities at all time points assessed. While both monolingual and bilingual dyads engaged in a comparable number of conversational turns at 16 m, monolingual mothers produced more words than bilingual mothers during play. Significant associations were observed between children’s vocabulary skills and their ability to combine words within and across most time points. Notably, relationships between parental input, conversational turns, and language skills were limited to a significant association between conversational turns at 16 m and vocabulary skills at 24 m. Together, findings indicate that bilingual children born preterm acquire language on the same timeline as monolingual children born preterm. While it is crucial that the current work be replicated in larger samples of children born preterm, the current work is the first to compare relationships between children’s language outcomes and the quantity and quality of parental input in monolingual and bilingual contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Input Effects in Atypical Language Development)

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16 pages, 685 KiB

Open AccessReview

Tracking Adults’ Eye Movements to Study Text Comprehension: A Review Article

by Georgia Andreou and Maria Gkantaki

Languages 2024, 9(12), 360; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9120360 (registering DOI) - 26 Nov 2024

Abstract

Adult readers’ cognitive effort during text processing is often associated with their reading comprehension, learning ability, and achievement scores. The aim of this review is to examine and analyze the current literature on the use of eye tracking technology as a tool for [...] Read more.

Adult readers’ cognitive effort during text processing is often associated with their reading comprehension, learning ability, and achievement scores. The aim of this review is to examine and analyze the current literature on the use of eye tracking technology as a tool for assessing text comprehension. A systematic review was conducted and, after the final screening, 13 articles were analyzed that fell into three main areas: (a) eye movements during reading in print and digital media, (b) eye tracking in text comprehension with perspective effects, and (c) eye tracking in text comprehension with instructional strategy effects. The findings of this review showed that during reading, the amount of cognitive effort invested in text processing, whether induced by the text, the task, or the readers themselves, is usually reflected in longer total fixation times, both as a result of higher fixation frequencies and longer fixation durations. Full article

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20 pages, 43763 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Application of Geospatial Analysis Methods for the Reconstruction of Lithuanian–Slavic Ethnolinguistic Boundaries in Southeastern Lithuania

by Aidas Gudaitis

Languages 2024, 9(12), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9120359 - 25 Nov 2024

Abstract

(1) Background: The article addresses the issue of geospatial dynamics of Lithuanian–Slavic ethnolinguistic boundaries in Southeastern Lithuania (SEL) that were influenced by long-term Lithuanian–Slavic linguistic competition. The aim of the study was to reconstruct the Lithuanian–Slavic ethnolinguistic boundaries and reveal the intensive contact [...] Read more.

(1) Background: The article addresses the issue of geospatial dynamics of Lithuanian–Slavic ethnolinguistic boundaries in Southeastern Lithuania (SEL) that were influenced by long-term Lithuanian–Slavic linguistic competition. The aim of the study was to reconstruct the Lithuanian–Slavic ethnolinguistic boundaries and reveal the intensive contact zones in the late 19th century based on published data. Additionally, the study aimed to assess the geospatial changes in the ethnolinguistic situation in the research area during the period 1890–2021. (2) Methods: The ESRI ArcGIS technology geoprocessing tools were applied for boundary reconstruction and geospatial change detection. Cartographic materials, statistical data, and national census information were utilized in the process. (3) Results: The gained results provided a better understanding of Lithuanian–Slavic ethnolinguistic dynamics over space and time in the research area. The study reveals that the ethnolinguistic boundary in the Vilnius–Trakai urbanized area shifted in favor of the Lithuanian language, suggesting its potential influence on the metropolitan suburbs in the future. However, insufficient social infrastructure and weak economic development in rural settlements have led to a negative migration balance, a low birth rate, and rapid population aging. These challenges might have a negative effect on the future survival of the Lithuanian language in the multilingual rural area of SEL, especially considering the recent geopolitical realia in the region. (4) Conclusions: The study anticipates an increase in the influence of the Lithuanian language in the Vilnius–Trakai metropolitan area at the expense of further decline in the rural Lithuanian-speaking population in the next decade. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dialectal Dynamics)

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18 pages, 623 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pluractional Motion Verbs in Turkish

by Greg Key and Eszter Ótott-Kovács

Languages 2024, 9(12), 358; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9120358 - 25 Nov 2024

Abstract

In this paper, we examine a small set of motion verbs in Turkish bearing the so-called ‘reciprocal’ suffix -(I)ş: kaç-ış- ‘flee in all directions’ (cf. kaç- ‘flee’), koş-uş- ‘run helter-skelter’ (cf. koş- ‘run’), uç-uş- ‘fly helter-skelter’ [...] Read more.

In this paper, we examine a small set of motion verbs in Turkish bearing the so-called ‘reciprocal’ suffix -(I)ş: kaç-ış- ‘flee in all directions’ (cf. kaç- ‘flee’), koş-uş- ‘run helter-skelter’ (cf. koş- ‘run’), uç-uş- ‘fly helter-skelter’ (cf. uç- ‘fly’). It has previously been claimed that these are collective or sociative verbs entailing a low elaboration of events and/or plural participants. We show that these -(I)ş-marked verbs, in fact, require a higher degree of individuation of events than do their unmarked counterparts. Furthermore, we show that a stipulation directly associating the suffix with a requirement for a plural subject is both unnecessary and inadequate. Instead, we propose that the pluractional under investigation manipulates the denoted events’ spatial and temporal properties in such a way that the predicate can only be felicitously used if it combines with a plural external argument. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Theoretical Studies on Turkic Languages)

17 pages, 1078 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Narrow Focus Without Prosody: Some Observations from the Written Italian of University Students

by Elisa Di Domenico

Languages 2024, 9(12), 357; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9120357 - 25 Nov 2024

Abstract

In this work, we analyze the narrow focus strategies in the written Italian of university students. Although prosodic prominence is a characterizing feature of focus—functionally more important than morphosyntactic marking, according to some authors—we assume that prosody is essential for language comprehension and [...] Read more.

In this work, we analyze the narrow focus strategies in the written Italian of university students. Although prosodic prominence is a characterizing feature of focus—functionally more important than morphosyntactic marking, according to some authors—we assume that prosody is essential for language comprehension and hence, in the written modality, focus prosody is assigned by the reader on the basis of the morphosyntactic cues that mark focus. The data on which we base our analysis are selected from two existing corpora, containing more formal and less formal monological texts produced by students attending university throughout Italy. The investigation brings to light a similar pattern, as well as some differences, between the two sub-corpora examined. Besides a widespread use of focus particles, and the virtual absence of the O(S)V strategy, we noticed many instances of focalization inside the copular domain, particularly in the more formal sub-corpus. This pattern is discussed in relation to some of the relevant literature and the nature of the texts examined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Narrow Focus and Fronting Strategies)

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14 pages, 993 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pronunciation and Spelling Accuracy in English Words with Initial and Final Consonant Clusters by Arabic-Speaking EFL Learners

by Abdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh, Najwa Ahmad AL-Junaid and Afakh Said Younes

Languages 2024, 9(12), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9120356 - 25 Nov 2024

Abstract

Arabic phonotactics significantly differ from English phonotactics in that they usually follow a framework that forbids the presence of consonant clusters in syllabic onsets. This study examines the relationship between Arabic-speaking EFL learners’ spelling accuracy and pronunciation, concentrating on the difficulties caused by [...] Read more.

Arabic phonotactics significantly differ from English phonotactics in that they usually follow a framework that forbids the presence of consonant clusters in syllabic onsets. This study examines the relationship between Arabic-speaking EFL learners’ spelling accuracy and pronunciation, concentrating on the difficulties caused by consonant clusters in initial and final positions. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving audio recordings to assess pronunciation accuracy and a spelling test to evaluate spelling performance. According to the results, words with initial consonant clusters (clusters at the beginning of a syllable, or onset) are harder to pronounce and spell than words with final consonant clusters (clusters that follow the vowel). Initial consonant clusters are considered to demand a quick transition in consonants at the start of a syllable, requiring more exact articulation. On the other hand, final clusters allow for a more progressive and straightforward articulation by involving a consonant transition following the initial vowel sound. Additionally, epenthesis may be used as a method to break up consonant clusters in L1 phonological interference, which is consistent with Arabic phonotactic patterns. Full article

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24 pages, 3035 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heritage Spanish in Montreal: An Analysis of Clitics in Spontaneous Production Data

by Noelia Burdeus-Domingo, Anahí Alba de la Fuente and Ismael I. Teomiro

Languages 2024, 9(11), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110355 - 20 Nov 2024

Abstract

This study investigates clitic use in adult heritage speakers (HL speakers) of Spanish, with French as their dominant language. We conducted an exploratory case study using spontaneous production data from HL speakers of Spanish and first-generation Spanish immigrants living in Montreal, Canada. Data [...] Read more.

This study investigates clitic use in adult heritage speakers (HL speakers) of Spanish, with French as their dominant language. We conducted an exploratory case study using spontaneous production data from HL speakers of Spanish and first-generation Spanish immigrants living in Montreal, Canada. Data were collected through two guided production tasks, one oral and one written, to account for task-induced performance variations. Our analysis focused on clitic production, omission, function, optionality, and grammaticality. The findings reveal both similarities and differences compared to monolingual native Spanish speakers, highlighting a broad range of clitic structures produced by all participants and a potential tendency among HL speakers to favour fixed choices in optional structures. This study provides valuable insights into the production patterns of clitics in adult HL speakers of Spanish with French as their dominant language, contributing to our understanding of bilingual grammar. Full article

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19 pages, 367 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The SEC Spanish Consortium: Foundations for Linguistic Gratuity and Language Documentation Among Latinx Populations in New Destination Communities of the U.S. South

by Stephen Fafulas, Chad Howe, Rafael Orozco, Alicia Cipria, Erin O’Rourke, Nina Moreno and Matthew J. Van Hoose

Languages 2024, 9(11), 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110354 - 20 Nov 2024

Abstract

Latinx populations in the USA have grown steadily in recent decades, with significant increases taking place in “new destination communities” of the U.S. South. The focus of our paper is to highlight opportunities for working with these populations, including traditional sociolinguistic ethnographies and [...] Read more.

Latinx populations in the USA have grown steadily in recent decades, with significant increases taking place in “new destination communities” of the U.S. South. The focus of our paper is to highlight opportunities for working with these populations, including traditional sociolinguistic ethnographies and community-engaged research. We highlight an initiative named “The SEC Spanish Consortium” which is an interinstitutional collaboration centered on scholarship and service involving Latinx populations in new destination communities of the U.S. South. We show that ongoing and future scholarly work in the U.S. South can act as a mechanism for documenting these emerging Latinx communities while simultaneously serving the underrepresented and minority speakers of these linguistic varieties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spanish in the US: A Sociolinguistic Approach)

15 pages, 709 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ethnolinguistic Vitality in Minority Schoolscape

by Erika-Mária Tódor and Ildikó Vančo

Languages 2024, 9(11), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110353 (registering DOI) - 20 Nov 2024

Abstract

School is often said to be a representation of society because its primary aim is to promote integration into society. This study of the landscape elements of minority language schools suggests that this type of linguistic landscape may not only reflect a change [...] Read more.

School is often said to be a representation of society because its primary aim is to promote integration into society. This study of the landscape elements of minority language schools suggests that this type of linguistic landscape may not only reflect a change in linguistic dominance but can also play a complementary role compared to the external, out-of-school world. In this paper, the authors attempt to explore a new way of interpreting the notion of the linguistic landscape of schools. The novelty of this approach lies in the application of a spatial theoretical concept, where the schoolscape is defined as an element of autopoietic space—a self-constituting spatial element. Within this autopoietic framework, markers of ethnolinguistic vitality in the linguistic landscape of minority language schools are identified, and a set of criteria is established that can be applied to other communities. The conclusions are drawn from a comparative analysis of the linguistic landscapes of Hungarian-medium schools in Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenging the Paradigm of Bi/Multilingual Research)

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27 pages, 2952 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predicting Discrimination in L3 Portuguese by Hungarian Speakers: The Effect of Perceptual Overlap

by Gabriela Tavares, Andrea Deme and Susana Correia

Languages 2024, 9(11), 352; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110352 - 20 Nov 2024

Abstract

Perceptual overlap has been attested as significantly contributing to difficulties in L2 speech perception. The current study aims at investigating whether this effect is also observable in the context of L3, specifically in the perception of European Portuguese oral vowels by Hungarian listeners. [...] Read more.

Perceptual overlap has been attested as significantly contributing to difficulties in L2 speech perception. The current study aims at investigating whether this effect is also observable in the context of L3, specifically in the perception of European Portuguese oral vowels by Hungarian listeners. We crossed the results of two experiments—a categorization task and a discrimination task—and found that perceptual overlap is also a significant factor in L3 perception. Furthermore, we compared different measures of perceptual overlap as predictors for discrimination abilities of L3 vowel contrasts. Namely, we compared perceptual overlap scores calculated on group means and scores based on individual results. None of the measures was conclusively more reliable than another in predicting differences in discrimination difficulties. However, accuracy in perception of EP contrasts or vowels absent from the Hungarian vocalic system was significantly lower than for the other vowels, suggesting that non-nativeness can cause difficulties in L3 perception. Additionally, participants who also reported knowledge of German performed more accurately in discrimination of contrasts that included the vowel [ɐ], a vowel absent from their L1 but present in the German vocalic system, indicating a positive effect of knowledge of languages previously acquired on L3 perception. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Investigation of L3 Speech Perception)

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22 pages, 9980 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Beyond “I Didn’t Do It”: A Linguistic Analysis of Denial in US Legal Settings

by Elena Didoni and Claudia Roberta Combei

Languages 2024, 9(11), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110351 - 19 Nov 2024

Abstract

This paper investigates the multimodal manifestations of denial in US legal contexts, in the English language, by analyzing police interviews and cross-examinations. The research uses a 13-h corpus of video recordings portraying five male suspects, aged 20–44, eventually charged and convicted of femicide. [...] Read more.

This paper investigates the multimodal manifestations of denial in US legal contexts, in the English language, by analyzing police interviews and cross-examinations. The research uses a 13-h corpus of video recordings portraying five male suspects, aged 20–44, eventually charged and convicted of femicide. We deploy techniques from conversation analysis, multimodal analysis, and speech processing, using tools like ELAN, Praat, WebMAUS, and Python libraries to transcribe, annotate, and analyze audio–video data. This exploratory study identifies several recurring patterns in prosodic and gestural cues associated with denial. In particular, our results indicate a prototypical multimodal denial characterized by a predominant gestural component: head positioning (neutral or lowered) and head shaking. This gestural expression is frequently repeated and can also function independently as a nonverbal marker of denial. Denial is also often accompanied by open-hand gestures, sitting upright posture, and a certain degree of vagueness in speech. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the expression of denial often involves a reduction in pitch and intensity following the confession or indictment. The analysis of pauses before denial instances reveals that a greater number of pauses typically occurs after incrimination. Overall, this study shows that there is an interesting interplay between verbal and nonverbal features of denial in legal interactions, underscoring the need for further analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Challenges in Forensic and Legal Linguistics)

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22 pages, 3850 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Perception of European Portuguese Mid-Vowels by Ukrainian–Russian Bilinguals

by Vita V. Kogan and Gabriela Tavares

Languages 2024, 9(11), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110350 - 18 Nov 2024

Abstract

Mid-vowel contrasts often present perceptual challenges for speakers of languages that lack these distinctions. However, bilingual speakers, who have access to two phonological systems and exhibit greater metalinguistic awareness, might not necessarily encounter such difficulties. In this study, 27 Ukrainian–Russian bilinguals listened to [...] Read more.

Mid-vowel contrasts often present perceptual challenges for speakers of languages that lack these distinctions. However, bilingual speakers, who have access to two phonological systems and exhibit greater metalinguistic awareness, might not necessarily encounter such difficulties. In this study, 27 Ukrainian–Russian bilinguals listened to an unfamiliar language, European Portuguese, and completed two tasks: an identification task where they assimilated the seven stressed oral Portuguese vowels to the closest Ukrainian categories and a discrimination task featuring the Portuguese vowel contrasts /ɛ/–/e/, /e/–/i/, /ɔ/–/o/, and /o/–/u/. No bilingual advantage was observed: the discrimination performance on all contrasts was slightly above or near a chance level (A-prime scores varied between 0.55 and 0.20). These perceptual difficulties may be attributed to the acoustic similarities between the vowels within the contrasts rather than to the differences between the phonological inventories of the languages (the most challenging contrast was not a mid-vowel contrast but acoustically similar /o/–/u/). Although with the back mid-vowel contrast, the difficulty seems to also stem from the possibility that both Ukrainian and Russian have only one back mid-vowel, /o/, and this category occupies a wider area in the vowel space of Ukrainian–Russian bilinguals. The results suggest that bilingual advantage does not always manifest itself in the perception of a new language, especially if two typologically close languages are involved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Investigation of L3 Speech Perception)

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34 pages, 1718 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lyrical Code-Switching, Multimodal Intertextuality, and Identity in Popular Music

by Michael D. Picone

Languages 2024, 9(11), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110349 - 14 Nov 2024

Abstract

Augmenting the author’s prior research on lyrical code-switching, as presented in Picone, “Artistic Codemixing”, published in 2002, various conceptual frameworks are made explicit, namely the enlistment of multimodal and intertextual approaches for their methodological usefulness in analyzing and interpreting message-making that incorporates lyrical [...] Read more.

Augmenting the author’s prior research on lyrical code-switching, as presented in Picone, “Artistic Codemixing”, published in 2002, various conceptual frameworks are made explicit, namely the enlistment of multimodal and intertextual approaches for their methodological usefulness in analyzing and interpreting message-making that incorporates lyrical code-switching as one of its components. Conceived as a bipolarity, the rooted (or local) and the transcendent (or global), each having advantages in the negotiation of identity, is also applied to the analysis. New departures include the introduction of the notion of “curated lyrical code-switching” for the purpose of analyzing songs in which multiple performers are assigned lyrics in different languages, as a function of their respective proficiencies, as curated by the person or persons having authorial agency and taking stock of the social semiotics relevant to the anticipated audience. Moving beyond the negotiation of the identity of the code-switching composer or performer, in another new departure, attention is paid to the musical identity of the listener. As a reflection of the breadth of lyrical code-switching, a rich assortment of examples draws from the musical art of Beyoncé, Jon Batiste, Stromae, Shakira, BTS, NewJeans, Indigenous songsmiths, Cajun songsmiths, Latin Pop and Hip-Hop artists, songs composed for international sports events, and other sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interface between Sociolinguistics and Music)

20 pages, 2504 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tundra Nenets: A Heritage Language in Its Own Land? Linguistic Identity and Language Loss

by Polina Berezovskaya

Languages 2024, 9(11), 348; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110348 - 14 Nov 2024

Abstract

Through fieldwork conducted between 2014 and 2016 in Arkhangelsk, Naryan-Mar, Krasnoye, and Saint Petersburg, this paper investigates the endangered status of Tundra Nenets, an underrepresented and understudied Samoyedic minority language in northern Russia. Criteria for assessing language endangerment are applied to Tundra Nenets [...] Read more.

Through fieldwork conducted between 2014 and 2016 in Arkhangelsk, Naryan-Mar, Krasnoye, and Saint Petersburg, this paper investigates the endangered status of Tundra Nenets, an underrepresented and understudied Samoyedic minority language in northern Russia. Criteria for assessing language endangerment are applied to Tundra Nenets while also taking into consideration the interplay between language identity, reactive ethnicity, negative attitudes, and state politics. The personal story of NC, a Tundra Nenets woman, serves as a case study and exemplifies the impact of decades of marginalization, stigmatization, and discrimination on the cultural and linguistic identity. NC’s narrative illustrates how negative attitudes are exacerbating the decline of Tundra Nenets, further threatening its survival. Because of its absence from schools and institutions, Tundra Nenets seems to be turning into a heritage language in its own homeland. This paper studies the complex interplay between identity, language, and societal pressures, illustrating the broader challenges faced by the Tundra Nenets and other minority communities in maintaining their linguistic and cultural heritage. While the situation remains dire and political action is called for, efforts in boosting language awareness, documentation, and revitalization offer potential pathways for the preservation of Tundra Nenets, drawing on successful examples from other endangered language communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Linguistic Practices in Heritage Language Acquisition)

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25 pages, 1568 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reflexive-Reciprocal Syncretism in Eastern Bantu Languages of Tanzania: Distribution and Origins

by Aron Zahran and Sebastian Dom

Languages 2024, 9(11), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110347 - 8 Nov 2024

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the distribution of reflexive-reciprocal syncretism in Eastern Bantu languages spoken in Tanzania. Most Bantu languages encode reflexive and reciprocal constructions by means of two distinct verbal affixes. However, the Tanzanian Eastern Bantu languages under study have developed [...] Read more.

This paper presents an overview of the distribution of reflexive-reciprocal syncretism in Eastern Bantu languages spoken in Tanzania. Most Bantu languages encode reflexive and reciprocal constructions by means of two distinct verbal affixes. However, the Tanzanian Eastern Bantu languages under study have developed reflexive-reciprocal syncretism, in which the originally reflexive prefix has developed into a polyfunctional morpheme coding both reflexive and reciprocal constructions, to the detriment of the original reciprocal suffix. In a sample of 79 languages, reflexive-reciprocal syncretism is attested in 27 neighboring languages, thus constituting a clear areal feature. We propose that reflexive-reciprocal syncretism is not a language-internal innovation but was rather adopted from neighboring non-Bantu languages and subsequently spread out to its current distribution. We locate the heart of this contact-induced spread in the Tanzanian Rift Valley, a convergence zone in north-central Tanzania where languages from multiple African language families are spoken and have been in contact for an extensive period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Developments on the Diachrony and Typology of Bantu Languages)

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19 pages, 3739 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Segmenting Speech: The Role of Resyllabification in Spanish Phonology

by Iván Andreu Rascón

Languages 2024, 9(11), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110346 - 7 Nov 2024

Abstract

Humans segment speech naturally based on the transitional probabilities between linguistic elements. For bilingual speakers navigating between a first (L1) and a second language (L2), L1 knowledge can influence their perception, leading to transfer effects based on phonological similarities or differences. Specifically, in [...] Read more.

Humans segment speech naturally based on the transitional probabilities between linguistic elements. For bilingual speakers navigating between a first (L1) and a second language (L2), L1 knowledge can influence their perception, leading to transfer effects based on phonological similarities or differences. Specifically, in Spanish, resyllabification occurs when consonants at the end of a syllable or word boundary are repositioned as the onset of the subsequent syllable. While the process can lead to ambiguities in perception, current academic discussions debate the duration of canonical and resyllabified productions. However, the role of bilingualism in the visual perception of syllable and word segmentation remains unknown to date. The present study explores the use of bilingual skills in the perception of articulatory movements and visual cues in speech perception, addressing the gap in the literature regarding the visibility of syllable pauses in lipreading. The participants in this study, 80 native Spanish speakers and 195 L2 learners, were subjected to audio, visual-only, and audiovisual conditions to assess their segmentation accuracy. The results indicated that both groups could segment speech effectively, with audiovisual cues providing the most significant benefit. Native speakers performed more consistently, while proficiency influenced L2 learners’ accuracy. The results show that aural syllabic segmentation is acquired at early stages of proficiency, while visual syllabic segmentation is acquired at higher levels of proficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Language Experience on Speech Perception and Speech Production)

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2 pages, 180 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Languages: Elevating Excellence and Diversifying Perspectives

by Anthony Pak-Hin Kong and Jeanine Treffers-Daller

Languages 2024, 9(11), 345; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110345 - 7 Nov 2024

Abstract

After two years in the job of Editor-in-Chief, it is my pleasure to welcome Professor Anthony Pak-Hin Kong from The University of Hong Kong (HKU) as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Languages [...] Full article

30 pages, 1991 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adding a Piece to the Puzzle: Children’s Exposure to Idioms

by Jacolien van Rij, Floris H. Uithof, Sanne Poelstra, Stephen M. Jones and Simone A. Sprenger

Languages 2024, 9(11), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110344 - 1 Nov 2024

Abstract

Idioms are figurative multiword expressions that need to be learned as part of the native phrasal vocabulary. While it has been shown that non-figurative multiword expressions are acquired with language exposure, the learning process for idioms may be different because the figurative meaning [...] Read more.

Idioms are figurative multiword expressions that need to be learned as part of the native phrasal vocabulary. While it has been shown that non-figurative multiword expressions are acquired with language exposure, the learning process for idioms may be different because the figurative meaning adds complexity to the learning task. Idiom vocabulary overall develops relatively late, but it is unknown to what extent children are exposed to idioms, and what kinds of idioms they encounter. Here, we investigated children’s idiom exposure and its effect on the development of idiom vocabulary in three studies: we explore the frequency of a well-tested set of Dutch idioms in a corpus of child literature, test idiom familiarity in a controlled setting in primary school children, and compare those findings to a set of online familiarity ratings. We find that children’s idiom exposure differs from adult idiom exposure, when comparing idiom frequencies based on children’s books and a corpus with resources for adults. Idiom decomposability and idiom frequencies from the children’s books, but not frequencies from the adult corpus, influenced the familiarity ratings of older children, suggesting that language exposure and idiom characteristics, such as decomposability, both play a role in idiom acquisition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Idiomatic and Formulaic Language: Learning, Processing and Representation)

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23 pages, 3561 KiB

Open AccessArticle

“It’s a Bit Tricky, Isn’t It?”—An Acoustic Study of Contextual Variation in /ɪ/ in the Conversational Speech of Young People from Perth

by Gerard Docherty, Paul Foulkes and Simon Gonzalez

Languages 2024, 9(11), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9110343 - 31 Oct 2024

Abstract

This study presents an acoustic analysis of vowel realisations in contexts where, in Australian English, a historical contrast between unstressed /ɪ/ and /ə/ has largely diminished in favour of a central schwa-like variant. The study is motivated by indications that there is greater [...] Read more.

This study presents an acoustic analysis of vowel realisations in contexts where, in Australian English, a historical contrast between unstressed /ɪ/ and /ə/ has largely diminished in favour of a central schwa-like variant. The study is motivated by indications that there is greater complexity in this area of vowel variation than has been conventionally set out in the existing literature, and our goal is to shed new light by studying a dataset of conversational speech produced by 40 young speakers from Perth, WA. In doing so, we also offer some critical thoughts on the use of Wells’ lexical sets as a framework for analysis in work of this kind, in particular with reference to the treatment of items in unstressed position, and of grammatical (or function) words. The acoustic analysis focused on the realisation in F1/F2 space of a range of /ɪ/ and /ə/ variants in both accented and unaccented syllables (thus a broader approach than a focus on stressed kit vowels). For the purposes of comparison, we also analysed tokens of the fleece and happy-tensing lexical sets. Grammatical and non-grammatical words were analysed independently in order to understand the extent to which a high-frequency grammatical word such as it might contribute to the overall pattern of vowel alternation. Our findings are largely consistent with the small amount of previous work that has been carried out in this area, pointing to a continuum of realisations across a range of accented and unaccented contexts. The data suggest that the reduced historical /ɪ/ vowel encountered in unaccented syllables cannot be straightforwardly analysed as a merger with /ə/. We also highlight the way in which the grammatical word it participates in this alternation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Australian English)

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