Exploring Language-Specific Articulatory Settings in Bilinguals and L2 Speakers

1. Exploring Language-Specific Articulatory Settings in Bilinguals and L2 Speakers Sonja Schaeffler Speech Science Research Centre Queen Margaret University

2. Ineke Mennen ESRC Centre for Research on Bilingualism in Theory & Practice, Bangor University Jim Scobbie Speech Science Research Centre, Queen Margaret University

3. There is one question that precedes all theorising about articulatory settings:

4. There is one question that precedes all theorising about articulatory settings: What makes languages sound different?

5. What makes languages sound different?

6. What makes languages sound different? Differences in phoneme inventories, in the realisations of individual sounds, in the timing of sounds, in the prosody, etc.

7. What makes languages sound different? Differences in phoneme inventories, in the realisations of individual sounds, in the timing of sounds, in the prosody, etc.  That doesn’t quite explain why, for example, English house /haUs/ doesn’t sound like German Haus /haUs/...

8. What makes languages sound different? Differences in phoneme inventories, in the realisations of individual sounds, in the timing of sounds, in the prosody, etc.  That doesn’t quite explain why, for example, English house /haUs/ doesn’t sound like German Haus /haUs/... ... or why L2 speakers struggle to sound-native like even if they are highly competent in other aspects of their L2

9. The concept of articulatory settings

10. The concept of articulatory settings Long tradition of theorising that there are global characteristics in the way speakers of a language use their speech apparatus

11. The concept of articulatory settings Long tradition of theorising that there are global characteristics in the way speakers of a language use their speech apparatus • – noted as early as the 17th century • (Wallis 1653, as quoted by Laver, 1978) • – the (organic) basis of a language • (Sweet, 1890; O’Connor, 1973) • – voice setting features • (Pennington and Richards, 1986) • – voice quality settings (Esling et al, 1983) • – articulatory settings (Honikman, 1964)

12. The concept of articulatory settings

13. The concept of articulatory settings • Languages may differ in their degree of lip-rounding, tension of the lips and tongue, jaw position, phonation types, pitch range and -register

14. The concept of articulatory settings • Languages may differ in their degree of lip-rounding, tension of the lips and tongue, jaw position, phonation types, pitch range and -register There is for example anecdotal evidence that German speakers compared to English speakers: * employ more lip-rounding and an overall greater lip-activity * open their jaws to a lesser extent * generally employ less tension in the muscles of the larynx

15. The concept of articulatory settings • Languages may differ in their degree of lip-rounding, tension of the lips and tongue, jaw position, phonation types, pitch range and -register

16. The concept of articulatory settings • Languages may differ in their degree of lip-rounding, tension of the lips and tongue, jaw position, phonation types, pitch range and -register • A pervading, underlying configuration

17. The concept of articulatory settings • Languages may differ in their degree of lip-rounding, tension of the lips and tongue, jaw position, phonation types, pitch range and -register • A pervading, underlying configuration • To some extent independent of the language’s phoneme inventory

18. The only problem...

19. The only problem... Until very recently there was very little experimental data available to provide empirical evidence for the existence of articulatory settings!

20. Measuring problems

21. Measuring problems • Separating the influence of settings from other language-specific aspects such as the phonemic inventory

22. Measuring problems • Separating the influence of settings from other language-specific aspects such as the phonemic inventory • Acoustic measurements are only indirectly related to articulatory phenomena

23. Measuring problems • Separating the influence of settings from other language-specific aspects such as the phonemic inventory • Acoustic measurements are only indirectly related to articulatory phenomena • Inter-individual differences in vocal tract size and shape

24. Recent experimental research

25. Recent experimental research • Wilson (2006), Gick et al (2004)

26. Recent experimental research • Wilson (2006), Gick et al (2004) • Tested bilingual speakers (English / French)

27. Recent experimental research • Wilson (2006), Gick et al (2004) • Tested bilingual speakers (English / French) • Employed Ultrasound (to determine the overall shape of the tongue) and Optotrak(to determine the position of the jaw and the lips as they change over time)

28. Recent experimental research • Wilson (2006), Gick et al (2004) • Tested bilingual speakers (English / French) • Employed Ultrasound (to determine the overall shape of the tongue) and Optotrak (to determine the position of the jaw and the lips as they change over time) • Didn’t measure within speech segments but in preparation for speech, in so-called Inter-Speech Postures

29. Recent experimental research • Wilson (2006), Gick et al (2004) • Tested bilingual speakers (English / French) • Employed Ultrasound (to determine the overall shape of the tongue) and Optotrak (to determine the position of the jaw and the lips as they change over time) • Didn’t measure within speech segments but in preparation for speech, in so-called Inter-Speech Postures

30. Inter-Speech Postures (ISPs)

31. Inter-Speech Postures (ISPs) • “Language-specific postures held during non-speech segments between utterances” (Gick et al, in press)

32. Inter-Speech Postures (ISPs) • “Language-specific postures held during non-speech segments between utterances” (Gick et al, in press) • i.e. a type of rest or pause where speakers remain in their language-mode but are not actually speaking

33. Inter-Speech Postures (ISPs) • “Language-specific postures held during non-speech segments between utterances” (Gick et al, in press) • i.e. a type of rest or pause where speakers remain in their language-mode but are not actually speaking • The ISP seems to be as a target as specified as any other speech target (Gick et al. 2004: 228)

34. Inter-Speech Postures (ISPs) • “Language-specific postures held during non-speech segments between utterances” (Gick et al, in press) • i.e. a type of rest or pause where speakers remain in their language-mode but are not actually speaking • The ISP seems to be as a target as specified as any other speech target (Gick et al. 2004: 228) • Advantage: ISPs are segment-independent and relatively ‘stable’ compared to speech

35. Inter-Speech Postures: ultrasound data

36. Inter-Speech Postures: ultrasound data

37. Inter-Speech Postures: ultrasound data

38. Inter-Speech Postures: ultrasound data Frame a) is a non-speech posture, more than 750ms before the acoustic onset of speech. Frame b) shows an Inter-Speech Postureachieved about 350ms before acoustic onset, and held for 100ms. Frame c) shows the frame immediately preceding acoustic onset of ‘mum’.

39. Inter-Speech Postures: ultrasound data

40. Inter-Speech Postures: ultrasound data • non-speech posture • Inter-Speech Posture • onset of speech

41. What’s left to do?

42. What’s left to do? • Tracing articulatory settings within speech segments • the whole concept of articulatory settings as a source of the characteristic sound of a language will only make sense if traces of these settings can be found in what is audible to listeners (and not just in preparation of speech)

43. What’s left to do? • Tracing articulatory settings within speech segments • the whole concept of articulatory settings as a source of the characteristic sound of a language will only make sense if traces of these settings can be found in what is audible to listeners (and not just in preparation of speech) • How are language-specific articulatory settings acquired?

44. What’s left to do? • Tracing articulatory settings within speech segments • the whole concept of articulatory settings as a source of the characteristic sound of a language will only make sense if traces of these settings can be found in what is audible to listeners (and not just in preparation of speech) • How are language-specific articulatory settings acquired? • How are articulatory settings stored and specified in a language’s grammar?

45. Applications for L2 research

46. Applications for L2 research If articulatory settings contribute to the characteristic sound of a language, we should find traces of these settings not just in preparation for speech but also within speech.

47. Applications for L2 research If articulatory settings contribute to the characteristic sound of a language, we should find traces of these settings not just in preparation for speech but also within speech. Accordingly, foreign-language learners who adjust their settings appropriately should be perceived as sounding more native-like than those who do not.

48. Applications for L2 research If articulatory settings contribute to the characteristic sound of a language, we should find traces of these settings not just in preparation for speech but also within speech. Accordingly, foreign-language learners who adjust their settings appropriately should be perceived as sounding more native-like than those who do not. The degree of control over articulatory settings could be related to other variables of L2 acquisition such as type and extent of exposure to the foreign language.

49. Thank you! PTA-026-27-1465