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UWEC CERCA 2025
Wednesday April 23, 2025 11:00am - 1:00pm CDT
This study examined how listeners with different dialects perceive speech. Specifically, we studied how Northern and Southern listeners perceive child and adult productions of word-final /l/, produced by speakers of Southern White Vernacular English (SWVE). The English /l/ is a complex sound that is challenging for children to produce. One common developmental pattern used by children is vocalization, which occurs when word-final /l/ is produced as a back vowel or glide. In addition, vocalization of /l/ is a normal feature of certain dialects of English, including SWVE. Chung et al. (2023) found that southern listeners often perceived children’s productions of vocalized /l/ as errors, even though this is a normal dialect feature. Our study aimed to follow up on Chung et al.’s findings by exploring whether listeners’ dialect background impacts perceptual judgments of /l/. Northern listeners rated Southern speakers' productions of word-final /l/ using a Qualtrics survey. Results showed that productions of /l/ after front vowels were rated as more correct than after back vowels, and adult productions were rated as more correct than children’s, regardless of dialect background. Southern listeners were more likely to judge children’s productions of /l/ after front vowels as more correct.
Presenters
ML

Malia Liska

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Faculty Mentor
SS

Sarah Schellinger

Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Wednesday April 23, 2025 11:00am - 1:00pm CDT
Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330) 77 Roosevelt Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA

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