The peak alignment of prenuclear and nuclear accents among advanced L2 English learners

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that even advanced L2 speakers align pitch accents differently from native speakers, and the only possibility for full attainment of L2 is through immersion. This study investigated two groups of five advanced L2 English speakers who first exposed to English through early immersion. Their alignment of prenuclear and nuclear accents was compared with that of the native English speakers. Results showed that these advanced L2 learners aligned nuclear accents in a similar way to the native speakers; however, difference was found on the alignment of prenuclear accents between their production and the native speakers'.