Previous research on second language (L2) syllabification has demonstrated an important role for transfer and has highlighted the productivity of epenthesis, deletion, and feature change (eg devoicing) in the earlier stages of acquisition. Studies investigating the role of transfer have shown that L2 leamers' syllabifications are initially strongly influenced by the syllable structure of the first language (L1), both in terms of the syllable positions available to the leamer (see eg Broselow & Finer 1991, Eckman & Iverson 1993 on branching onsets) and in terms of the LI restrictions on the types of segmental content syllabifiaNe in a given position (see eg Eckman & Iverson 1994, Cichocki et al. 1999 on coda consonants).

To illustrate, consider the data in (1) taken from two studies that will feature prominently in Chapter 3. In both of these studies, beginner Mandarin leamers were tested on their syllabification of French consonant clusters. In contrast to French, Mandarin disallows clusters across the board. As such, when early Mandarin leamers of French are faced with the consonant sequences in (l), they begin by simplifying them.