The Role of Nuclear Pitch Accents and Postnuclear Segments in the Perception of Nuclear Accent Placement in English by Spanish Speakers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48162/rev.57.029Keywords:
intonation, nuclear accent, pitch accent, perceptionAbstract
The nuclear accent in an intonation phrase highlights information focus, aiding information processing (Cruttenden, 2007). In English, its placement shifts to mark focus, while in Spanish, it is typically fixed on the final word, even when lacking semantic relevance. Spanish relies more on flexible syntax to indicate focus (Hualde, 2014). For Spanish speakers, perceiving nuclear accents in L2 English can be challenging; thus the need for tailored perceptual training. This study examines how nuclear pitch accent type (falling vs. rising) and postnuclear segment length influence nuclear accent perception. Two hypotheses were tested: (a) Longer postnuclear segments make nuclear word identification more difficult, increasing error rates; (b) Falling pitch accents are easier to perceive than rising ones, with higher scores expected for falling patterns. A perception test was conducted with River Plate Spanish-speaking students training to become teachers of English. Participants identified nuclear word locations in declarative sentences with falling and rising accents. Results showed that postnuclear segment length did not affect perception accuracy in falling patterns whereas, in rising conditions, perception worsened with longer postnuclear segments, with participants often misidentifying postnuclear words as nuclear. A threshold effect emerged: postnuclear segments of four or more syllables significantly impacted rising pattern perception. These findings suggest that systematic, intensive training is crucial for learners, starting with falling accents and short postnuclear segments. Rising patterns should be introduced progressively, with longer segments attempted after mastering shorter ones. This approach may improve L2 perception of nuclear accent placement.
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