Cross-Linguistic Influences on the Production of Third Language German Vowel Length Contrasts by Cantonese–English Bilingual Learners
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21358076 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yanjiao Zhu (0000-0003-3865-6067, Shaanxi Normal University), Peggy Mok (0000-0002-9284-6083, Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 238309261443305-238309261443305 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-05 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Language and Speech (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0023-8309 • E-ISSN: 1756-6053 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00238309261443305 |
| PMID | 42087080 |
| OpenAlex | W7160390179 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 35 |
This study examined the read speech of vowel length contrasts produced by Cantonese–English–German trilinguals, comparing their performance with that of Mandarin–English–German trilinguals, Cantonese–English bilinguals, native English speakers, and native German speakers. Acoustic and statistical analyses of vowel quality and duration across the first language (L1), second language (L2), and third language (L3) yielded several key findings. First, Cantonese-speaking trilinguals were more nativelike than the Mandarin-speaking trilinguals in both the L2 and L3, indicating that the L1 exerts a sustained influence across the multilingual system. Second, Cantonese–English–German trilinguals differed from Cantonese–English bilinguals in the L2 but not the L1, suggesting that reverse transfer from the L3 more strongly affects the L2 than the L1. Finally, individuals who produced larger quality contrasts in L2 vowel length distinctions also demonstrated greater quality contrasts in comparable L3 vowels, whereas those who produced larger duration contrasts in the L1 exhibited reduced duration contrasts in analogous L3 vowels, indicating that L1–L3 and L2–L3 bidirectional interactions emerge among phonetically similar vowels. The study highlights the dynamicity of the multilingual phonological system
Contrast (vision) · Duration (music) · First language · German · Mid vowel · Multilingualism · Phonetics · Vowel · Vowel length · Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Phonetics and Phonology Research
Modern Cantonese Phonology
The Revised Speech Learning Model (SLM-r)
Linguistic and cognitive motivations for the Typological Primacy Model (TPM) of third language (L3) transfer
A comparison of vowel normalization procedures for language variation research
Acoustic characteristics of American English vowels
Balancing Type I error and power in linear mixed models
Random effects structure for confirmatory hypothesis testing
Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4
LmerTest Package
Crosslinguistic influence in the acquisition of a third language
The scalpel model of third language acquisition
Contribution of prior linguistic knowledge to L3 phonological perception and production
Interactions between three phonological subsystems of young multilinguals
The Cumulative-Enhancement Model for Language Acquisition
Phonological cross-linguistic influence at the initial stages of L3 acquisition
Interaction of Native- and Second-Language Vowel System(s) in Early and Late Bilinguals
The Perception of Cantonese Vowel Length Contrast by Mandarin Speakers
Intraspeaker variability in vowel production
The Role of Task Complexity and Dominant Articulatory Routines in the Acquisition of L3 Spanish
The role of the second language in third language acquisition
A Dynamic Systems Theory approach to second language acquisition
L3 syntactic transfer selectivity and typological determinacy
The influence of L1 on the acquisition of Swedish quantity by native speakers of Spanish, English and Estonian
A one-year longitudinal study of English and Japanese vowel production by Japanese adults and children in an English-speaking setting
The physiological, acoustic, and perceptual basis of high back vowel fronting
L2 cross-linguistic influence on L1 perception
Third-language learning affects bilinguals' production in both their native languages
British English
Standard Chinese (Beijing)
| Highly cited | No |
|---|