Vowel speech perception: Contrasting residence vs. Abroad students

Abstract

[eng] This study delves into the identification of the different vowel understanding (speech perception) among students who have pursued their higher education domestically versus those who have studied abroad. It aims to investigate how exposure to diverse linguistic environments shapes individuals' perceptions and comprehension of these specific vowel sounds /ɪ/ and /i:/. Through a mixed-method approach listening to a native speaker’s words in isolation and then noting the information that was heard, data was collected from two groups of students: one comprising individuals who studied exclusively in their home country, and the other consisting of students who pursued educational abroad opportunities. However, students either domestic or abroad have Spanish and Catalan as their L1 and English as their L2 or foreign language. The analysis revealed distinct patterns in vowel recognition and interpretation, influenced by the linguistic contexts in which the students were immersed. The analysis showed mixed results in terms of identification of the vowels due to many different factors, however, it demonstrated a strong correlation between studying abroad and speech perception.