This study hypothesizes that the Epenthetic Vowel (EV) that occurs in Spanish consonant clusters, although produced unconsciously, is part of the articulatory plan of the speaker. As part of the plan, the epenthetic vowel occurs more often in the least perceptually recoverable contexts in order to enhance them. To achieve a better understanding of the role of the epenthetic vowel, this study shows that the linguistic and phonotactic contexts condition the occurrence of these vowels. Specifically, it argues that linguistic and phonotactic contexts that are perceptually weak compel a significantly higher occurrence of EVs. The EV was analyzed from both production and perceptual standpoints. The results show that from the production standpoint, the occurrence of the EV is affected by the type of liquid that forms the clusters: in clusters with /r/ the variables that made a statistical contribution were post-tonic position (odds ratio, 4.46), and voiceless consonants (odds ratio, 1.42). In the case of clusters with /l/ an EV has a higher probability of occurring in the context of bilabial consonants (odds ratio, 4.19), and voiceless consonants (odds ratio, 1.3). As for the effects of speech rate on the duration of EVs, the results show that speech rate accounts for 14% of the variation in an EV’s length. From the standpoint of perception, listening was divided into the tasks of perceptual identification and perceptual discrimination. The results show that the strongest predictor is the interaction voiceless x post-tonic position (odds ratio, 4.8). For the identification of the Cr clusters, the strongest predictor is the context of voiceless consonants (odds ratio, 4.42). Regarding identification of the Cl clusters, the strongest predictors are the tonic position (odds ratio, 1.54) and the labial place of articulation (odds ratio, 1.39). With regard to the discrimination of the Cr clusters, the strongest predictors for perceptual recoverability are the interaction voiceless x post-tonic position (odds ratio, 2.22), and the labial place of articulation (odds ratio, 1.37), while for the Cl cluster, the strongest predictors are the tonic position (odds ratio, 5.83) and voiceless consonants (odds ratio, 3).

This study hypothesizes that the Epenthetic Vowel (EV) that occurs in Spanish consonant clusters, although produced unconsciously, is part of the articulatory plan of the speaker. As part of the plan, the epenthetic vowel occurs more often in the least perceptually recoverable contexts in order to enhance them. To achieve a better understanding of the role of the epenthetic vowel, this study shows that the linguistic and phonotactic contexts condition the occurrence of these vowels. Specifically, it argues that linguistic and phonotactic contexts that are perceptually weak compel a significantly higher occurrence of EVs. The EV was analyzed from both production and perceptual standpoints. The results show that from the production standpoint, the occurrence of the EV is affected by the type of liquid that forms the clusters: in clusters with /r/ the variables that made a statistical contribution were post-tonic position (odds ratio, 4.46), and voiceless consonants (odds ratio, 1.42). In the case of clusters with /l/ an EV has a higher probability of occurring in the context of bilabial consonants (odds ratio, 4.19), and voiceless consonants (odds ratio, 1.3). As for the effects of speech rate on the duration of EVs, the results show that speech rate accounts for 14% of the variation in an EV’s length. From the standpoint of perception, listening was divided into the tasks of perceptual identification and perceptual discrimination. The results show that the strongest predictor is the interaction voiceless x post-tonic position (odds ratio, 4.8). For the identification of the Cr clusters, the strongest predictor is the context of voiceless consonants (odds ratio, 4.42). Regarding identification of the Cl clusters, the strongest predictors are the tonic position (odds ratio, 1.54) and the labial place of articulation (odds ratio, 1.39). With regard to the discrimination of the Cr clusters, the strongest predictors for perceptual recoverability are the interaction voiceless x post-tonic position (odds ratio, 2.22), and the labial place of articulation (odds ratio, 1.37), while for the Cl cluster, the strongest predictors are the tonic position (odds ratio, 5.83) and voiceless consonants (odds ratio, 3).

Submitted by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2018-07-06T13:07:29Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertacao_Marcia_Evangelista.pdf: 1527337 bytes, checksum: 2ba5b6dc7fd2bfb65909ac3a006d7598 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2018-07-06T14:10:52Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertacao_Marcia_Evangelista.pdf: 1527337 bytes, checksum: 2ba5b6dc7fd2bfb65909ac3a006d7598 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-06T14:11:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertacao_Marcia_Evangelista.pdf: 1527337 bytes, checksum: 2ba5b6dc7fd2bfb65909ac3a006d7598 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-23 / Sem bolsa / Este trabalho tem por objetivo investigar e analisar, à luz da Teoria da sílaba (Selkirk, 1982) e daTeoria autossegmental (Clements & Hume, 1995), o processo epentético na aquisição do espanhol como L2, por falantes nativos do Português Brasileiro. A inserção do glide palatal [j] promove a formação de um ditongo crescente em contexto no qual inexiste na língua alvo. Para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa, foram coletados dados de 34 graduandos do Curso de Letras Português e Espanhol da Universidade Federal de Pelotas do 1º, 3º e 7º semestre. Para a constituição do corpus, foi proposto um instrumento composto de leitura de palavras isoladas, leitura de frases e detextos autênticos, bem como entrevista sociolinguística. Após oitiva e codificação, os dados foram submetidos ao Programa Computacional GoldVarb 2001 (versão3.0b3); controlaram-se variáveis linguísticas e extralinguísticas. Os resultados apontaram que o contexto preferencial de inserção do glide palatal [j] é uma sílaba fechada, do padrão CVC, e que o contexto precedente e seguinte carregam, preferencialmente, uma vogal coronal média-alta; além disso, o nível principiante no estudo formal do espanhol-L2 é aquele que mais se sobressai no emprego do glide palatal. / This study has as main goal to investigate and analyze, under the Syllable Theory (Selkirk, 1982) and the Autosegmental Theory (Clements & Hume, 1995), the epenthetic process in the L2 Spanish Language Acquisition, by Brazilian Portuguese native speakers. The palatal glide insertion [j] promotes the formation of a rising diphthong in a contexto which there is not into the target language. In order to develop the research, it was collected data from 34 Letters Course students - Portuguese and Spanish; from first, third and seventh semester of Pelotas Federal University. For the corpus constitution, it was proposed an instrument composed by isolated words reading, sentences reading and authentic texts, as well as sociolinguistic interview. After the auditory and codificaton, the data were submitted to the GoldVarb 2001(3.0b3 version) Computational Program, it was controlled the linguistics and extralinguistics variables. The results showed that the preferred context of the palatal glide insertion [j] is a closed syllable, from CVC standard and that the previous and ahead contexto carry, preferably, médium-high vowel, besides that, the early level in the formal Spanish study as L2, is the one which stands out at the palatal glide usage.