Presents a historical analysis of the Chinese in Cuba and examines the influence of the Chinese language on Spanish. Examples are given of Chinese words used in Cuba today and it is concluded that they have made a considerable contribution to Cuban Spanish. (NCR)

In order to investigate the articulatory dynamics of the tongue in the production of Swedish vowels, electromyographic (EMG) and X-ray microbeam studies were performed on a native Swedish subject. The EMG signals were used to obtain average indication of the muscle activity of the tongue as a function of time. (NCR)

This article discusses how a language laboratory can be used effectively in an English as a second language/English as a foreign language program. The lab should be used primarily for listening comprehension, not for drill and repetition. (CFM)

This paper discusses the development of elicitation procedures for checking phoneme production in ESL learners. Two types of elicitation were tried: a picture-stimulus test and a regular question-type quiz, presented orally. Development of such procedures was judged quite feasible. (CHK)

Reports a study of the diphthongs, "EAR" and "AIR," which are merging for many New Zealand speakers. Each stage of the study involves the analysis of word lists and sentences read by over 100 14- and 15-year-old school pupils. Results indicate a trend toward a merger to the EAR diphthong. (18 references) (Author/CK)

Investigated interactions between stress level of syllables and articulatory difficulty as influences on children's early words. Subjects were 32 two-year olds asked to imitate nonsense words and syllables that varied in articulatory difficulty. Found that both factors had significant effects on aspects of children's imitations. (MOK)

Reviews recent research into the acquisition of second language phonology and examines if and how findings are reflected in currently used pronunciation teaching materials. Makes suggestions for the future production of materials incorporating activities more fully addressing the communicative, psychological, and sociological dimensions of…

Examines second language (L2) and second culture (C2) acquisition by focusing on identity and more specifically on changes in L2 accent. Explains changes in the L2 accent and later in the first language (L1) accent, applying the metaphor of self-translation as a general framework for explaining processes of L2 learning and L1 loss, and the…

Examines vowel harmony in the "Gaucho dialect" of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Informants from four areas of the state were studied: the capital city (Porto Alegre), the border region with Uruguay, and two areas of the interior populated by descendants of nineteenth-century immigrants from Europe, mainly Germans and…

Some of the problems in interpreting visual feedback displays of suprasegmentals are identified, and strategies for using this type of feedback are discussed. Problems discussed include pitch display, syllable identification, syllable boundaries and duration determination, and pitch and intensity pattern determination. (25 references) (LB)

This article explores a model of lexicalisation based upon the constraints that lexicalisation is an interactive process and that it takes place in two stages. The article examines in depth the time-course of normal lexicalisation, speech error data, and the cognitive neuropsychology of speech production. (16 references) (CK)

Develops a psychologically plausible model of the development of word-naming skills in children in order to verify psychological evidence indicating the importance of children's underlying phonological skills as determinants of the ease with which they learn to read. This model is highly successful in learning the pronunciations of single-syllable…

The difficulty in learning Mandarin Chinese is often attributed to the fact that it is a tonal language. This article reviews the tonal spelling approach of Gwoyeu Romatzyh ("G. R.") and Pinyin, the national romanization system of mainland China. (seven references) (LB)

In 4 experiments, 85 preschoolers and kindergartners had to pronounce the initial consonants of spoken words. Subjects' performance varied markedly with the linguistic structure of the words. Words with initial consonant clusters were more difficult than words beginning with a single consonant. Implications for phonemic awareness instruction are…

Examination of the perceptibility of carryover coarticulatory perturbations occurring at syllabic vowels in Mandarin Chinese suggests that, in connected speech, a portion of fundamental frequency at intertonemic onset is perturbed, including initial voiced consonants and vowels, and that the perturbations result from preservative as well as…