Acquisition of the Tap-Trill Contrast by L1 Mandarin–L2 English–L3 Spanish Speakers

• Main Author: Matthew Patience
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-11-01
• Series: Languages
• Subjects: phonetic acquisition; L3 acquisition; Spanish; rhotics; Mandarin; phonological acquisition; English; tap; trill
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/3/4/42

The goals of this study were to investigate the developmental patterns of acquisition of the Spanish tap and trill by L1 Mandarin⁻L2 English⁻L3 Spanish speakers, and to examine the extent to which the L1 and the L2 influenced the L3 productions. Twenty L1 Mandarin⁻L2 English⁻L3 Spanish speakers performed a reading task that elicited production of rhotics from the speakers’ L3 Spanish, L2 English, and L1 Mandarin, as well as the L2 English flap. The least proficient speakers produced a single substitution initially, generally [l]. The same non-target segment was produced for both rhotics, mirroring the results of previous studies investigating L1 English⁻L2 Spanish speakers, indicating that this may be a universal simplification strategy. In contrast to previous work on L1 English speakers, the L1 Mandarin⁻L2 English⁻L3 Spanish speakers who had acquired the tap did not tend to use it as the primary substitute for the trill. Overall, the L1 was a stronger source of cross-linguistic influence. Nonetheless, evidence of positive and negative L2 transfer was also found. The L2 flap allophone facilitated acquisition of the L3 tap, whereas non-target productions of the L2 /ɹ/ were also observed, revealing that both previously learned languages were possible sources of cross-linguistic influence.