Individual variability and the effect of personality on non-native speech shadowing

Area of Science:

• Second Language Acquisition
• Phonetics and Phonology
• Psycholinguistics

Background:

• Speech shadowing is a method used to study second language (L2) pronunciation.
• Individual differences, such as personality, may influence L2 learning outcomes.
• The role of personality in L2 phonetic learning, specifically shadowing, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between personality traits and success in non-native speech shadowing.
• To determine if specific personality traits predict the acoustic similarity of shadowed L2 speech to a native model.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-four native English speakers participated in the study.
• Participants shadowed French words with high rounded vowels (/y/ and /u/) produced by a native French speaker.
• Personality was assessed using the Big Five Inventory questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Acoustic analyses revealed that personality traits are predictive of shadowing success.
• Higher scores in extraversion and neuroticism were significantly associated with greater acoustic similarity to the native French model.
• These findings suggest a link between specific personality dimensions and the ability to accurately mimic L2 sounds.

Conclusions:

• Personality traits, particularly extraversion and neuroticism, play a role in the ability to accurately shadow non-native speech sounds.
• These findings contribute to understanding individual differences in second language phonetic acquisition.
• Future research could explore the mechanisms underlying the influence of these personality traits on L2 speech production.