A new language and a new sound?: An Investigation of Phonetic First Language Attrition in Dutch due to Use of English

Abstract

This study is an exploration of possible phonetic drift from first language norms (hereafter referred to as phonetic L1 attrition) as found in the accents of adolescent speakers of Dutch who live and study in an English environment. Previous research by Flege, Major and others has suggested that proficiency in and frequency of second language (L2) use can affect fluency in a speaker’s first language (L1), and that phonetic category boundaries in the L1 may shift as a response to L2 acquisition. This is an investigation of a possible drift of phonetic categories in a person’s L1 and L2 speech as part of a first language attrition process.