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Perceiving non-native speech
J Bürki-Cohen1, J L Miller, P D Eimas
1US Department of Transportation, Boston, MA 02142, USA. burki@volpe.dot.gov
Native and non-native English speech are processed differently, especially in noisy conditions. Non-native speech relies more on postlexical information for phonemic decisions, impacting speech perception models.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Speech Perception
- Phonetics
Background:
- Native and non-native speech perception involves distinct processing mechanisms.
- Auditory and linguistic factors influence phonemic decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how native and non-native English speech stimuli are processed by native English speakers.
- To examine the role of prelexical versus postlexical information in phonemic decisions under varying listening conditions.
Main Methods:
- Experiments involved native English speakers identifying word-initial consonants in monosyllabic words.
- Stimuli included native and non-native English speech presented in silence and in noise.
- A secondary linguistic task (noun/verb decision) was sometimes employed.
Main Results:
- In silence, native and non-native speech were processed similarly, with task demands influencing prelexical/postlexical reliance.
- In noise, native speech processing remained consistent, but non-native speech processing shifted to postlexical reliance regardless of task.
Conclusions:
- Listening conditions significantly alter phonemic processing of non-native speech.
- Findings suggest differences in phoneme processing models for native versus non-native auditory input.
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