Game-Based Foreign-Language Speech Rehearsal Improves Pitch Processing Beyond Speech Domain

When training new skills, it is beneficial if they generalize to new items beyond those explicitly trained. In this study, we investigated whether game-based training of second-language speech sounds and words affects the processing of untrained sounds, specifically focusing on the pitch of nonspeech sounds. Thirty-seven school-aged children participated in a longitudinal study with two or three measurement points, during which mismatch negativity (MMN) responses were recorded using electroencephalography. The treatment group received 4-5 weeks of game-based training between the first and second measurement sessions. The delayed-treatment group waited for 4-5 weeks between the first and second sessions and then received the game-based training, the effects of which were assessed in a third session. Results showed that MMN peak amplitude increased across measurement sessions. However, MMN latency decreased in the treatment group following the gaming period, whereas it increased in the delayed-treatment group. After receiving the game-based training, MMN latency decreased also in the delayed-treatment group. This pattern of results suggests that the effects of second-language speech training may generalize to the processing of untrained, nonspeech sounds. The observed improvement in pitch processing may be due to the link between pitch perception and phonological skills targeted by the game-based training. Additionally, the gaming approach itself may contribute to the reduction in MMN latency. Taken together, the findings indicate that second-language speech training can enhance neural processing of untrained auditory stimuli, thereby demonstrating cross-domain auditory plasticity.