Edited by Hagen Peukert and Ingrid Gogolin
[Hamburg Studies on Linguistic Diversity 6] 2017
► pp. 163–191
This pilot research project addresses the interlanguage transfer of phonetic-phonemic phenomena in a trilingual situation: Bundeli-Hindi (L1-L2, not standard – standard) bidialectism extended by L3 English. The audio data analysis focuses on semantically and grammatically empty cross-phonemic consonant alternations that are not conditioned by phonotactics. Their transfer points to a specific transfer type, involving systemic relations. I introduce an alternation rate index as a tool to assess the dependence of cross-phonemic interlanguage alternations on linguistic and sociolinguistic parameters. The results of the analysis indicate that cross-phonemic alternations are unilaterally transferred from Bundeli to Hindi and English and that the alternation rate is inversely related to the socio-educational level and language proficiency as well as to the level of language standardisation.