Abstract

With being learned, Uzbek language learners of English tend to deviate from acceptable or appropriate patterns, and form a „specific‟ pattern while articulating English words they know. This unrecognized and unconscious act is driven by the learners‟ knowledge of cognitive phonological awareness. The process of articulation in familiar words of the English language is questionable as it is being patterned and organized in such ways that speakers resort to their independent phonology. This has resulted in distorted patterns called phonological processes, vowel rounding in particular. This paper is an attempt to showcase evidence of cognitive phonology in Sound Pattern Processing (SPP) in English words when observing utterances of students of 8 - 11 grades of an x school. The complexity of the phonological patterns of participants is studied from the perspectives of the theory of RCVP -Radical CV Phonology (Hulst), autosegmental (Goldsmith, 1976), and lexical phonology (Monahan, 1982). The study concludes sound pattern processing can only be achieved with cognitive phonological aspects and the independent-working phonology of the participants has resulted in the exhibition of vowel rounding, a phonological process.

Keywords: Cognitive Phonology Sound Pattern Processing, Uzbek learners of English, Vowel rounding

►Evidences of Functioning of Cognitive Phonology in Sound Pattern Processing of Uzbek Students - A Cognitive View

Shafeek T^1*

¹Centre Of Advanced Study in Linguistics  Faculty of Indian Languages, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India- 608 002.

Introduction

This study offers evidence of Cognitive Phonology (hereafter CP) and CP resulting in Sound Pattern Processing (SPP) in English word articulations of Uzbek students in natural settings. The study focuses on issues like why Uzbek learners of English as a second language deviate from instructed phonological patterns and make „specific patterns‟ while articulating English words. With being taught, observed participants hardly recognize that they have deviated from their actual phonological patterns. However, they do not have sound patterns based on „instructed phonological patterns‟, but with working phonology, they have independently developed. Speakers‟ realization of grapheme-phoneme correspondence in the contexts of learned English words is supported by cognitive phonology which is a matter of discussion. To sound patterns in English words, be it learned or unlearnt, independent working phonology is a pre-requisite. The study addresses only evidence of cognitive phonology in articulations of learned English words.

Cognitive Phonology (CP)

Every language has a system of featured phonology which is distinct and complex to define. The phonological knowledge and awareness underlie speech processing in a language. Bates and Snyder (1985), Sinclair-de Zwart (1973), Macnamara (1972), and Piaget (1954) argue that language is a subordinate part of cognitive development, dependent on the attainment of various concepts. Cognitive linguists explore these various concepts, providing increased research interest in cognitive phonology. These interests range from sub-disciplines of phonology to cognitive phonology, developmental phonology, etc. The significant distinction between Cognitive Linguistics (CL) and Cognitive Phonology (CP) can be as:-

 Cognitive CV Structures of English Words

Results

The above words shown in Table 1 were often found articulating in different ways, deviating from the instructed and implicit phonology. See derived processes that have been observed in Uzbek learners of English as L2

 Vowel Alternation in Up

Notice that a ‘-’ stands for segment. A ‘.’ indicates syllable boundary.

Two types of phonological processes were observed due to Sound Pattern Processing in the word up (4.1) utterances; phonological process-free (4.1(b)), and alternation of the initial vowel segment /ʌ/ as shown in 4.1(b). Alternations of vowels during sound pattern processing have been recurrent in languages like Arabic which is the abjad writing system. Abjad is a type of writing system where readers have to infer vowels resulting in vowel deviation. The vowel segment of / ʌp /, which is an unrounded vowel / ʌ / has been substituted as /ʊ / resulting in vowel rounding as well as vowel backing. Hence the initial segment of the English word-up has been altered. See the following contexts where a segmental change to a vowel is apparent.

Segmental Rounding in di Syllabic Word Study

Notice that a ‘-’ stands for segment. A ‘.’ indicates syllable boundary.

It was observed Uzbek learners of English studying in higher grades (9-11) of an X school tend to deviate from the low central vowel / ʌ / to the high low back vowel / ʊ /. This process is called vowel backing, in particular, more generally it is a process of Vowel alternations. A few speakers have made an SPP accurately as shown (4.2(a)) while utterances of many participants in the study have resulted in vowel backing as shown in 4.2(b). Significantly, vowel rounding / ʌ / / ʊ /, which was unprecedented, is considered a result of the cognitive phonological aspect.

Alternation and Vowel Lengthening in Supper

It is noticed that no changes were made to the first, that is / s / and final two segments, namely /p ə / during articulations of supper. Vowel alternation in the initial syllable as shown in 4.3 (a) is evident. As discussed earlier, vowel rounding is a recurrent phonological pattern substantiated by the derived output (4.3.a). See the SPP in the poly-syllabic word contexts which supports the evidence of participants‟ resort to the independently developed phonological aspects.

Vowel Rounding in Poly-Syllabic Word Sculpture

Notice that a ‘-’ stands for segment. A ‘.’ indicates syllable boundary

The third segment of the word in sculpture is a low–central unrounded vowel which was processed as / ʊ /, the low short back rounded vowel resulting in a phonological process called Vowel rounding. The process of Vowel rounding is primarily characterized by the speaker‟s implicit or cognitive phonology which is available in the stream of sound pattern processing. Internal phonological evidence includes data from alternation (Mohanan, 1986).

The phonological Process of Vowel Deviation Currently

A number of observed participants have shown traits of alternation to the second segment / ʌ / as shown in   4.5. a resulting in a phonological process called vowel deviation. Vowel deviations consist of alternations to a vowel which can be centering, rounding, lengthening, or shorting. The observed phonological process is V- rounding as shown in 4.5 a. A few participants have phonological process free articulation in the current word articulation as indicated unaffected in 4.5.b Unlike the other four English words; up, study, supper, and sculpture, the word currently has eight segments of which the first segment is the voiceless-velar-plosive / k /. Even in the articulation of unlearnt words that have similar segments and phonological patterns, learners of English tend to conform to the rules of phonological aspects. Contrary to this, the participants in the current word articulations have shown nonconformity to the second segment, / ʌ /. It must be taken into account that speakers have been familiar with the word currently and appropriate phonological patterns are always available to them.

Discussion Impacts of Cognitive Phonology

Word utterances are caused by the adjustment of the phoneme in a stream which often results in segmental changes in certain contexts or segments remain unaffected in some contexts. The following are segmental processes due to resorting to cognitive phonology during utterances.

1. 1. 1. Apheresis- Deletion of the initial segment(s)
      2. Syncope - Deletion of the internal segment(s)
      3. Apocope – Deletion of final segment(s)
      4. Assimilation- Segment influence on segment  SPP-affected
      5. Epenthesis – Insertion of segment
      6. Metathesis – Transposition of segments
      7. V- alternation – Vowel deviations
      8. Substitution– Consonant phoneme replacement
      9. Unaffected - free from any phonological process

Conclusion

According to Kohla learners advance through a number of stages before adult-like productions. Sound Pattern Processing of Uzbek high school learners of English as L2 in words shown in Table 1 has been an act of subconscious knowledge of phonological awareness. This unconscious-driven act is featured by the cognitively wired phonology they have independently developed. An important observation is that even in known English words, where participants probably have an established knowledge for appropriate pattern processing, observed participants have shown deviation of vowel namely vowel rounding. This is one of the phonological processes. It is assumed though external or instructed phonological awareness was available in known English words, inappropriateness, and inaccuracy were observed. On the other hand, self-developed and generated knowledge of pattern processing of speakers have played significant roles, eventually resulting in higher appropriate SPP error patterns Speakers have some subconscious knowledge of phonetic patterns that make up phonological systems (Katamba, Dobrovolsky, and Higgins). Uzbek learners of English as L2, have shown vowel-deviated sound pattern processes in taught English words which signifies that they have certain independent -phonological knowledge. This working phonology appeared to be functioning for appropriate pattern processing in any context. With the workings of implicit phonology of speakers‟ second language, the participants did not resort to the „explicit phonology.‟ It is assumed that abstract cognitive phonology determines how sound should pattern and process in any specific word(s). Thus speakers‟ subconscious phonological knowledge overlaps conscious knowledge of phonological patterns processing.

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