The Journal of the Korea Contents Association (한국콘텐츠학회논문지)

The Korea Contents Association (한국콘텐츠학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Perception of English Vowels By Korean Learners: Comparisons between New and Similar L2 Vowel Categories

한국인 학습자의 영어 모음 인지: 새로운 L2 모음 범주와 비슷한 L2 모음 범주의 비교

  • 이계윤 (경기대학교 영어영문학과) ;
  • 초미희 (경기대학교 영어영문학과)
  • Received : 2015.06.19
  • Accepted : 2015.07.29
  • Published : 2015.08.28
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate how Korean learners perceive English vowels and further to test SLM which claims that new L2 vowel categories are more easily acquired than similar L2 vowel categories. Twenty Korean learners participated in English-to-Korean mapping test and English vowel identification test with target vowels /i, ɪ, u, ʊ, ɛ, æ/. The result revealed that Korean participants mapped the English pairs /i/-/ɪ/ and /u/-/ʊ/ onto single Korean vowel /i/ and /u/, respectively. in addition, both of English /ɛ/ and /æ/ were simultaneously mapped onto Korean /e/ and /ɛ/. This indicated that the Korean participants seemed to have perceptual difficulty for the pairs /i-ɪ/, /u-ʊ/, and /ɛ-æ/. The result of the forced-choice identification test showed that the accuracy of /ɪ, ʊ, æ/(ɪ: 81.3%, ʊ: 62.5%, æ: 60.0%) was significantly higher than that of /i, u, ɛ/(i: 28,8%, u: 28.8%, ɛ: 32.4%). Thus, the claim of SLM is confirmed given that /ɪ, ʊ, æ/ are new vowel categories whereas /i, u, ɛ/ are similar vowel categories. Further, the conspicuously low accuracy of the similar L2 vowel categories /i, u, ɛ/ was accounted for by over-generalization whereby the Korean participants excessively replaced L2 similar /i, u, ɛ/ with L2 new /ɪ, ʊ, æ/ as the participants were learning the L2 new vowel categories in the process of acquisition. Based on the findings this study, pedagogical suggestions are provided.

본 연구의 목적은 한국인 학습자들이 어떻게 영어모음을 인지하는지를 알아보고, 언어학습모델(SLM)의 예측처럼 한국어에 없는 새로운 영어모음이 한국어와 비슷한 영어모음보다 습득에 용이한지 살펴보는 것이다. 20명의 한국인 실험참여자들은 6개의 영어모음 /i, ɪ, u, ʊ, ɛ, æ/을 사료로 한 영어-한국어 대응 테스트와 영어 모음 판별 테스트에 참여하였다. 영어-한국어 대응 테스트의 결과 대부분의 학생들이 음향적으로 구분되어있는 영어모음 /i/-/ɪ/, /u/-/ʊ/를 각각 하나의 한국어모음인 /이/와 /우/로 대응하여 인지하는 것을 보여주었다. 또한 영어모음 /ɛ/를 한국어모음 /에/와 /애/로 대응하여 인지하였고, 영어모음 /æ/도 마찬가지로 한국어모음 /에/와 /애/로 혼용하여 대응하는 패턴을 보여줌으로써 한국인 영어학습자들이 영어 모음쌍 /i-ɪ/, /u-ʊ/, /ɛ-æ/을 인지하기 어려울 것으로 예측되었다. 영어모음 판별테스트에서는 새로운 음소로 분류된 영어모음 /ɪ, ʊ, æ/의 판별 정확도(ɪ: 81.3%, ʊ: 62.5%, æ: 60.0%)가 비슷한 음소로 분류된 영어모음 /i, u, ɛ/의 판별 정확도(i: 28,8%, u: 28.8%, ɛ: 32.4%)보다 유의하게 높아서 SLM의 예측대로 새로운 음소가 습득하기 쉽다는 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한 비슷한 음소로 분류된 영어모음들의 판별 정확도가 새로운 음소에서의 판별 정확도보다도 현저히 낮은 수치를 보여준 것을 과일반화로 설명하였는데, L2 학습자가 새로운 모음 범주를 습득하는 과정에서 비슷한 L2 소리를 새로운 L2 소리로 과도하게 대치한 현상이다. 본 연구결과를 바탕으로 교육적인 함의점도 제시되었다.

Keywords

References

  1. J. E. Flege, O. S. Bohn, and S. Jang, "Effects of experience on nonnative speakers' production and perception of English vowels," Journal of Phonetics, Vol.25, pp.437-470, 1997. https://doi.org/10.1006/jpho.1997.0052
  2. K. Tsukada, D. Birdsong, E. Bialystok, M. Mack, H. Sung, and J. Flege, "A developmental study of English vowel production and perception by native Korean adults and children," Journal of Phonetics, Vol.33, pp.263-290, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wocn.2004.10.002
  3. S. Hong, "A relative perceptual easiness between perceptually assimilated vowels for university-level Korean learners of American English and measurement bias in an identification test," Phonology-Morphology Circle of Korea, Vol.18, No.3, pp.491-511, 2012.
  4. I. Hwang and S. Lee, "Perception of English Vowel Categories by Korean University Students," Korean Linguistics, Vol.37, No.4, pp.1095-1117. 2012. https://doi.org/10.18855/lisoko.2012.37.4.014
  5. M. Celce-Murcia, D. M. Brinton, and J. M. Goodwin, Teaching pronunciation: A reference for teachers of English to speakers of other languages, Cambridge University Press, 1996.
  6. T. Best, A Direct Realist View of Cross-language Speech Perception, In W. Strange (ed.), Speech Perception and Linguistic Experience: Issues in Cross-Language Research, pp.171-204, Timonium, MD: York Press, 1995.
  7. T. Best and D. Tyler, "Nonnative and Second-language Speech Perception: Commonalities and Complementarities, In O-S. Bohn and M. Munro (eds.), Language Experience in Second Language Speech Learning: In Honor of J. E. Flege, pp.13-34. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 2007
  8. J. E. Flege, "The Production of 'New' and 'Similar' Phones in a Foreign Language: Evidence for the Effect of Equivalence Classification," Journal of Phonetics, Vol.15, pp.47-65, 1987.
  9. J. E. Flege, Second Language Speech Learning: Theory, Findings and Problems, In W. Strange (ed.), Speech Perception and Linguistic Experience: Issues in Cross-Language Research, pp.233-272, Timonium, MD: York Press, 1995.
  10. D. J. Silva, "Phonological Mappings as Dynamic: The Evolving Contrastive Relationship Between English and Korean," Linguistic Research, Vol.21, pp.57-73, 2004.
  11. J. C. L. Ingram and S. G. Park, "Cross-language vowel perception and production by Japanese and Korean learners of English," Journal of Phonetics, Vol.25, pp.343-370, 1997. https://doi.org/10.1006/jpho.1997.0048
  12. H. Park and K. J. de Jong, "Perceptual category mapping between English and Korean prevocalic obstruents: Evidence from mapping effects in second language identification skills," Journal of Phonetics, Vol.36, pp.704-723, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wocn.2008.06.002
  13. J. I. Han, T. H. Choi, I. Lim, and J. K. Lee, "The Interlanguage Speech Intelligibility Benefit for Korean Learners of English: Perception of English Front Vowels," Korean Linguistics. Vol.3, No.2, pp.53-61, 2011.
  14. B. G. Yang, "A comparative study of American English and Korean vowels produced by male and female speaker," Journal of Phonetics, Vol.24, pp.245-261, 1996. https://doi.org/10.1006/jpho.1996.0013
  15. J. Hillenbrand, L. A. Getty, M. J. Clark, and K. Wheeler, "Acoustic characteristics of American English Vowels," Journal of Acoustical Society of America, Vol.97, No.5, Pt.1, pp.3099-3111, 1995. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.411872
  16. J. Kahng, "The Effect of Pronunciation Training on Korean Adult Learners' Perception and Production of English Vowels, /i/, /I/, /u/, /$\mho$/, /$\varepsilon$/, /$\ae$/," Foreign Languages Education, Vol.13, No.1, pp.45-65, 2006.
  17. S. J. Kim, "Acquisition of English Vowels by Korean ESL Speakers: A Phonetic Approach," The Linguistic Association of Korea Journal, Vol.14, No.2, pp.1-16, 2006.
  18. 이주경, 이연우, "한국인 어학습자와 원어민의 긴장 및 이완 모음 발화이해도: 고모음을 중심으로," 음성음운형태론연구, 제17권, 제3호, pp.497-520, 2011.
  19. http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/minimal-pairs.htm