Related Experiment Videos
Protracted Development on Native Tone Interpretation: Evidence From Mandarin-Learning Infants' Novel Word Learning
Xiaobei Zheng1, Yinglin Ji2, Xiangzhi Meng3
1Research Centre for Language and Cognition, School of Foreign Languages, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|July 24, 2019
Summary
Mandarin-learning infants can distinguish lexical tones from birth but do not use them for word learning until 18 months. This suggests a developmental shift in interpreting pitch contours for phonemic function.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Auditory Perception
Background:
- Infants exposed to tone languages develop categorical perception of lexical tones early.
- The precise age at which infants utilize lexical tone for word learning remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate when Mandarin-learning infants (14-18 months) use lexical tone for novel word learning.
- To determine if infants can detect changes in word-object associations based on tonal differences.
Main Methods:
- Two habituation-switch experiments using Mandarin-learning infants.
- Experiment 1: Words differed only by lexical tone (/fāi/ vs. /făi/).
- Experiment 2: Words differed by both tone and consonant (/fāi/ vs. /bǒu/).
Main Results:
- Infants succeeded in detecting tonal switches at 18 months, but not at 14 months.
- Infants detected word changes when consonants differed at 14 months.
- Infants distinguish tones from birth but do not apply this to word learning until 18 months.
Conclusions:
- Infants may not utilize the phonemic function of lexical tone in word learning until 18 months.
- Early misinterpretation of pitch contours due to intonation may influence this developmental timeline.
- Sophisticated use of lexical tone in word learning emerges around 18 months.