Perception and Production of French Nasal Vowels by German Native Speakers

Abstract: This thesis explores the challenges faced by German native speakers in perceiving and producing French nasal vowels. French has three to four nasal vowels, while German lacks them entirely. The study analyzes German speakers of different proficiency levels using a perception task and production measurements. The results indicate that German speakers struggle in perceiving nasal contrasts, but can perceive nasality in itself. Acoustic analysis reveals deviations in nasalance and formant values compared to native French speakers. However, L2 speakers successfully master other markers of nasality. The findings highlight the interplay between perception and production, impacting the acquisition of nasal vowels. These results contribute to second language research, emphasizing the difficulty of nasal vowels for L2 learners and their implications for language teaching. Overall, nasal vowels pose a consistent challenge, varying based on speakers' native languages.