Age and experience as factors in perception of English vowels.

Abstract

The foreign accent (FA) phenomenon is one of the most common issues in second language acquisition (SLA). The factors causing its presence are various: as one of the most frequently mentioned are the differences in phonological systems of the mother tongue (L1) and foreign language (L2). In oral communication, phonological rules from L1 are usually copied to L2, which is often the cause of an unnatural accent in foreign language speakers. This is known as transfer/interference, and one of the reasons for its presence in literature is the inability of a speaker to properly perceive vowels of a foreign language. Insufficiently or incorrectly perceived vowels cannot be produced properly, which can further disturb oral communication and thus cause an individual to speak with a foreign accent. In order to avoid the existence of a foreign accent, it is necessary that an L2 mastering begins as early as possible. The critical period is between 6-12 years of age. Early L2 learners are believed to acquire, produce and recognize the elements of an L2 phonological system with greater ease. However, some studies have shown that the constant exposure to foreign language and the length of learning positively affects the speaker's competence. Our research aims to verify these claims. Through an analysis of the results of two different age groups of adults in the field of perception of English vowels, we tried to provide an answer to the question of the extent to which the years of learning/time of exposure to a foreign language contribute to success in its acquisition.