A Phonetic Study of Korean Heritage Learners’ Production of Korean Word-initial Stops

Abstract

The current study investigates heritage language (HL) learners’ production of the Korean three-way stop contrast. Korean consonants include a typologically rare distinction among three types of voiceless stops typically described as plain /p, t, k/, aspirated /ph, th, kh/, and tense /p*, t*, k*/. This study examines how this phonological contrast is implemented by HL learners enrolled in a beginning level Korean class at a university. Language-specific (i.e., English and Korean) gender effects in VOT are also explored in HL learners. The results show that voice onset time (VOT) mainly serves to differentiate tense stops from plain and aspirated stops, while f0 plays a significant role in differentiating plain from aspirated and tense stops in HL learners. This finding is consistent with accounts of sound change under way in current Korean stops. The inter- and intraspeaker variations or categorical confusion with Korean plain stops commonly shown in second language (L2) learners is not found in HL learners of this study. Hence, the results of the present study support the view that HL learners preserve the phonological and phonetic benefits in their HL. In terms of gender-based differences, VOT is found to be shorter for males in plain and aspirated stops, while it is longer for males in tense stops. Finally, this study also suggests that controlling the heterogeneity of subjects mitigates the methodological challenges of HL research.

Hyper-articulation effects in Korean glides by heritage language learners

“…Chang and Mandock (2019) also limited their sample to heritage learners from a single class and similarly observed relatively consistent data among speakers with less talker variability in the production of Korean stop contrasts. Thus, Chang and Mandock (2019) suggested that homogenous populations in which confounding factors are properly controlled would offer more focused and valid data suitable for the specific purpose of a study, unless the purpose of a study is to compare various characteristics of participants. Despite promising results from the present study and Chang and Mandock (2019) regarding speaker variability, it is still too early to state definitively whether using heritage subjects from a single language course can guarantee consistent results.…”

“…Thus, Chang and Mandock (2019) suggested that homogenous populations in which confounding factors are properly controlled would offer more focused and valid data suitable for the specific purpose of a study, unless the purpose of a study is to compare various characteristics of participants. Despite promising results from the present study and Chang and Mandock (2019) regarding speaker variability, it is still too early to state definitively whether using heritage subjects from a single language course can guarantee consistent results. Further heritage language studies in different linguistic contexts using this study design would prove instrumental in confirming the methodology’s general applicability.…”

Crosslinguistic Influence in the Discrimination of Korean Stop Contrast by Heritage Speakers and Second Language Learners

“…Kong et al (2011) suggested that early acquisition of fortis stops is due to the fact that only VOT needs to be mastered in order to distinguish them from the other categories. In contrast, the necessity to use F0 in order to identify lenis stops makes them acquisitionally challenging, both for L1 and L2 learners (Chang and Mandock 2019;Cheon and Lee 2013;Ko 2018;Oh et al 2010). With respect to our study, relatively late acquisition of Korean laryngeal categories, especially the lenis-aspirated contrast, and its perceptual complexity, may make this contrast more susceptible to crosslinguistic influence from the dominant language in HSs and L2 learners.…”

“…The Korean stop contrasts are typologically unusual and perceptually challenging, but at the same time sufficiently similar to the English laryngeal categories to trigger crosslinguistic interactions (Ahn et al 2017). In fact, previous research contains evidence suggestive of such crosslinguistic influence between English and Korean laryngeal categories in HSs and other types of bilinguals, both in production and perception (Chang and Mandock 2019;Cheon and Lee 2013;Cheng 2017). In the current study, we focused on the perception of word-initial lenis-aspirated distinction in Korean stops-a contrast that has already received plentiful attention in the literature but remains an attractive topic due to its uncommon phonetic implementation.…”

“…Moreover, the word-initial lenis-aspirated stop contrast is believed to be undergoing tonogenesis-the emergence of a tonal distinction on the basis of existing consonantal laryngeal contrasts and the ultimate replacement of the laryngeal categories by tone Kang 2014. Specifically, an ongoing sound change in the Seoul-Gyeonggi dialect of Korean is merging the VOTs of lenis and aspirated stops, especially among younger speakers (Bang et al 2018;Chang and Mandock 2019;Kang 2014;Kang and Guion 2008;Kong and Yoon 2013;Silva 2006), with onset F0 becoming the dominant cue to this distinction (Kang et al 2010;Kim et al 2002;Kong et al 2011;Lee et al 2013Lee et al , 2020Lee and Jongman 2019).…”