Non-Native Production of Arabic Pharyngeal and Pharyngealized Consonants

Grounded on the theoretical constructs of cross-language speech learning, this research investigates English L1 speakers’ production of Arabic pharyngeal and pharyngealized consonants (/ħ, ʕ/ and /tˤ, sˤ, dˤ, ðˤ/, respectively). Central to this study is how English speakers’ proficiency in Arabic affects their ability to produce these sounds differently. In particular, it examines the effect of Arabic proficiency on the production of pharyngealized versus non-pharyngealized consonants; pharyngeals versus non-pharyngeals; pharyngeal versus pharyngealized sounds; intra-category differences among the target consonants; and pharyngeal and pharyngealized consonants which differ in the adjacent vowel. The study adopts the posttest-only control group design in which Arabic learners and non-learners constitute the research groups. This thesis exploits Best’s (1995) perceptual assimilation model (PAM); Flege’s (1995) speech learning model (SLM) and principles of gestural phonology in interpreting the split-plot ANOVA results. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed based on the study results.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

Carleton University

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Alwabari, Sawsan

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © 2013 the author(s). Theses may be used for non-commercial research, educational, or related academic purposes only. Such uses include personal study, research, scholarship, and teaching. Theses may only be shared by linking to Carleton University Institutional Repository and no part may be used without proper attribution to the author. No part may be used for commercial purposes directly or indirectly via a for-profit platform; no adaptation or derivative works are permitted without consent from the copyright owner.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

10.22215/etd/2013-10079

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:carleton.scholaris.ca:20.500.14718/38173