Syllabification and Visual Word Segmentation in Spanish–English Bilinguals

This dissertation investigates intuitions about Spanish syllable structure and whether or not word segmentation strategies are affected by these syllabic intuitions. The study utilizes monolingual Spanish speakers, L1 Spanish speakers whoare L2 learners of English and L1 English speakers who are L2 learners of Spanish. For Spanish syllabic intuitions a two-alternative forced choice task is used to gain insights about the initial syllables of CV and CVC trisyllabic words. A visual letter sequence monitoring task is utilized to investigate the use of a syllable-based segmentation strategy when processing Spanish. Support is found for differing Spanish syllabic intuitions between L1 Spanish–L2 English and L1 English–L2 Spanish bilinguals. L1 Spanish speakers have been shown to use a syllable-based segmentation approach to Spanish word segmentation while L1 English speakers have shown only a slight sensitivity to the syllable’s role when segmenting in their L2. Lastly, previous studies in investigating the syllable-based segmentation strategy have included some auditory components, which may have provided additional help in some manner to participants. The current studies here replicate these findings utilizing a completely visual design, which indicates the plausibility of a visual experimental design to study phonological processes.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Graduate College

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Arizona.

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Asberry, Drake

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Simonet, Miquel

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Hammond, Michael
• Ussishkin, Adam

• Bilingualism
• English
• Spanish
• Syllable Intuition
• Visual Word Segmentation

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10150/663239

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/663239