Preschoolers’ Production of L2 Vowels Is Affected by Input Quality: A Longitudinal Study

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68081740%3A_____%2F25%3A00636953" target="_blank" >RIV/68081740:_____/25:00636953 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/61989592:15210/25:73630741

Result on the web

<a href="https://euroslajournal.org/articles/10.22599/jesla.125" target="_blank" >https://euroslajournal.org/articles/10.22599/jesla.125</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.22599/jesla.125" target="_blank" >10.22599/jesla.125</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Preschoolers’ Production of L2 Vowels Is Affected by Input Quality: A Longitudinal Study

Original language description

We explore the impact of in-class input on pre-literate foreign language learners’ production of second-language (L2) English vowels, comparing vowels in words newly learnt in class from a near-native speaker of Standard Southern British English (SSBE), and earlier-learnt words heard from foreign-accented speakers. We further explore if and how classroom exposure to SSBE affects learners’ first-language (L1) vowels. Over 16 weeks, we recorded seven Moravian Czech preschoolers who attended weekly English lessons. They produced words with SSBE /i, ɪ, ɛ, æ, ʌ/ and Moravian Czech /iː, i, e, a/. We modelled normalised vowel height and retraction using linear mixed effects models. In newly learnt words, participants produced L2 /ɛ/ as higher than /æ/, showing greater separation of the vowels than in earlier-learnt words. Still, /ɛ, æ/ overlap was observed, with /æ/ showing great variability. Participants raised L2 /i/ in later recordings, producing /i/ and /ɪ/ similarly in earlier-learnt and newly learnt L2 words. L1 production was recorded twice approximately nine weeks apart. Participants raised L1 /iː/ and /i/, which became more similar in height and overlapped more with L2 /i/. L1 /e/ retracted and overlapped more with L2 /æ/, L1 /a/ retracted, assimilating to L2 /ʌ/. Our findings illustrate the influence of input characteristics on child learners’ production of L2 vowels and suggest that classroom input can drive phonetic drift in young children.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_SC - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

50101 - Psychology (including human - machine relations)

Project

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Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of the European Second Language Association

ISSN

2399-9101

e-ISSN

2399-9101

Volume of the periodical

9

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

17

Pages from-to

19-35

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105022697695