Choi, Min-Kyoung2022-02-152022-02-152021-12https://hdl.handle.net/11299/226421University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. 2021. Major: Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences. Advisor: Benjamin Munson. 1 computer file (PDF); 119 pages.This study aimed to investigate the effect of written cues on the second- language (L2) language perception, processing, and word learning, especially when the person's first language (L1) belongs to a different rhythmic type of language than L2. The first objective was to examine whether late bilinguals as L2 learners can benefit more from written cues combined with auditory cues than auditory-only cues when they process speech sounds and memorize those sounds. The second objective was to test whether any of the findings of written-cue effect within each sub-experiment were equivalent across different L1-L2 pairings (across three sub-experiments), or if they only occurred in cases where L1 and L2 differ in rhythm class, and, in particular, when L1 is a syllable-timed and L2 is a stress-timed.Fifty late bilinguals in three different groups participated in the whole experiment of this study. Twenty participants were native English speakers, fifteen were native Korean speakers, and fifteen were native Spanish speakers. Three sub-experiments used three different languages for the stimuli. One of these stimulus languages was stress-timed language, English, and two other languages were syllable-timed languages (Korean and French). The entire process of the experiment was conducted online. All participants filled out the L2 background survey online and participated in all three or one sub-experiment: native Spanish participants only participated in the third sub-experiment. Each sub-experiment consisted of two repetition tests, a learning session, and a word recognition test. One of the repetition tests had written cues for half of the stimuli. The participants repeated what they heard either with only auditory-cue or with auditory and written cue combinations. In word-recognition tests, participants chose a correct word that they learned in the previous learning session with or without written cues. The current study showed that late bilinguals as L2 learners significantly benefited from written cues in L2 speech perception and processing and word learning. The mnemonic value of written cues for the phonological memory in late bilinguals was demonstrated to be significant regardless of the stimulus language, the L2 proficiency level, or the listener's L1. However, the written cue effect was maximized when the stimulus was stress-timed, and the listener's L1 was syllable-timed. Also, when the stimulus was made of a novel language to listeners, the listeners with the same linguistic rhythmic type L1 as the novel language showed better performance in speech perception and processing than the listeners with the different linguistic rhythmic type L1. Overall, one key finding is that the written cue effect during L2 learning can be more powerful when the stimulus language is stress-timed like English than when the stimulus is syllable-timed. These findings also indicate that L2 with the same rhythmic type as L1 can be easier in terms of speech perception and processing.enL1 influence on L2 learninglate bilingualrhythmic type of languagesstressed timed languagesyllable timed languagewritten cuesThesis or Dissertation