114 research outputs found
(Dis)connections between specific language impairment and dyslexia in Chinese
Poster Session: no. 26P.40Specific language impairment (SLI) and dyslexia describe language-learning impairments that occur in the absence of a sensory, cognitive, or psychosocial impairment. SLI is primarily defined by an impairment in oral language, and dyslexia by a deficit in the reading of written words. SLI and dyslexia co-occur in school-age children learning English, with rates ranging from 17% to 75%. For children learning Chinese, SLI and dyslexia also co-occur. Wong et al. (2010) first reported on the presence of dyslexia in a clinical sample of 6- to 11-year-old school-age children with SLI. The study compared the reading-related cognitive skills of children with SLI and dyslexia (SLI-D) with 2 groups of children …postprin
Uncovering the myth of learning to read Chinese characters: phonetic, semantic, and orthographic strategies used by Chinese as foreign language learners
Oral Session - 6A: Lexical modeling: no. 6A.3Chinese is considered to be one of the most challenging orthographies to be learned by non-native speakers, in particular, the character. Chinese character is the basic reading unit that converges sound, form and meaning. The predominant type of Chinese character is semantic-phonetic compound that is composed of phonetic and semantic radicals, giving the clues of the sound and meaning, respectively. Over the last two decades, psycholinguistic research has made significant progress in specifying the roles of phonetic and semantic radicals in character processing among native Chinese speakers …postprin
Investigating the perception and production of the Arabic pharyngealised sounds by L2 learners of Arabic
Pronunciation has received relatively little attention within the field of Arabic
second language teaching and learning, particularly with respect to the more prominent
areas of morphology, syntax, psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics. In the field of
phonetics and phonology, it has been argued that Arabic pharyngealised sounds are
distinctive and unique to Arabic and they are considered the most difficult sounds to
acquire by L2 learners of Arabic. This research included two experiments that focused
on examining the ability of a group of Arabic L2 learners from different L1
backgrounds to perceive and produce the fricative sounds /z/, /θ/, /f/, /ʃ/, /ħ/, /h/, /χ/, /ɣ/,
/ʕ/, /sˤ/, /ðˤ/, /s/, /ð/, and the emphatic sounds /sˤ/, /ðˤ/, /dˤ/, and /tˤ/ in contrast with nonpharyngealised variants /s/, /ð/, /d/ and /t/. The aims were to investigate which aspects
of acquisition were difficult and to examine the effects of technology-based instruction
and traditional-based instruction to find an appropriate pronunciation teaching method
to facilitate the perception and production of fricatives and emphatics.
The technology-based method used in this study was adapted from Olson (2014)
and Offerman and Olson (2016) to investigate the extent to which using speech analysis
technology (Praat) can help in visualising the difference between pharyngealised and
non-pharyngealised sounds in order to aid production and perception learning. The
traditional-based method used in this study included repetition, practicing minimal
pairs, and reading aloud techniques. Data were collected from forced-choice
identification tasks and recordings taken during pre- and post-test conditions.
The results revealed that the some of the fricatives and all the emphatic sounds
posed perception and production difficulty to some L2 learners of Arabic, which is
likely to be due to the absence of these sounds from the learners’ L1s. The results also showed significant improvements among all participants after the traditional and
technology training courses. However, no significant difference was observed between
L2 learners who received the traditional-based method and those who received the
technology-based method. Both methods have increased students’ awareness and
understanding of the features of the sounds under investigation.
The contribution of the current study is to show how Arabic fricative and
emphatic sounds can be effectively taught using form-focused instruction involving
different traditional and technological techniques. This research has implications for the
implementation of both techniques for language teachers and researchers as it shows
how both approaches can be used to enhance students’ perceptive and productive skills
L2 speech learning of European Portuguese /l/ and /ɾ/ by L1-Mandarin learners: experimental evidence and theoretical modelling
It has been long recognized that the poor distinction between /l/ and /ɾ/ is one
of the most perceptible characteristics in Chinese-accented Portuguese. Recent
empirical research revealed that this notorious L2 speech learning difficulty
goes beyond the confusion between two L2 categories, as L1-Mandarin learners’
acquisition of Portuguese /l/ and /ɾ/ seems to be subject to the interaction
among different prosodic positions, speech modalities and representational
levels. This thesis aims to deepen our current understanding of this L2 speech
learning process, by exploring what constrains the development of L2
phonological categories across syllable positions and how different modalities
interact during this process. To achieve this goal, both experimental tasks and
theoretical modelling were employed.
The first study of this thesis explores the role of cross-linguistic influence
and orthography on L2 category formation. In order to elicit cross-linguistic
influence directly, a delayed-imitation task was performed with L1-Mandarin
naïve listeners. This task examined how the Mandarin phonology parses the
Portuguese input ([l], [ɾ]) in intervocalic onset and in word-internal coda
position. Moreover, whether orthography plays a role during the construction
of L2 phonological representation was tested by manipulating the input types
that were given in the experiment (auditory input alone vs. auditory + written
input). Our study shows that naïve Mandarin listeners’ responses corroborated
with that of L1-Mandarin learners, suggesting that cross-linguistic influence is
responsible for the observed L2 prosodic effects. Moreover, the Mandarin [ɻ] (a
repair strategy for /ɾ/) occurred almost exclusively when the written form was
given, providing evidence for the cross-linguistic interaction between
phonological categorization and orthography during the construction of L2
categories.
In the second study, we first investigate the interaction between speech
perception and production in L2 speech learning, by examining whether the L2
deviant productions stem from misperception and whether the order of
acquisition in L2 speech perception mirrors that in production. Secondly, we
test whether L2 phonological categories remain malleable at a mid-late stage of
L2 speech learning. Two perceptual experiments were performed to test L1-Mandarin learners on their discrimination ability between the target
Portuguese form and the deviant form employed in L2 production. Expanding
on prior research, in this study, the perceptual motivation for L2 speech
difficulties was assessed in different syllable constituents (onset and coda) and
at both segmental and suprasegmental levels (structural modification). The
results demonstrate that some deviant forms observed in L2 production indeed
have a perceptual motivation ([w] for the velarised lateral; [l] and [ɾə] for the
tap), while some others cannot be attributed to misperception (deletion of
syllable-final tap). Furthermore, learners confused the intervocalic /l/ and /ɾ/
bidirectionally in perception, while in production they never misproduced the
lateral (/ɾ/ → [l], */l/ → [ɾ]), revealing a mismatch between two speech
modalities. By contrast, the order of acquisition (/ɾ/coda > /ɾ/onset) was shown to
be consistent in L2 perception and production. The correspondence and
discrepancy between the two speech modalities signal a complex relationship
between L2 speech perception and production. To assess the plasticity of L2
categories /l/ and /ɾ/, two groups of L1-Mandarin learners who differ
substantially in terms of L2 experience were recruited in the perceptual tasks.
Our study shows that both groups behaved similarly in terms of the
discrimination performance. No evidence for a role of L2 experience was found.
The implication of this null result on L2 phonological development is discussed.
The third study of the thesis aims to contribute to bridging the gap between
the L2 experimental evidence and formal theories. Adopting the Bidirectional
Phonology and Phonetics Model, we formalise some of the experimental
findings that cannot be elucidated by current L2 speech theories, namely, the
between and within-subject variation in L2 phonological categorization; the
interaction between phonological categorization and orthography during L2
category construction; and the asymmetry between L2 perception and
production.
Overall, this thesis sheds light on the complex nature of L2 phonological
acquisition and provides a formal account of how different modalities interact
in shaping L2 speech learning. Moreover, it puts forward testable predictions
for future research and suggestions for improving foreign language
teaching/training methodologies.É bem conhecido o facto de as trocas associadas a /l/ e /ɾ/ constituírem uma
das caraterísticas mais percetíveis no português articulado pelos aprendentes
chineses. Recentemente, estudos empíricos revelam que a dificuldade por parte
dos aprendentes chineses não se restringe à discriminação moderada entre as
duas categorias da L2, dado que a aquisição de /l/ e /ɾ/ do português por
aprendentes chineses parece estar sujeita à interação entre contextos
prosódicos, entre modalidades de fala e entre níveis representacionais
diferentes. Esta tese visa aprofundar a nossa compreensão deste processo da
aquisição fonológica L2, explorando o que condiciona o desenvolvimento das
categorias fonológicas L2 em diferentes constituintes silábicos e de que modo
as modalidades interagem durante este processo, recorrendo para tal a tarefas
experimentais bem como a formalização teórica.
O primeiro estudo averigua o papel da influência interlinguística e o da
ortografia na construção das categorias de L2. Para elicitar a influência
interlinguística diretamente, uma tarefa de imitação retardada foi aplicada aos
falantes nativos do mandarim sem conhecimento de português, investigando
assim como a fonologia do mandarim categoriza o input do português ([l], [ɾ])
em ataque simples intervocálico e em coda medial. Para além disso, a influência
ortográfica na construção de representações fonológicas em L2 foi examinada
através da manipulação do tipo do input apresentado na experiência (input
auditivo vs. input auditivo + ortográfico). Os resultados da situação
experimental em que os participantes receberam input de ambos os tipos
replicaram o efeito prosódico observado na literatura, evidenciando a interação
entre categorização fonológica e ortografia na construção das categorias de L2.
No segundo estudo, investigamos a interação entre a perceção e a produção
de fala na aquisição das líquidas do PE por aprendentes chineses e a
plasticidade destas categorias fonológicas, respondendo às questões seguintes:
1) as produções desviantes de L2 resultam da perceção incorreta? 2) a ordem
da aquisição em L2 é consistente na perceção e na produção? 3) as categorias
da L2 permanecem maleáveis numa fase intermédia da aquisição? Duas tarefas
percetivas foram conduzidas para testar a capacidade percetiva dos
aprendentes nativos do mandarim em relação à discriminação entre a forma
alvo do português e as formas desviantes utilizadas na produção. No presente
estudo, a motivação percetiva das dificuldades em L2 foi testada nos constituintes silábicos diferentes (ataque simples e coda) e nos níveis segmental e suprassegmental (modificação estrutural). Os resultados demonstram que algumas formas desviantes que os aprendentes chineses produzem têm uma
motivação percetiva (i.e. [w] para a lateral velarizada; [l] e [ɾə] para a vibrante
alveolar), enquanto outras não podem ser analisadas como casos de perceção
incorreta (como é o caso do o apagamento da vibrante em coda). Para além
disso, na posição intervocálica, os aprendentes manifestam dificuldade na
discriminação entre /l/ e /ɾ/ de forma bidirecional, mas, na produção, a lateral
nunca é produzida incorretamente (/ɾ/ → [l], */l/ → [ɾ]). Tal revela uma
divergência entre as duas modalidades de fala. Por contraste, mostrou-se que a
ordem da aquisição (/ɾ/coda > /ɾ/ataque) é consistente na perceção e na produção
da L2. A correspondência e a discrepância entre as duas modalidades de fala,
sinalizam uma relação complexa entre a perceção e a produção na aquisição
fonológica de L2. Em relação à questão da plasticidade das categorias de L2,
recrutaram-se para as tarefas percetivas dois grupos de aprendentes nativos do
mandarim que se diferenciavam substancialmente em termos da experiência
em L2. Não se encontrou um efeito significativo da experiência da L2. A
implicação deste resultado nulo no desenvolvimento fonológico de L2 foi
discutida.
O terceiro estudo desta tese tem como objetivo contribuir para a
colmatação das lacunas entre estudos empíricos de L2 e as teorias formais.
Adotando o Modelo Bidirecional de Fonologia e Fonética, formalizamos os
resultados experimentais que as teorias atuais da aquisição fonológica de L2
não conseguem explicar, nomeadamente, a variação inter e intra-sujeitos na
categorização fonológica em L2; a interação entre categorização fonológica e
ortografia na construção das categorias na L2; a assimetria entre a perceção e a
produção na L2.
Em suma, esta tese contribui com dados empíricos para a discussão da
relação complexa entre a perceção, produção e ortografia na aquisição
fonológica de L2 e formaliza a interação entre essas modalidades através de um
modelo linguístico generativo. Além disso, apresentam-se predições testáveis
para investigação futura e sugestões para o aperfeiçoamento das metodologias
de ensino/treino da língua não materna
Speech production and perception in adult Arabic learners of English: A comparative study of the role of production and perception training in the acquisition of British English vowels
This thesis presents the results of four studies that investigated the perception and production of English by Saudi Arabic learners. Additionally, the thesis sought to investigate the role of different types of training, production- or perception-based, in learning, with the aim of understanding how training in different domains contributes to second language acquisition. A preliminary study (Study 1) investigated problematic phonemic contrasts for Arabic speakers, confirming that accuracy in perception and production depends on the similarity between L1 and L2 phonemes. Study 2 investigated the specificity of second language phonetic training by comparing the effect of three training programmes on the acquisition of British English vowels. Saudi Arabic learners were randomly assigned to one of three training programmes; Production Training (PT), High Variability Phonetic Training (HVPT), and a Hybrid Training Program (HTP). They completed a battery of tests before and after training. All participants improved after training, but improvements were largely domain-specific; production training led to improvements in production but not perception, whilst perception training led to improvements in perception but not production. Participants in the HTP showed improvements in both production and perception, indicating that only a small amount of training in production appears to be necessary to effect changes in production. Additionally, improvement on particular tasks appeared to be linked to initial L2 proficiency, and learning in perception and production was retained (Study 3) and production training appeared to be more beneficial for participants who were trained in a non-immersion setting (Study 4). In brief, the results suggest that L2 learners improve in both perception and production if training explicitly trains these domains. Production training was beneficial not only for L2 learners in an L2-speaking country, but also in non-immersion settings. Overall, these results suggest that a hybrid training programme would be most beneficial for L2 learners
Exploring Cross-linguistic Effects and Phonetic Interactions in the Context of Bilingualism
This Special Issue includes fifteen original state-of-the-art research articles from leading scholars that examine cross-linguistic influence in bilingual speech. These experimental studies contribute to the growing number of studies on multilingual phonetics and phonology by introducing novel empirical data collection techniques, sophisticated methodologies, and acoustic analyses, while also presenting findings that provide robust theoretical implications to a variety of subfields, such as L2 acquisition, L3 acquisition, laboratory phonology, acoustic phonetics, psycholinguistics, sociophonetics, blingualism, and language contact. These studies in this book further elucidate the nature of phonetic interactions in the context of bilingualism and multilingualism and outline future directions in multilingual phonetics and phonology research
Ultrasound Visual Biofeedback and Accent Modification: Effects on Consonant and Vowel Accuracy for Mandarin English Language Learners
The number of individuals in the United States who speak languages other than English continues to increase. With the increase of language diversity comes a potential rise in communication challenges for those who speak with non-mainstream American English accents as English language learners. A portion of these individuals may elect to seek accent modification services, perhaps due to decreased intelligibility or communication breakdowns. Thus, speech-language pathologists must research and provide effective techniques to enhance intelligibility of all American English speakers for optimal communication. Few approaches employ a variety of treatment methods to improve speech sound accuracy, naturalness and intelligibility to target accent modification. One of these methods is ultrasound biofeedback therapy. Ultrasound therapy relies on visual feedback for remediation of speech sound production errors for those with various etiologies and diagnoses. A single-subject ABAB withdrawal design was employed with two native Mandarin speakers to examine the effect of incorporating ultrasound visual biofeedback in the treatment of consonant and vowel targets as measured by perceptual, acoustic and visual analyses
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