An OT Analysis of Syllable Simplification Strategies Used by EFL Vocational School Students in Terms of the MSD Model
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Date
2005-10-??
Authors
楊碧藍
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國立台灣師範大學英語學系
Department of English, NTNU
Department of English, NTNU
Abstract
本研究根據最小響度差異參數，試圖以優選理論分析技職生英語音節簡化策略的文法能力。十位技職體系航運管理系的研究生受邀參與本研究。二十組最小差異字組為測驗項目。結果顯示，因為英語的最小響度差異參數低於中文，學生在學習英語子音群的時候，確實碰到困難。再者，兩個相鄰子音的響度差異愈小，不一定引起愈大的學習困難。最後，學生英語子音群的文法能力隨著他們的英語子音群發音的正確率，有所不同。詳細地說，正確率高於百分之八十的學生，在優選理論的文法體系中，我們認為這些學生已經具備了英語子音群的基本文法能力。而正確率低於百分之八十的學生，則被認為尚未達到這種基本的文法能力。
This study attempts to construct a constraint ranking, i.e. , grammatical competence, ofEFL vocational school students in terms ofthe Minimal Sonority Difference (MSD) model to account for their syl1able simplification strategies. Ten graduate students of Shipping Transportation and Management, Kaohsiung Marine University, were invited to participate in this study. A 20 minimal pair reading was used to elicit their English onset production. Results showed that these EFL vocational students did encounter difficulties in acquiring English onset clusters on the grounds that the MSD parameter setting of English is lower than that of Mandarin Chinese. Further, the lower MSD of the two adjacent consonants didn 't absolutely lead to the more learning difficulties. Finally, the constraint rankings of English onset cluster production established by the EFL students in this study varied with their various accuracy rates of pronunciation. More specifically, we think that a native-like constraint ranking was established by the students whose accuracy rates exceeded 80%, whereas a non-native-Iike one was re flected in the mind of the students whose accuracy rates were below 80%.
This study attempts to construct a constraint ranking, i.e. , grammatical competence, ofEFL vocational school students in terms ofthe Minimal Sonority Difference (MSD) model to account for their syl1able simplification strategies. Ten graduate students of Shipping Transportation and Management, Kaohsiung Marine University, were invited to participate in this study. A 20 minimal pair reading was used to elicit their English onset production. Results showed that these EFL vocational students did encounter difficulties in acquiring English onset clusters on the grounds that the MSD parameter setting of English is lower than that of Mandarin Chinese. Further, the lower MSD of the two adjacent consonants didn 't absolutely lead to the more learning difficulties. Finally, the constraint rankings of English onset cluster production established by the EFL students in this study varied with their various accuracy rates of pronunciation. More specifically, we think that a native-like constraint ranking was established by the students whose accuracy rates exceeded 80%, whereas a non-native-Iike one was re flected in the mind of the students whose accuracy rates were below 80%.