Voice onset time and the child foreign language learner of Spanish

Stop consonants are one of the most investigated sound classes in second language speech production studies. Robust age of acquisition effects are documented in the literature base; however, the advantage of early learners has been primarily documented in second language, not foreign language, contexts. In order to further tease apart the variables of age and context, this paper compares the VOT values of /p, t, k/ of a cross-sectional sample of child, foreign language learners of Spanish with those of Spanish-English bilinguals. Learner productions did not differ from those of native speaking peers, yet there was a significant interaction of first language and grade level, suggesting that age of acquisition alone is insufficient to explain outcomes. Quantity of input, in both the first and second/foreign language, is explored as a possible explanation.