Speaker-specific Variability in Pre-/ɹ/ Retroflexion in L2 English
Jae-Hyun Sung (Kongju National University)
Tae-Jin Yoon (Sungshin Women’s University)
Soohyun Kwon (Seoul National University)
Gwanhi Yun (Daegu University)
Abstract
While lexicalized phonological processes tend to be rule-governed and yield
categorical patterns, post-lexical processes result in a great deal of phonetic
variability across speakers. Of our special interest is whether highly individualized
patterns are acquired by L2 learners and how they are articulatorily manifested in L2
speech. Using ultrasound imaging of five Korean learners of English, the present
study investigates the articulation of coronal stops followed by /ɹ/, known as /ɹ/-
induced retroflexion, and examines the inter-speaker variation among L2 learners.
Tongue contours produced by L2 speakers confirm highly individualized patterns
across speakers, along with different degrees of retraction within and across
morphemes and words. The gestural patterns offer new insights into covert
articulatory patterns that emerge from L2 speakers, and add to the growing evidence
of inter-speaker variation in L2 speech as well as in L1.
Keywords
variability, retroflexion, retraction, articulation, L2 English