Effects of L1 dialects on L2 vowel perception and production: A study of North and South Korean speakers*

Linguistic Research 42(1): 227-256. This study examines the impact of dialectal variations in the first language (L1) on the perception and production of second language (L2) vowels. Specifically, it focuses on North and South Korean speakers learning English to investigate if differences in their dialectal vowel systems influence their ability to perceive and produce English vowels. A total of 42 participants from North and South Korea completed both L2-to-L1 mapping and shadowing tasks to assess vowel identification patterns and their correlation with production. The findings reveal distinct mapping patterns, with North Korean speakers exhibiting more variability in their mappings compared to South Koreans. Despite this variability, production did not consistently correspond with perceptual patterns; some vowels mapped to the same L1 category were produced as distinct categories. These outcomes are discussed in the context of the L1 dialect influencing both the perception and production of L2 vowels, as well as the intricate relationship between perception and production in L2 acquisition. (Konkuk University)