Related Experiment Videos
[The perception of the second language production]
Sandra Schwab1, François Grosjean
1Laboratoire de traitement du langage et de la parole, Université de Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Suisse. sandra.schwab@unine.ch
Phonetica
|January 22, 2005
Summary
Non-native speakers perceive faster speech rates in a second language, especially at higher physical speeds. Lower oral comprehension in non-native speakers correlated with a higher perceived speech rate.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Second Language Acquisition
- Speech Perception
Context:
- Non-native speakers often perceive second languages as having faster speech rates.
- Understanding speech rate perception is crucial for language learning and communication.
Purpose:
- To compare speech rate perception between native (French) and non-native (Swiss German) speakers of French.
- To investigate the correlation between non-native speakers' comprehension levels and their speech rate estimations.
Summary:
- Participants (native French speakers and non-native Swiss German speakers) listened to French stories at varying speeds and estimated the rate while answering comprehension questions.
- Results indicated that non-native speakers perceived speech as faster than native speakers, with this effect increasing at higher physical speech rates.
- A significant negative correlation was found between oral comprehension and perceived speech rate for non-native speakers at slow and normal rates.
Impact:
- Findings highlight differences in speech rate perception between native and non-native speakers.
- The study suggests that perceived speech rate may be influenced by language proficiency and comprehension ability.
- This research has implications for language teaching methodologies and the design of learning materials aimed at improving second language comprehension.