The Effect of Style in Second Language Phonology: An Analysis of Segmental Acquisition in Study Abroad and Regular-Classroom Students

Abstract

The present investigation further examines the role of style in the acquisition of segmental phonology in two groups: study abroad vs. regular-classroom students. Specifically, an analysis of speech style (reading vs. conversation) and linguistic gain across time (pre-test and post-test) is presented. Forty-six students were interviewed for this study. Twenty-six students were studying Spanish abroad in Alicante, Spain, while twenty were taking a regular class in the United States. The findings of this investigation reveal that students are more likely to show target-like pronunciation in the conversational style for all segmental phenomena analyzed. A general pattern reveals that study abroad students tend to do better in the conversational style in the case of word-initial voiceless stops and syllable-final laterals. Intervocalic voiced fricatives were an exception to this general pattern. No gain was found in the case of the palatal nasals since high levels of accuracy were the norm in the pre-test.