How does it feel to learn a new language as an adult? And what does language-learning do to the brain and imagination? In the first of three articles about learning Hindi and Urdu, Claire Chambers explores adult language acquisition.
Research project
Foreigner-Directed Speech and L2 Speech Learning in an Understudied Interactional Setting: The Case of Foreign Domestic Helpers in Oman
Set in Arabic-speaking Oman, the study investigates whether speech directed to foreign domestic helpers (FDH-directed speech) is modified when compared with speech addressed to native Arabic speakers. It also explores the FDH’s ability to learn the sound system of their L2 in a near-naturalistic setting. In relation to input, the study explores whether there are any adaptations in native speakers’ realizations of complex Arabic consonants, consonant clusters, and vowels in FDH-directed speech. By doing so, it compares the phonetic features of FDH directed speech in relation to other speech registers such as foreigner-directed speech (FDS), infant-directed speech (IDS) and clear speech. The study also investigates whether Arabic language experience, as indexed by length of residence (LoR), plays a role in the extent of adaptatio