Williams (1980) examined the acquisition of the Spanish distinction between /p/ and /b/ in a group of native speakers of Spanish learning English as a second language. Williams found that the Spanish speakers:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Williams (1980), the Spanish speakers showed a gradual shift from the Spanish VOT boundary (which is longer than in English) to the English VOT boundary, indicating that they were able to acquire the distinction between /p/ and /b/ but that it took time and practice for them to become accustomed to the different VOT values in English. Therefore, choice B is the best answer. Choice A is incorrect because Williams found that the Spanish speakers were able to acquire the distinction. Choice C is not supported by the research, as Williams did not report that the acquisition was particularly rapid. Choice D is incorrect because only choice B is supported by the evidence.

Williams (1980) Examined the Acquisition of the Spanish Distinction Between