PHONOLOGICAL ANALYSISABSTRACT

Substitution is a common phenomenon when a non-English speaker speaks English with foreign accent. By using spectrographic analysis, a study with a small number of controlled participants has been carried out to observe, in isolated English word, the pattern of substitution of the initial consonant [θ] with [s] by native Mandarin speakers, with short experience in the U.S.A, and little exposure to spoken English. In this study, additional audio data from a Mandarin speaker with longer experience in U.S.A. and audio materials of standard American English, have been included in acoustic analysis for comparison. Finally, a listening evaluation by an American English speaker has been conducted to perceptually detect phonological implications of the substitution. The study shows that native Mandarin speakers with short living experience in English speaking countries, tend to use the Mandarin phone [s] to realize the English phone [θ], difficult to pronounce, because not existing in Mandarin. Such substitution does not induce a phonological difference in Mandarin, but does affect the corresponding American English phonological contrast [θ]-[s]. Linear and non-linear phonological analyses have been applied, to describe the underlying rule which possibly determine this neutralization phenomenon

GOALS OF THE STUDY

Native Mandarin speakers with short living experience in English speaking countries, and short exposure to spoken English, tend to use native Mandarin phones to substitute English phones difficult to produce, as they do not belong to the Mandarin phonetic/phonological inventory. The substitution does not affect phonological contrasts in Mandarin, but neutralizes some English contrasts. The substitution of [θ] with [s] by Mandarin speakers, pronouncing English as a second language, is an example of the phenomenon described above. The goal of this study is to provide evidence for [θ]-[s] substitution by native Mandarin speakers, pronouncing English, through a spectrographic and acoustic analysis of the realizations of the two phones, and also to attempt an explanatory description of the mechanisms underlying the neutralization of the English phonological

/θ/ - /s/ contrast by a non-linear phonological analysis.

Phonetic Substitution as a Foreign Accent Phenomenon in Native Mandarin Speakers’ Pronunciation of English

Rui Li and Patrizia Bonaventura

Department of Communication Sciences, Case Western Reserve University

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Poster is based on a class project for COSI 211 Phonetics and Phonology, given by Professor Bonaventura, Department of Communication Sciences. The author wishes to thank Professor Bonaventura for her advice and encouragement, which make this poster possible.

RESULTS

STUDY DESIGN Pre-test Ensure sample speakers have normal speech ability to produce the alveolar fricative [s] and collect necessary background information for data analysis. Data collection and testing Method: Live recording Participants: Three Mandarin speaking Chinese with at least six years English study One American English speaker [4] Content: 10 English words with initial [θ] 4 pairs of words with only initial sound’s difference 20 random English words Questionnaire Posttest data transcription Data Analysis

Palatogram

Tracing from X-rays Tracing from X-rays Tracing from X-rays

Palatogram Palatogram

Figure 1: Tracings from X-rays and Palatograms of 3 speakers producing Mandarin alveolar fricative [s] [3]

PHONETIC DESCRIPTION AND PHONOLOGICAL IMPLICATION

The alveolar fricative [s] in Mandarin can be considered as phonetically equivalent to the alveolar fricative [s] in Standard English [1]. However, palatographic studies (Fig. 1) show intersubject variation in the place and amount of constriction of the tip of the tongue depending on individual physiological constraints; this intrinsic phonetic variability of Mandarin [s], probably induces articulatory realizations closer to the interdental production of [] in English.

No interdental fricative [] exists in Mandarin.

[θ]-[s] substitution in English words made /s/ - // contrast neutralized. [2][3]

Figure 2: Study procedure

Sample # of Correct # of Incorrect # of Total Correct Production Production Production Production %

SampleA 2 0 2 100%SampleB 2 0 2 100%SampleC 2 0 2 100%

Pretest Result Chart

Sample

[S] [θ] [S] [θ] [S] [θ] [S] [θ]

SampleA 4 1 0 1 4 14 100% 8%SampleB 4 0 0 14 4 14 100% 0%SampleC 4 7 0 7 4 7 100% 100%

# of Correct Production

# of Incorrect Production

# of Total Production

Correct Production %

Testing Result Chart (Target initial consonants [s] & [θ] )Spectrogram Characteristics of [s] & [θ]

Noise portion in [s] shows stronger overall energy than noise in [θ]. Noise portion in [s] has intense high frequency (low limit around 4KHz); overall energy in [θ] is distributed all over the spectrum and weaker than [s]. Acoustic cues are used to perceive and distinguish the two fricatives.

Figure 3: Spectrograms of [s] & [θ]

[s] [θ]

Sample A Sample B Sample C Sample D

Thief Thief Thief Thief

Spectrogram Analysis Example I (Word “Thief” from Sample A to D)

Sample A Sample C

Think Sink Think Sink

Spectrogram Analysis Example II (“Think” vs. “Sink” from Sample A and C)

The Posttest Questionnaires Mandarin speakers (A, B) with short experience in USA

Can produce [s] and [ө], but [ө] production makes them feel unnatural and uncomfortable. Don’t think the difference are important, because productions of these two sounds would not make phonological difference in Mandarin words. Not aware of their substitution in everyday life.

Mandarin speaker C with longer experience in USA Can produce [s] and [ө], but still sometimes feels not very natural. Knowing the substitution may lead to misunderstanding.

Systematic substitution phenomenon Linear phonological analysis

Rule: // /s/ / # ____

Non-linear phonological analysis

Pre-test

Testing and Data Collection

Post-test Data Transcription

Data Analysis

Qualified

If not qualified, a new participants is needed

Questionnaire

[ө]

Root

[+cont] Superlaryngeal Laryngeal

Coronal [+spread]

[ - distributed]

[s]

Root

[+cont] Superlaryngeal Laryngeal

Coronal [+spread]

[ + distributed]

CONCLUSIONS

When producing the English words with [] in the initial position, Mandarin speakers with reduced exposure to spoken English, attempt to use the alveolar fricative [s] (both a Mandarin and English phoneme) to substitute the English voiceless interdental fricative [ ] that does not exist in Mandarin. Substitution is due probably to lack of perceptual distinction between the interdental and the alveolar fricatives by Mandarin speakers, due to the allophonic status of these two phones in Mandarin.

Substitution between [] and [s] does not affect any phonological distinction in Mandarin, but neutralizes the English /s/ – // phonological contrast

REFERENCES

[1] Borden, G. J., Harris, K. S. and Raphael, L. R., Speech Science Primer: Physiology, Acoustics, and Perception of Speech . Lippincott Williams &

Wilkins, 2003.[2] Compton, A. J., Compton P-ESL program CD-ROM, Carousel House, San

Francisco, CA, 2003.

[3] Ladefoged, P. and Maddieson, I., The sounds of the world's languages, infoOxford, UK, 1996.

[4] Shriberg, L. D. and Kent, R. D., Clinical Phonetics, Pearson Education Inc., 2003.

FOUR PARTICIPANTS SAMPLES

Sample Age & Gender First Language Years Stay in USA Origin

Sample A 28 Male Mandarin 1.5 Years North China

Sample B 25 Female Mandarin 1 Year North China

Sample C 34 Male Mandarin > 5 Years North China

Sample D 25 Male Am. E. 　 USA