Effects Of An L1-Like Sound System On The Acquisition Of Second Language Morphology

Abstract

Studies show that learners’ native language (L1) affects their acquisition of a second language (L2), but how this influence occurs is still not well-understood. We investigate whether and how the similarity between learners’ L1 and the L2 influences the acquisition of the L2. Specifically, we test the influence of a familiar sound system on the acquisition of morphology in a second language. We expose L1-English speaking participants to two miniature artificial languages, one with familiar and one with unfamiliar sound system, and test their acquisition of a novel case marking system. We discover no significant influence, negative or positive, of familiar phonology on the acquisition of case marking in our study.