Perception and production of English VOT patterns by Brazilian learners: the role of multiple acoustic cues in a DST perspective

Abstract

In this study, departing from a dynamic conception of L2 phonetic-phonological acquisition, we investigate 32 Southern Brazilian learners’ perception (identification and discrimination) and production of VOT patterns of initial stops in English. We initially hypothesized that, especially among learners with a basic level of L2 proficiency, VOT was not the main acoustic cue employed in the perception of voicing distinctions. Our results show that, regardless of the learners’ proficiency level (basic or advanced), VOT is not a sufficient cue for the distinction between /p/, /t/, /k/ and /b/, /d/, /g/. These results, which have an influence on the lower VOT values found in our production data, conform with a dynamic view of L2 acquisition, according to which multiple acoustic cues play a role in language acquisition, forcing learners to tune in to the most important cue(s) in the target language.