Linguistic constraints on the acquisition of English syllable codas by native speakers of Mandarin Chinese

Abstract

This study investigates the acquisition of English syllable codas1 by speakers of Mandarin Chinese. Three participants' naturalistic production of syllable codas were studied and analyzed through VARBRUL and descriptive statistics to determine accuracy orders and production modifications of codas by length (single, double, and triple codas) at two data collection times with a time span of six months. Data were categorized as accurately produced, produced with modifications (epenthesis or feature change), or absent, which meant that one or more of the consonants in the coda were not produced. Analysis of the codas also focused on which linguistic constraints operated on development of syllable codas, and how these linguistic constraints affected production modifications by length. Results indicate that these learners of English employ different production strategies based on the length of the coda, with feature change favoured for single codas, epenthesis for two-member codas, and absence for three-member codas. These modifications can be explained by several linguistic constraints, including L1 transfer, markedness, and sonority, as well as by natural phonological processes, the latter of which appear especially salient if the coda segments have been acquired. These findings illustrate that coda modification is reflective of acquisition processes, and requires further research.