Subphonemic detail and foreign language learning: Word-final sibilants in Korean learners of L2 English and L3 German

Abstract

A variety of studies have documented durational differences in homophonous word-final phonemic and morphemic alveolar sibilants in English ([s,z]). The present study investigates Korean learners of English as a foreign language (L2), whose first language does not showacoustic release of word-final sibilants, in their production of English phonemic and morphemic [s] and [z] in word-final position. In addition, Korean learners' production of word-final [s] in German as a third language (L3) are analyzed and compared to how first language speakers ofGerman acoustically realize different functional variants of homophonous alveolar sibilants. Results show that Korean learners are able to incorporate subphonemic detail of word-final [s] and [z] that they implicitly learn in their first (English) and second (German) foreign language. The findings support the view that Korean listeners/ speakers are attentive to durational variation in word-final sibilants in foreign languages. The findings can contribute to the growing field of subphonemic studies in foreign language learning.