This chapter discusses the implications of recent second language acquisition research in the field of
phonology for second language teachers, including the question of whether adult second language
learners can trigger a new phonological structure that is not present in the first language. I will look at
processes of Chinese and Japanese learners of English acquiring the [l]/[r] contrast, and then will follow this up by looking at the implications of Matthew’s work on Japanese learners being instructed in acquiring a variety of English sounds and how phonological theory explains their results. Work by Atkey on the acquisition of Czech palatal sounds will also be described to illustrate the conditions under which people can perceive new sounds. The chapter will conclude with a list of the implications for second language teachers of recent research in phonology. |