Časopis pro Moderní Filologii (Jul 2017)
Vokalické sekvence mezi slovy v české španělštině : Vowel Sequences Between Words in Czech Spanish
Abstract
This study examines four different types of vowel sequences between words in L3 Spanish of Czech speakers: two identical monophthongs, diphthongs, triphthongs and a sequence of two strong vowels of different timbre, both in stressed and unstressed versions. More specifically, it is concerned with glottalization and resyllabification in these cases, since the respective strategies in the two languages differ. In the Spanish vowel system, vowel sequences are twofold: hiatus, i.e. two vowels belonging to two separate syllables, and synaleph, a mechanism that leads to reduction of two vowels to a diphthong, since it favours the CV syllable structure in Spanish. In vowel sequences between two (or, rarely, three) words, Spanish selects the latter option. This strategy is not used in the Czech language, where hiatus supported by glottalization takes place in analogical situations. Such a contrast in mastering vowel sequences was examined in a group of 22 highly proficient L3 Spanish speakers of Czech origin, whose production of vowel sequences was analysed and statistically tested. In spite of a considerable number of glottalized realizations in L3 Spanish, the results show a clear tendency to synaleph and resyllabification, which appears to be particularly strong in triphthongs. On the other hand, the presence of stress has not proved to be significant in the realization of vowel sequences.
