Rapid and multifaceted effects of second-language learning on first-language speech production

Multi-competence and first language attrition

“…In long-term, immersed bilinguals, crosslinguistic adaptation in the L1 increased but became reduced in the L2. Since this and other studies clearly indicate that the native language of a multilingual language user undergoes measurable change after only a few months' exposure to the L2 (and other studies, such as Chang (2012), have found similar effects after as little as six weeks), it seems absurd to expect any L2 user to arrive at a state where s/he will become indistinguishable from a monolingual native, or to derive theoretical explanations on the nature of second language learning from their 'failure' to do so. As Hopp and Schmid (2013) and Schmid (in press) have recently argued, more insight into the way in which language is acquired, processed and used can be gained by comparing bilinguals who use the same languages but were exposed to them in a different sequence (e.g.…”

On the cognitive basis of contact-induced sound change: Vowel merger reversal in Shanghainese

“…As English /t/ and French /t/ are phonetically similar, they may undergo equivalence classification in a bilingual's (shared) language system, causing productions to come even closer to each other. A more recent study by Chang (2012) found evidence that such convergence occurs in novice L2 learners as well-in both VOT as well as properties of vowel production such as the fundamental frequency onset and the first formant frequency (F1).…”

“…In regard to determining crosslinguistic phonological similarity, the L2-to-L1 influence documented in Chang (2012) is noteworthy because it was found at multiple levels of phonological structure, not just at the segmental level. Thus, the L1 (English) production of the participants evinced influence from L2 (Korean) phonetic norms not only at the level of the segment (e.g.…”

“…Note that cross-language linkage at the lexical-phonetic level does not follow from the SLM, which neither excludes nor predicts this possibility. Rather, it follows from the occurrence of crosslanguage linkage beyond the allophonic level (Chang 2012) as well as holistic lexical representations (Caramazza et al 1988, Ferguson & Farwell 1975, Metsala & Walley 1998.…”

Entrenchment and language attrition.

“…To date there are no such studies charting the earliest years of attrition. However, recent findings demonstrating phonetic drift in the L1 of beginning L2 learners within the first six weeks of an intensive language course (Chang, 2012) make it unlikely that lexical attrition should indeed be the primary phenomenon: just lexicon the LA has retained will be of common, highly-frequent, unmarked lexical items; the gaps will be of less-common, low-frequency, highly-marked items. (Andersen, 1982, p. 94) Again, this prediction tallies perfectly with both entrenchment approaches such as the Unified Model and the Activation Threshold Hypothesis.…”