Acoustic dimensions important in a person's native language have been shown to influence second language perception. Here we show that such effects can extend beyond language. In two experiments, native speakers of Mandarin (N=45)-where pitch is a crucial cue to word identity-placed more importance on pitch and less importance on other dimensions compared to native speakers of non-tonal languages English (N=46) and Spanish (N=27), during the perception of both second language speech and musical beats. In a third experiment, we further show that Mandarin speakers are better able to attend to pitch and ignore irrelevant variation in other dimensions compared to English and Spanish speakers, and even struggle to ignore pitch when asked to attend to other dimensions. Thus, an individual's idiosyncratic perceptual system reflects a complex mixture of congenital predispositions and biases instilled by extensive experience in directing attention to important dimensions in their native language.
The current study examines the role of cognitive and perceptual individual differences (i.e., aptitude) in second language (L2) pronunciation learning, when L2 learners' varied experience background is controlled for. A total of 48 Chinese learners of English in the UK were assessed for their sensitivity to segmental and suprasegmental aspects of speech on explicit and implicit modes via behavioural (language/music aptitude tests) and neurophysiological (electroencephalography) measures. Subsequently, the participants' aptitude profiles were compared to the segmental and suprasegmental dimensions of their L2 pronunciation proficiency analyzed through rater judgements and acoustic measurements. According to the results, the participants' segmental attainment was associated not only with explicit aptitude (phonemic coding), but also with implicit aptitude (enhanced neural encoding of spectral peaks). Whereas the participants' suprasegmental attainment was linked to explicit aptitude (rhythmic imagery) to some degree, it was primarily influenced by the quality and quantity of their most recent L2 learning experience. COGNITIVE CORRELATES OF LSPEECH LEARNINGUnderstanding the process and product of second language acquisition (SLA) is complex, as it can be explained not only by factors related to experience (i.e., the extent to which second language [L2] learners practice the target language), but also by those related to aptitude (i.e., the cognitive and perceptual factors which determine the extent to which L2 learners can make the most of relevant L2 experience). Whereas the previous literature has examined aptitude in reference to L2 lexicogrammar development (for reviews, see Li, 2016;Skehan, 2016), surprisingly little is known about the role of aptitude in L2 pronunciation learning. The present study aims to fill this gap by proposing a new framework of cognitive abilities relevant to the degree of success after years of explicit and implicit pronunciation learning under various L2 learning conditions. To achieve this main objective, we assessed the segmental and suprasegmental sensitivity of 48 Chinese learners of English in the UK by using a range of behavioural (language and music aptitude tests) and neurophysiological (electroencephalography) measures. Subsequently, we explored which pronunciation learning aptitude variables were linked to the segmental and suprasegmental aspects of the learners' L2 pronunciation performance, controlling for their L2 learning backgrounds (i.e., their past and recent L2 use). Background Second Language Pronunciation DevelopmentSecond language pronunciation proficiency is a composite skill which comprises the capacity to (a) pronounce new consonantal and vocalic sounds in a L2 without deleting or substituting them for L1 counterparts (segmental accuracy); (b) use adequate prosody at the word (correct assignment of word stress) and sentence (appropriate use of intonation for declarative and interrogative intensions) levels; and (c) deliver speech at an optimal tempo (...
The current study longitudinally examined the influence of aptitude on second language (L2) pronunciation development when 40 firstyear Japanese university students engaged in practice activities inside and outside English-as-a-Foreign-Language classrooms over one academic year. Spontaneous speech samples were elicited at the beginning, middle and end points of the project, analyzed for global, segmental, syllabic, prosodic and temporal aspects of L2 pronunciation, and linked to their aptitude and experience profiles. Results indicated that the participants generally enhanced the global comprehensibility of their speech (via reducing vowel insertion errors in complex syllables) as a function of increased classroom experience during their first semester, and explicit learning aptitude (associative memory, phonemic coding) appeared to help certain learners further enhance their pronunciation proficiency through the development of fluency and prosody. In the second semester, incidental learning ability (sound sequence recognition) was shown to be a significant predictor of the extent to which certain learners continued to improve and ultimately attain advanced-level L2 comprehensibility, largely thanks to improved segmental accuracy.Adult second language acquisition (SLA) is a multifaceted phenomenon whose process and product are greatly affected not only by factors related to experience (e.g., how second language [L2] learners have practiced the target language), but also by those which are learner-internal (e.g., to what extent they are cognitively and socially adept at L2 pronunciation learning). Adopting a longitudinal approach (i.e., where learners engaged in practice activities inside and outside English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) classrooms over one academic year), the current study examined how 40 college-level Japanese students with various aptitude scores (in terms of sound sequence recognition, phonemic coding, and associative memory) could improve the global 2 Kazuya Saito, Yui Suzukida and Hui Sun (comprehensibility), segmental (consonant/vowel errors), syllabic (schwa vowel insertion), prosodic (wrong/missing stress) and temporal (breakdown, speed, fluency) dimensions of their L2 pronunciation. BACKGROUND
In this study, we propose a hypothesis that domain-general auditory processing, a perceptual–cognitive anchor of first language (L1) acquisition, can serve as an important deciding factor for successful postpubertal second language (L2) pronunciation learning. To examine this hypothesis, samples of spontaneous speech were elicited from a total of 30 L1 Chinese L2 English learners at two points (outset and endpoint) during an 8-month study-abroad period in the United Kingdom. The participants were tested on three different components of auditory processing ability (formant, pitch, and duration discrimination) using behavioral instruments. The auditory processing scores were then linked to the segmental, prosodic, and fluency dimensions of their L2 pronunciation proficiency development throughout the project. Overall, most learners’ speech became smoother, faster, and more fluent (fewer pauses, faster articulation rate, and more optimal perceived tempo). Certain learners with high-level auditory processing ability (more precise formant discrimination) appeared to further attain more correct pronunciation of individual sounds and words (greater segmental and word stress accuracy), leading to more advanced L2 phonological skills (fluent and accurate). The findings suggest that auditory processing abilities can be a root of language learning throughout the life span and may apply to the initial- to midphase of naturalistic L2 pronunciation learning in adulthood.
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