Phonetic dissimilarity and their effects on the success of learning a foreign language.

Abstract

This project aims to discover whether phonetic dissimilarity between two languages predicts more successful learning of the foreign (L2) language, and whether the Speech Learning Model (SLM) (Flege, 1995) can be extended to the Singaporean context. The study also aims to investigate if the SLM still applies to a case of acquiring a third language. Based on Flege’s Speech Learning Model (SLM), the more different the sounds are in L1 and L2, the easier it will be for the L2 learner to distinguish a new sound. 21 speakers were separated into 3 groups based on their proficiency in the Korean language. They are to complete a speech shadowing task where they had to reproduce the [i] and [ɯ] sounds as presented by a native Korean speaker. The participants’ accuracy and variance in their production are recorded and analyzed against the theories of the SLM.