Differences in Voice-Onset Time (VOT) in Spanish Between First Language (LI), Second Language (L@), and Heritage Speakers

honors thesisCollege of HumanitiesLinguisticsMaryann ChristisonHeritage speakers are individuals who acquire their first language (L1) in a naturalistic setting, such as the home. Then, they experience a change in linguistic environments and acquire a second language in the new environment, such as school, usually before the onset of adolescence. It is "the second language that manifests ultimate attainment" (Polinsky, 2015, p.163). Thus, heritage speakers' language abilities exist on a continuum that includes the L1 they acquired from birth and the L2 that they adopted later on, which serves as the primary language. A heritage speaker's history with an L1, which does not become the primary language, endows them with unique language characteristics that may assist them when they relearn their L1 later in life. One aspect of language ability in which heritage speakers may be unique is voice-onset time (VOT). VOT is a feature of the production of stop consonants. It is the duration of time between the release of a stop and the beginning of vocal fold vibration for the following vowel. English and Spanish have different VOT for the voiced and voiceless pairs of stop consonants. This study examines how heritage speakers of Spanish who are relearning their L1 as an L3 pronounce English and Spanish words with stops. The heritage speaker group is being compared to adults who are learning Spanish as a foreign language and who have not had previous exposure to learning Spanish as children. To collect data on VOT, novel words and phrases are used with stops occurring in different positions. The researchers hypothesize that VOT may occur on a continuum, with those who moved from a Spanish-speaking environment to an English-speaking environment at an early age having less fully developed L1 skills and having more English-like VOTs than those who moved to an English-speaking environment later on with more fully developed L1 skills. I also hypothesize that VOT for English speakers learning Spanish as a foreign language as adults will exhibit more English like VOTs than the heritage speaker group