The Effect of Intensified Language Exposure on Accommodating Talker Variability

Area of Science:

• Psycholinguistics
• Cognitive Science
• Second Language Acquisition

Background:

• Talker variability, such as different accents, presents a challenge in speech perception.
• Understanding how nonnative listeners accommodate talker variability is crucial for second language acquisition research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of intensified second language exposure on accommodating talker variability.
• To compare speech processing abilities in native English speakers and Mandarin speakers with varying levels of English immersion.

Main Methods:

• A word-monitoring task was administered to English native listeners and Mandarin speakers (differentiating between those living in the US and China).
• Participants processed English words presented by either a single talker or multiple talkers to assess accommodation of talker variability.

Main Results:

• Mandarin listeners in China performed worse than both English natives and Mandarin listeners in the US.
• Mandarin listeners in the US showed reduced accuracy compared to native English speakers, specifically in the more demanding mixed-talker condition.

Conclusions:

• Mixed-talker speech impacts both native and nonnative listeners, with a more pronounced effect on less proficient nonnative speakers.
• Language immersion appears to enhance the ability to resolve talker variability, potentially by automating nonnative processing and freeing cognitive resources.
• Findings support the active control model of speech perception, highlighting the role of cognitive resources in processing varied speech input.