Proceedings

Asymmetries in Chengdu and Northern Mandarin Phonotactics: Variation and Learning

---

Abstract

This paper investigates how first language (L1) phonotactic variability influences second language (L2) phonological learning. We focus on the low vowel + nasal coda (+ consonant) sequences in two Mandarin varieties—Northern Mandarin and Chengdu Mandarin—and compare them with North American English. A production study using nasometry documents the relative rates and asymmetries of phonological repairs, including nasal coda deletion and nasal place alternations for L1 NM and CM speakers. To formally model these patterns, we adopt a Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) framework and construct weighted constraint grammar for each L1 variety, and implement a Full Transfer account to model L2 English learning. We demonstrate the specific weighting conditions that yield multiple surface optima in each L1 grammar and show how these inherited variations predict some aspects of L2 productions across different contexts, but also falls short in some contexts. Our findings highlight the theoretical value of probabilistic, weighted-constraint approaches for understanding L2 phonotactic acquisition and illustrate how L1 grammatical variation shapes learners’ pathways and outcomes when exposed to novel inputs.

Keywords: phonological learning, Maximum Entropy Grammar, second language phonology, Mandarin varieties, nasal

How to Cite:

Zhang, S. & Tessier, A., (2026) “Asymmetries in Chengdu and Northern Mandarin Phonotactics: Variation and Learning”, Proceedings of the Annual Meetings on Phonology 2(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/amphonology.3702