Realization of English Narrow Focus by L1 English and L1 Taiwan Mandarin Speakers

This study compares the realization of English narrow focus by L1 speakers of English and Taiwan Mandarin. Results show that L1 Taiwan Mandarin speakers produce a much smaller increase in average F0 and amplitude for on-focus words and a much smaller decrease in average F0 and amplitude on post-focus words than L1 English speakers do. Moreover, post-focus compression of F0 range and duration, very strongly realized by L1 English speakers, were entirely absent in L2 speakers’ production. Failure to perform post-focus compression of F0 range and duration may be attributable to transfer of L1 prosodic patterns. However, transfer cannot account for L2 speakers’ weak realization of onfocus F0 range and amplitude expansion. We argue that the weakness of L2 speakers’ on-focus/postfocus contrast realization reflects limitations on L2 speech processing, and that weak realization of focus contrasts may also contribute to listeners’ difficulty in interpreting the intended focus of L2 utterances.