Covert Contrasts in Korean EFL Learners’ Interlanguage Phonology

( Jayeon Lim ),( Misun Seo ) 범태평양 응용언어학회 2023 범태평양응용언어학회지 Vol.27 No.1

This study examined how Korean EFL learners in different proficiency levels attest contrasts of L2 phonology. To this end, twenty Korean EFL learners in high and low levels of English proficiency produced words with word-final contrasts of /∫/ vs. /∫i/, /t∫/ vs. /t∫i/, and /dʒ/ vs. /dʒi/. Acoustic analyses of lexical vs. epenthetic vowels and lexically vs. derivationally final sibilants were conducted. The results of the acoustic analyses revealed that Korean learners differentiated them at the acoustic level by employing different vowel ratios or F1 for the produced forms with a final lexical or epenthetic vowel which did not differ at the segmental level. On the other hand, the low group did not acoustically differentiate the two types of vowels after /dʒ/ at all. With the production of a final sibilant either lexical or derivational, Korean learners also made distinctions in terms of different frication ratios. The results of the study found L2 learners distinguish segmental contrasts acoustically, which is different from L1 speakers, and the proficiency level partially mediates this. The results implicate the existence of interlanguage phonology with its independent system.

Explaining Phonetic Variation of Consonants in Vocalic Context

Oh, Eu-Jin Korean Society of Speech Sciences 2001 음성과학 Vol.8 No.3

This paper aims to provide preliminary evidence that (at least part of) phonetic phenomena are not simply automatic or arbitrary, but are explained by the functional guidelines, ease of articulation and maintenance of contrasts. The first study shows that languages with more high vowels (e.g., French) allow larger consonantal deviation from its target than languages with less high vowels (e.g., English). This is interpreted as achieving the economy of articulation to a certain extent in order to avoid otherwise extreme articulatory movement to be made in CV syllables due to strict demand on maintaining vocalic contrasts. The second study shows that Russian plain bilabial consonant allows less amount of undershoot due to the neighboring vowels than does English bilabial consonant. This is probably due to the stricter demand on maintaining the consonantal contrasts, plain vs. palatalized, existing only in Russian.

The brains of speech experts and non-experts compared : An fMRI investigation of phonological processing

Haeil Park 경희대학교 언어정보연구소 2016 언어연구 Vol.33 No.3

The present study aims to investigate whether there are distinctions in language-related brain function between speech experts and control subjects, and if so, how the functional reorganization or plasticity of the brain plays out in learning speech skills. Here, we used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to compare cerebral activity patterns associated with phonological perception in announcers and non-announcers during the task of identifying three-way Korean laryngeal contrasts. The results show that there are significant differences in neural activity pattern between the two groups. In particular, the announcer group, as compared to the control group, showed less activation in the regions associated with phonological perception: the left superior temporal gyrus, the primary sensorimotor cortex including pre- and post-central gyrus and the supramarginal gyrus (SMG). These findings provide evidence for neuroplasticity after learning language skills in a way that a continuing verbal training results in a greater language processing efficiency, thereby inducing less amount of activation in language-related regions. (Kyung Hee University)

제2언어 학습 과정에 나타난 한국어 음운 지각과 산출 -중국인 학습자의 중첨자음과 단자음 변별을 중심으로-

김태경 ( Taek Kyung Kim ) 한국현대언어학회 2015 언어연구 Vol.30 No.4

The Journal of Studies in Language 30.4, 787-805. This study examined adult L2 learners’ perception and production of non-native speech contrasts. The word-medial singleton/geminate contrasts in Korean sonorant consonants such as /m, n, l/ are differentiated acoustically by temporal parameters, (e.g., duration of closure for medial consonants, duration of preceding vowel). The participants in the present study were two groups of Korean-learning Chinese who differed according to their degrees of experience in Korean(beginners and intermediate learners). Both groups showed better discrimination in perception than in production of the singleton/geminate consonants. The intermediate learners’ discrimination rate in production was obviously higher than the beginners’, whereas there was no significant difference in perception between the two groups. The acoustic analysis clearly indicate that the participants who failed to discriminate singleton/geminate consonants in perception also produced the geminate consonants with significantly longer closure durations than the singleton consonants. This result suggests that they produce such sounds under conscious (i.e. nonautomatic) control. Therefore, L2 learners’ differential pronunciation of L2 contrasts does not necessarily mean that they have established separate phonetic categories for L2 sounds. (Hanyang University)

Relations between handshape and orientation in simultaneous compounds in Korean Sign Language

황보현진,지영서,조진우 경희대학교 언어정보연구소 2023 언어연구 Vol.40 No.1

The purpose of this paper is to examine the status of orientation relative to handshape in sign phonology. There have been two competing views on the status of orientation: one in which orientation is taken to be a subcategory of handshape, and the other in which orientation is taken to have an equal status with handshape. We assess the predictions made by the competing views involving the possibilities of total assimilation of handshape and orientation, partial assimilation of orientation, and partial assimilation of handshape, through the analyses of simultaneous compounds in Korean Sign Language (KSL). It is shown in the paper that simultaneous compounds in KSL can be analyzed to involve not only total assimilation and partial assimilation of orientation but also partial assimilation of handshape, which is possible only under the view that orientation is independent of handshape. Based on the discussion, we conclude that orientation and handshape are parallel categories that distinguish meaning in the phonology of sign language.

서울지역어와 경기지역어의 음운론적 대비 연구

최창원 한국방언학회 2016 방언학 Vol.0 No.24

The purpose of this paper is a contrastive phonological study on areal languages used in Seoul and Gyeonggi in South Korea. These two areas have similarities and differences in phonological characters. The lists of phonemes of two areas are same whereas the phonological processes of those are slightly different. Chapter 2.1, there are no differences in the list of consonants, vowels, and glide. Chapter 2.2, it examines phonological phenomena which were found in the two areal languages and discusses similarities and differences of them. The result shows that the phonological processes are classified into three groups. The first group is the common phonological process in two areal languages; non-plosive consonantalization, glottalization, nasalization, velarization, liquidization, complete progressive assimilation of ending initial /ʌ/, glidization, short-vowelization, deletion of glottals, deletion of liquid, deletion of glide, deletion of stem final /ɯ, ʌ, a/, deletion of ending initial /ɯ/, insertion of /y/, /w/, aspiration, glottalization as coalescence. The second group is the phonological process exists in both areal languages but has different limitation on application; rounded vowelization, complete progressive assimilation of ending initial /ɯ/, /ʌ/→/a/ in ending initial, simplification of consonant cluster. The third group is the phonological process which exists only one areal language; front-high vowelization. 이 논문은 서울지역어와 경기지역어의 공시 음운론적 대비를 통해서 음소목록과 음운과정의 공통점과 차이점을 밝히는 것을 목적으로 한다. 그 결과 음소목록은 두 지역어 간에 동일함을 알 수 있었다. 그리고 음운과정의 경우, 두 지역어 간에 공통적인 음운과정으로는 평파열음화, 경음화, 비음화, 연구개음화, 유음화, 어미초의 /어/의 완전순행동화, 활음화, 단모음화, 후음탈락, 유음탈락, 활음탈락, 어간말 /으/, /어/, /아/의 탈락, 어미초 /으/의 탈락, /y/, /w/의 첨가, 유기음화, 축약으로서의 경음화가 있다. 그리고 차이를 보이는 음운과정으로는 두지역어 간에 공통으로 존재하지만 그 적용 환경이 서로 다른 것과 한 지역어에만 존재하는 것으로 나눌 수 있다. 전자는 원순모음화, 어미초 /으/의 완전순행동화, 어미초의 /어/의 /아/화, 자음군 단순화이고, 후자는 전설고모음화이다.

대조분석이론에 관한 연구

서정목(Jeong Mok Seo) 언어과학회 2002 언어과학연구 Vol.23 No.-

Language learners tend to transfer their native language system positively or negatively to target language. Interference is caused by negative transfer that results in errors, and contrastive analysis is required to predict errors and to block the negative transfer. A phonological system in a language consists of the interaction between general principles governing phonological representations and structures and the parameters set in particular language. That`s why the parameters set in a given language make the language as such. Thus, languages have linguistic universals in common, and the parametric factors make the language different. Positive transfer facilitates the transfer from the native language to the target language without causing any errors, and the negative transfer leads to the interference. Thus, the argument of the contrastive analysis is proved to be right that difference makes difficulties, and the greater the degree of difference or distance, the larger the learning task at least in phonological aspects. Today, it is true that the linguistic position of the contrastive analysis has declined, but its validity and effectiveness can be found in the fact that it provides error analysis with contrasted data. So, the contrastive analysis and the error analysis are not in exclusive relation but in complementary one. The revival of the contrastive analysis can be assured in its role as both the foreground and background of the error analysis.

PHONOLOGICAL CONTRAST BETWEEN KOREAN AND TURKISH IN TERMS OF LANGUAGE UNIVERSALITY

KIM, SEON JUNG Academia Via Serica 2018 Acta Via Serica Vol.3 No.1

This study aims to contrast phonological characteristics of Korean and Turkish in terms of language universality. Considering consonants, both languages have the same number of consonants (21), which is the most typologically plausible structure of consonants. Thus, it can be said that they display high universality in the number of consonants. However, Turkish shows higher universality in regards to their substance, i.e., it differs from Korean when it comes to the structure of plosives and affricates. Turkish has two contrastive consonants, i.e., voiced and voiceless. However, the Korean plosives and affricates consist of neutral, tense and aspirate voiceless. In the case of vowels, both Korean with 10 vowels and Turkish with 8 vowels show lower universality. Yet, all of those vowels belong to the list of the most plausible vowels which makes their universality higher in substance. In respect of the syllable structure, Korean with its (C)V(C) type shows a moderately complex structure while Turkish with its (C)V(C)(C) type has a complex structure. The coda may consist of two consonants in Turkish while only one consonant is possible in Korean. However, onset is composed of one consonant in both languages. The contrastive study of similarities and differences between Korean and Turkish in terms of phonological characteristics will help not only understand the two languages but also provide useful information to increase the efficacy of Korean language education for Turkish learners of Korean, whose number is rapidly increasing.

벵골어 모어 화자에게 한국어를 효율적으로 교육하기 위한 한국어와 벵골어 음운 체계 대조 연구

권병희 국제한국어교육학회 2012 한국어 교육 Vol.23 No.3

Due to several reasons the number of Bengali native speakers learning Korean language is incr -easing. But contrastive studies between Korean and Bengali languages have been carried out scarcely. This study is planed to contrast the phonological system of the two languages. Phonological system is the first step to overcome when it comes to studying a foreign language. Korean and Bengali languages have comparably bilabial plosive sounds, alveolar plosive sounds, palatal affricate sounds, velar plosive sounds, guttural fricative sounds, alveolar fricative sounds, trill sounds, lateral sounds, and nasal sounds. Korean consonants of plosive and affricate sounds are classified as fortis/aspirated/lax consonants, but those of Bengali as voiced-aspirated/voiceless-aspirated/voiceless-unaspirated. Korean fortis consonants are similar to Bengali voiceless-unaspirated, and Korean aspirated consonants to Bengali voiceless-aspirated. Retroflex sounds are found in Bengali but not in Korean. Bengali does not have /ㅆ s’/ sound that Korean has. Korean has /ㄹ/ sound with /r/ and /l/ sounds as complementary allophone, but Bengali has /r/ and /l/ sounds as independent phonemes. Bengali has initial consonant group, but this is not found in Korean. For final consonants, Korean has implosive sounds, but Bengali has implosive or explosive sounds. In vowel system, both languages have /i, e, ɛ, a, o, u/ sounds. However, Korean has some sounds which are not used in Bengali, such as /ɨ, y, ø/. Korean has many diphthong sounds, but it is rare in Bengali. Both languages have syllable of CVC, with V, CV, VC, CVC. These languages have long and short sounds and have no stress, except emphasizing stress. The study on the similarity and difference of the two languages will be used with great importance when teaching Korean language to Bengali speakers.

The Role of L1 Phonological Feature in the L2 Perception and Production of Vowel Length Contrast in English

Woohyeok Chang 한국음성학회 2008 음성과학 Vol.15 No.1

The main goal of this study is to examine if there is a difference in the utilization of a vowel length cue between Korean and Japanese L2 learners of English in their perception and production of postvocalic coda contrast in English. Given that Japanese subjects’ performances on the identification and production tasks were much better than Korean subjects’ performance, we may support the prediction based on the Feature Hypothesis which maintains that L1 phonological features can facilitate the perception of L2 acoustic cue. Since vowel length contrast is a phonological feature in Japanese but not in Korean, the tasks, which assess L2 leaners’ ability to discriminate vowel length contrast in English, are much easier for theJapanese group than for the Korean group. Although the Japanese subjects demonstrated a better performance than the Korean subjects, the performance of the Japanese group was worse than that of the English control group. This finding implies that L2 learners, even Japanese learners, should taught that the durational difference of the preceding vowels is the most important cue to differentiate postvocalic contrastive codas in English.