Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Abigale Lee, and I am currently in my first year at FSU. I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. My participation in UROP is my first experience with research. I hold a strong interest in cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics, hence my choice of research project.

Effects of Perceptual, Cognitive, and Speech Motor Skills on Spanish Pronunciation Development

Abstract

The acquisition of pronunciation is highly variable for learners of a second language (L2). In this ongoing study, our goal is to understand how individual skill differences contribute to the pronunciation development of native English-L2 Spanish speakers. This study builds on previous research showing that cognitive skills such as working memory and inhibitory control (Simard et al., 2025; Darcy et al., 2025), as well as auditory acuity (AA) (Saito, 2022) and speech motor skill (SMS) (Patience, 2025), play a role in L2 acquisition. Participants were Florida State University students enrolled in SPN1120. They performed a series of tasks to establish their skill levels: a backward digit memory span task and a lexical retrieval inhibitory control task (cognitive); DDK-type tasks (e.g., Icht & Ben David, 2014) and tongue twisters (SMS); and various speech perception tasks to test sensitivity to small differences in pitch, duration, or formants, as well as tasks encoding rhythm and melody (from Saito, 2022). Participants’ Spanish pronunciation ability was obtained from students’ coursework across three semesters of Spanish. We will run statistical analyses to determine which skills were the best predictors of Spanish pronunciation ability and development over time. We expect that students who demonstrate stronger performance in the areas tested will show greater proficiency in Spanish pronunciation than those who score lower. Through this research, we aim to better understand how these skills influence L2 acquisition and how this knowledge may help improve the teaching and learning of a second language.

Keywords: spanish, linguistics, psychology