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.

아랍권 한국어 학습자 음운 규칙의 적용 양상 분석 - 중급 및 고급수준의 이집트인 한국어 학습자를 중심으로 -

헤바무함메드 ( Heba Mohammed ) 연세대학교 언어정보연구원(구 연세대학교 언어정보개발원) 2016 언어사실과 관점 Vol.39 No.-

This research aims to analyze and compare phonological rules mistakes which are mistakes made by middle level and high level Arab students who are studying Korean language in Egypt. 14 middle level students and same number of heigh level students were chosen to participate in this research. The unique phonological rules is one of the reasons that make Korean language pronunciation difficult. To determine problems facing Arab students when pronouncing Korean 64 words were given to middle·heigh level Arab students and the reading process has been recorded, and then the students were asked to write the pronunciation to confirm the students level of knowledge of these phonological rules. 3 of the phonological rules were chosen to be the subject of analyzing in this research fortis, Aspirated consonant, palatalization. Then the applyment of the rules to every word was analyzed to applied, not applied, misapplied. Both middle·Heigh level students show high applyment of palatalization, middle students face problems is understanding the rule itself, and that`s why they show heigh “miss applied” rate, but this problem was solved in the heigh students group so the “apply” rate moved to 80% from 54%. fortis “apply” rate 39% was the worst between middle level students to show that fortis is the most difficult rule among the chosen 3 rules for the middle level students, but heigh level students show more high “apply” rate 52%. heigh level students fortis pronunciation was improved but the still show heigh rate of “not applied” and “misapplied” rate 48% which is heigh rate and shows that also heigh level students face real problems appling fortis phonological rule. Aspirated consonant shows interesting result as the apply rate in both middle students group and heigh students group was same, which means Aspirated consonant of heigh level students was not going to improve at all. According to the result of this research the most difficult phonological rule for arab learners among the 3 rules were chosen to be analyzed in this research is Aspirated consonant which was pronunciated as fortis most of time. and the reason behind this is the mother language of the learners as the arab learners can not divide both pronunciation from each other. at the end of the research pronunciation teaching methods were suggested to solve this problem among korean language arab learner specially in the korean department of EGYPT.

영어 음운습득에서의 모음 장ㆍ단 대조와 어말 폐쇄음 탈락

김선회 ( Kim Sun-hoi ),유혜정 ( Yu Hye-jeong ) 대한영어영문학회 2009 영어영문학연구 Vol.35 No.1

This paper analyzes the vowel length contrast and word-final stop deletion in the phonological acquisition of English. It examines Dinnsen, McGarrity, O’Connor & Swanson’s(2000) ‘sympathy’ analysis of Weismer, Dinnsen & Elbert’s(1981) children’s data and points out that the flaw of the ‘sympathy’ analysis is caused by the input of child production set under the principle of “richness of the base.” Then, adopting an assumption that “the output of adult production is the input of child production”(Smolensky 1996a: 19) on the basis of the argument proposed by Smolensky(1996a, b) and Hayes(2004), this paper shows that a long vowel before a deleted word-final voiced stop is to satisfy ID(weight) which is ranked above LENGTHEN and that the deletion of a word-final stop is to satisfy NOCODA which is ranked above MAX. (Chungang University)

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.