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Related Experiment Video

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Author Spotlight: Investigating the Impact of Emotional Prosodies on Voice Recognition and Perception

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Multi-Talker Speech Promotes Greater Knowledge-Based Spoken Mandarin Word Recognition in First and Second Language

Seth Wiener¹, Chao-Yang Lee²

¹Language Acquisition, Processing and Pedagogy Lab, Department of Modern Languages, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.

Frontiers in Psychology

|March 13, 2020

Summary

Adult second language (L2) learners struggle to balance acoustic cues and linguistic knowledge when recognizing spoken words in noisy, multi-talker speech. Their ability to switch between knowledge-based and acoustic-based processing improves with L2 proficiency but remains less flexible than native speakers.

Keywords:

Mandarin Chinese distributional learning gating lexical tone second language acquisition spoken word recognition talker variability

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Area of Science:

Psycholinguistics
Second Language Acquisition
Auditory Perception

Background:

Spoken word recognition relies on a balance between acoustic signals and linguistic knowledge.
Second language (L2) learners face challenges in processing variable speech.
Understanding L2 spoken word recognition is crucial for language acquisition research.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how L2 learners balance acoustic and knowledge-based processing in spoken word recognition.
To examine if L2 proficiency influences this perceptual tradeoff over time.
To compare L2 processing with native (L1) listeners using multi-talker speech.

Main Methods:

A gating experiment was conducted with native Mandarin Chinese (L1) and English-L2 Mandarin listeners.
Participants identified syllable-tone words varying in frequency and tonal probability.
L2 listeners were tested twice over two months, while L1 listeners were tested once.

Main Results:

Multi-talker speech increased reliance on knowledge-based tone processing for both L1 and L2 listeners.
L1 listeners effectively transitioned from probability-based to acoustic-based processing.
L2 listeners showed less flexibility in transitioning, with reliance on knowledge-based processing influenced by acoustic conditions.

Conclusions:

L2 listeners' ability to integrate acoustic and knowledge-based information is less robust than L1 listeners, especially in multi-talker environments.
L2 spoken word recognition may depend on specific acoustic conditions, such as multi-talker variability.
Proficiency gains can enhance L2 spoken word recognition but do not fully equalize L1 processing capabilities.