C. Moorman - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by C. Moorman

Research paper thumbnail of Can perception training improve the production of second language phonemes? A meta-analytic review of 25 years of perception training research

Applied Psycholinguistics, 2017

ABSTRACTCognitive scientists across disciplines have shown a vested interest in examining if and ... more ABSTRACTCognitive scientists across disciplines have shown a vested interest in examining if and how the speech perception and production modalities are connected. The field of second language (L2) acquisition contributes to this discussion by investigating the effects of auditory training of L2 sounds on pronunciation. This meta-analysis offers a comprehensive view of the last 25 years of L2 perception training studies that test for effects in production. The results indicate that the two modalities are connected, insomuch as training the perception of L2 sounds can induce positive change in the productive mode as well. The data indicate that strictly controlled perception training led to medium-sized improvements in perception (d= 0.92,SD= 0.96) and small improvements in production (d= 0.54,SD= 0.45). A correlation analysis suggests a small- to medium-sized relationship between perception and production gains, although this relationship was not significant. The production of obstr...

Research paper thumbnail of Disentangling Research on Study Abroad and Pronunciation

Handbook of Research on Study Abroad Programs and Outbound Mobility

Despite intuitive and theoretically motivated claims that Study Abroad (SA) is an optimal environ... more Despite intuitive and theoretically motivated claims that Study Abroad (SA) is an optimal environment for language development, including pronunciation gains, research on its effectiveness has produced contradictory results. Furthermore, there is little known about short-term study abroad programs, where matriculation numbers are increasing faster than ever before. This chapter analyzes pre- and post-SA oral production data from 18 advanced learners of Spanish, focusing on stop consonants (/p, t, k, b, d, g/). Development was defined in terms of voice onset time for /p, t, k/ and a 5-point lenition measure for /b, d, g/. Learners produced significantly shorter VOT values after the SA program, though there was not a similar improvement in lenition score. Therefore, the intensive, six-week SA experience yielded substantial gains in L2 pronunciation for these advanced learners of Spanish. Results are discussed in light of advances in both research methodology and study abroad program d...

Research paper thumbnail of Individual differences and linguistic factors in the development of mid vowels in L2 Spanish learners: A longitudinal study

This study was a longitudinal investigation into how learner individual differences (IDs) and lin... more This study was a longitudinal investigation into how learner individual differences (IDs) and linguistic factors shape developmental trajectories of second language (L2) production of the Spanish mid vowels /e/ and /o/. Adult English-speaking learners enrolled in 2 semester (Intro II, N = 13) and 6 semester (Advanced II, N = 31) university-level Spanish courses completed a written elicitation production task three times over the course of a semester and measures of ID variables (i.e., L2 aptitude, working memory capacity, phonological short-term memory, L2 motivation, and L2 proficiency level) once during the semester. The production measure elicited /e/ and /o/ in tonic syllables of Spanish target words. Acoustic analysis was used to measure vowel duration and normalized F1 and F2 formant values (Bark units) for each vowel. Since even native and bilingual speakers produce vowels within a range of acceptable values, development was operationalized as movement toward the mean duratio...

Research paper thumbnail of Concurrent data elicitation procedures, processes, and the early stages of L2 learning: A critical overview

Second Language Research, 2014

Given the current methodological interest in eliciting direct data on the cognitive processes L2 ... more Given the current methodological interest in eliciting direct data on the cognitive processes L2 learners employ as they interact with L2 data during the early stages of the learning process, this article takes a critical and comparative look at three concurrent data elicitation procedures currently employed in the SLA literature: Think aloud (TA) protocols, eye-tracking (ET), and reaction time (RT). The section on each data elicitation procedure begins with a brief historical and descriptive account of its usage and application in the SLA literature to address cognitive processes as they occur during the early stages of the L2 learning process, followed by its strengths and some methodological issues that should be considered. Suggestions are provided for their usage in future studies investigating concurrent cognitive processes in L2 learning at these early stages of the L2 learning process.

Research paper thumbnail of Can perception training improve the production of second language phonemes? A meta-analytic review of 25 years of perception training research

Applied Psycholinguistics, 2017

ABSTRACTCognitive scientists across disciplines have shown a vested interest in examining if and ... more ABSTRACTCognitive scientists across disciplines have shown a vested interest in examining if and how the speech perception and production modalities are connected. The field of second language (L2) acquisition contributes to this discussion by investigating the effects of auditory training of L2 sounds on pronunciation. This meta-analysis offers a comprehensive view of the last 25 years of L2 perception training studies that test for effects in production. The results indicate that the two modalities are connected, insomuch as training the perception of L2 sounds can induce positive change in the productive mode as well. The data indicate that strictly controlled perception training led to medium-sized improvements in perception (d= 0.92,SD= 0.96) and small improvements in production (d= 0.54,SD= 0.45). A correlation analysis suggests a small- to medium-sized relationship between perception and production gains, although this relationship was not significant. The production of obstr...

Research paper thumbnail of Disentangling Research on Study Abroad and Pronunciation

Handbook of Research on Study Abroad Programs and Outbound Mobility

Despite intuitive and theoretically motivated claims that Study Abroad (SA) is an optimal environ... more Despite intuitive and theoretically motivated claims that Study Abroad (SA) is an optimal environment for language development, including pronunciation gains, research on its effectiveness has produced contradictory results. Furthermore, there is little known about short-term study abroad programs, where matriculation numbers are increasing faster than ever before. This chapter analyzes pre- and post-SA oral production data from 18 advanced learners of Spanish, focusing on stop consonants (/p, t, k, b, d, g/). Development was defined in terms of voice onset time for /p, t, k/ and a 5-point lenition measure for /b, d, g/. Learners produced significantly shorter VOT values after the SA program, though there was not a similar improvement in lenition score. Therefore, the intensive, six-week SA experience yielded substantial gains in L2 pronunciation for these advanced learners of Spanish. Results are discussed in light of advances in both research methodology and study abroad program d...

Research paper thumbnail of Individual differences and linguistic factors in the development of mid vowels in L2 Spanish learners: A longitudinal study

This study was a longitudinal investigation into how learner individual differences (IDs) and lin... more This study was a longitudinal investigation into how learner individual differences (IDs) and linguistic factors shape developmental trajectories of second language (L2) production of the Spanish mid vowels /e/ and /o/. Adult English-speaking learners enrolled in 2 semester (Intro II, N = 13) and 6 semester (Advanced II, N = 31) university-level Spanish courses completed a written elicitation production task three times over the course of a semester and measures of ID variables (i.e., L2 aptitude, working memory capacity, phonological short-term memory, L2 motivation, and L2 proficiency level) once during the semester. The production measure elicited /e/ and /o/ in tonic syllables of Spanish target words. Acoustic analysis was used to measure vowel duration and normalized F1 and F2 formant values (Bark units) for each vowel. Since even native and bilingual speakers produce vowels within a range of acceptable values, development was operationalized as movement toward the mean duratio...

Research paper thumbnail of Concurrent data elicitation procedures, processes, and the early stages of L2 learning: A critical overview

Second Language Research, 2014

Given the current methodological interest in eliciting direct data on the cognitive processes L2 ... more Given the current methodological interest in eliciting direct data on the cognitive processes L2 learners employ as they interact with L2 data during the early stages of the learning process, this article takes a critical and comparative look at three concurrent data elicitation procedures currently employed in the SLA literature: Think aloud (TA) protocols, eye-tracking (ET), and reaction time (RT). The section on each data elicitation procedure begins with a brief historical and descriptive account of its usage and application in the SLA literature to address cognitive processes as they occur during the early stages of the L2 learning process, followed by its strengths and some methodological issues that should be considered. Suggestions are provided for their usage in future studies investigating concurrent cognitive processes in L2 learning at these early stages of the L2 learning process.