Studies into the role of audiovisual input and captions (i.e., subtitles in the same language as the audio) for L2 learning have shown that such input can positively influence L2 learners' acquisition of lexical items. Few studies have explored the effects of captioning on learners' capacity to segment the speech stream. This study investigates…

High variability pronunciation training (HVPT) has been found to be successful for training various segmentals, such as the challenging /l/-/[voiced alveolar approximant]/ contrast, and suprasegmental features such as tone and pitch accent. These studies have found that HVPT is an effective method not only in helping learners improve their…

The interactionist approach to second language acquisition has yielded a plethora of studies confirming the positive impact of interaction and corrective feedback on second language (L2) development. Nevertheless, only a few studies have attempted to investigate the development of L2 prosody using the interactionist approach. The current study…

This study examines the effects of task complexity on second language (L2) pronunciation accuracy and global pronunciation measures in pronunciation-unfocused tasks and assesses the relationship between acoustic and listener-based pronunciation measures. Eighty-two Catalan/Spanish learners of English performed simple and complex versions of a…

The present dissertation examined the initial state of L3 phonology in native speakers of French and German who were Spanish-English bilinguals. The present work analyzed perception (Chapter 3), production (Chapter 4) and the perception production interface (Chapter 5). The results revealed that these bilinguals are influenced by both of their…

Read-aloud stories can improve reading comprehension through exposure to literature beyond one's current reading level, leading to increased independent reading among users. In an era of online learning, online platforms offer opportunities for learners to engage with authentic language materials and provide interactive learning experiences.…

This study expands on the practical application of the critical role of auditory processing in the rate of naturalistic L2 speech acquisition. In Study 1, the prosodic production of English by 46 Chinese college students was tracked over a five-month study abroad program in the UK. Learners with extensive L2 input opportunities demonstrated…

Prosody is considered one of the most challenging aspects of second language (L2) speech acquisition. This study explores the role of working memory (WM) in the perception and production of English nuclear accent (NA) by L1 Spanish learners. It focuses on both default and non-default patterns of NA placement in English. Twenty-four participants…

This study examined the unified model of phonological transfer in English reading comprehension and the mediating effects of bilingual decoding skills. Grade 4 Chinese Mandarin learners of English (N = 256) completed a series of tests including tone and stress sensitivity, Chinese and English segmental phonological awareness, Chinese and English…

This study investigates whether the use of prosodic cues during instruction facilitates the processing of German accusative case markers. Two groups of third semester L1 English learners of L2 German completed Processing Instruction (PI) with aural input: Learners in the PI+P group heard sentences that included focused prosodic cues; learners in…

We believe that is culturally situated. In this conceptual article, we problematize some of the phrasing used for prosody indicators and explore how three of the most spoken languages in the United States (other than English) enact aspects of prosody when reading. We probe potential linguistic and sociocultural implications and contribute to the…

This cross-sectional study examines the sociopragmatic use of pitch and fluency features in requests among second language (L2) Chinese learners at two proficiency levels alongside native Chinese speakers. Twenty-eight L2 learners completed a 40-item oral discourse task with two types of request-making situations: (a) a high-imposition request to…

Producing English lexical stress involves manipulating phonetic cues such as vowel duration, intensity, and fundamental frequency (F0). Existing literature presents diverse perspectives on how EFL learners utilize these prosodic features to realize stress (Fry, 1955; Modesto & Barbosa, 2019; Saha & Mandal, 2018; Zhang & Francis, 2010;…

One of the basic goals of second language (L2) speech research is to understand the perception-production link, or the relationship between L2 speech perception and L2 speech production. Although many studies have examined the link, they have done so with strikingly different conceptual foci and methods. Even studies that appear to use similar…

This dissertation deals with the perception of the aspirated coda /s/ by Spanish L2 learners. Second language research, with some exceptions, focuses on whether L1English-L2 Spanish learners can perceive the aspirated variant, showing that only advanced learners with time spent in s-weakening regions succeed at the task. L2 studies about…