Categorical Perception of Mandarin Tones by Native and Second Language Speakers

2021 ◽  
pp. 55-74
Author(s):  
Chunsheng Yang
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Categorical Perception ◽  
Second Language Speakers ◽  
Mandarin Tones

Kemahiran Bertutur Bahasa Melayu oleh Murid Cina: Teori Analisis Kontrastif

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-55
Author(s):  
Nor Zulaiqha Rosli ◽  
Nur Farahkhanna Mohd Rusli ◽  
Norfaizah Abdul Jobar ◽  
Norazimah Zakaria
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Chinese Students ◽  
Contrastive Analysis ◽  
Library Research ◽  
Second Language Speakers ◽  
Analysis Theory ◽  
Grammatical Errors ◽  
Oral Speech ◽  
Mandarin Language ◽  
Speaking Skill

The acquisition of Malay as a second language, either verbally or non verbally among the non-Malay students, is still in question. It is observed that the problems of pronunciation is still prevalent among the non-Malay students. Hence, the objectives of this study are twofold; (i) to identify the level of proficiency of the speaking skill of Malay language among Chinese students, and (ii) to analyse the errors made in the speaking skill of Malay language by Chinese students based on contrastive analysis theory. The respondents were 27 Chinese Form 1 students in SMK Ampang Pecah, Kuala Kubu Baharu, Selangor. The initial design of the study was spurred by library research and observation. The instruments used in data collection included notebooks, questionnaire, recorder and texts for speech test. The data were analyzed by contrastive analysis theory by Robert Lado (1957). The findings showed that there were four aspects of pronunciation errors related consonants produced by the respondents. They were (i) sound replacement, (ii) sound addition, (iii) sound abortion, (iv) and grammatical errors. This study also shows that the pronunciation errors were due to the influence of their native language, which is Mandarin language, and the interlingual factors of the respondents that have caused them to be weak in the mastery of Malay language. In terms of implication, this study provides some understanding on the importance of mastering oral speech in Malay language through appropriate grammatical usage and pronunciation , especially among the second language speakers of Malay.

Aging Effects on Categorical Perception of Mandarin Lexical Tones in Noise

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Yuxia Wang ◽  
Xiaohu Yang ◽  
Hongwei Ding ◽  
Can Xu ◽  
Chang Liu
Keyword(s):  
Categorical Perception ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Aging Effects ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Lexical Tones ◽  
Tone Recognition ◽  
Ratio Condition ◽  
Mandarin Tones ◽  
Mandarin Tone ◽  
General Tone

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the aging effects on the categorical perception (CP) of Mandarin lexical Tones 1–4 and Tones 1–2 in noise. It also investigated whether listeners' categorical tone perception in noise correlated with their general tone identification of 20 natural vowel-plus-tone signals in noise. Method Twelve younger and 12 older listeners with normal hearing were recruited in both tone identification and discrimination tasks in a CP paradigm where fundamental frequency contours of target stimuli varied systematically from the flat tone (Tone 1) to the rising/falling tones (Tones 2/4). Both tasks were conducted in quiet and noise with signal-to-noise ratios set at −5 and −10 dB, respectively, and general tone identification of natural speech signals was also tested in noise conditions. Results Compared with younger listeners, older listeners had shallower identification slopes and smaller discrimination peakedness in Tones 1–2/4 perception in all listening conditions, except for Tones 1–4 perception in quiet where no group differences were found. Meanwhile, noise affected Tones 1–2/4 perception: The signal-to-noise ratio condition at −10 dB brought shallower slope in Tones 1–2/4 identification and less peakedness in Tones 1–4 discrimination for both listener groups. Older listeners' CP in noise, the identification slopes in particular, positively correlated with their general tone identification in noise, but such correlations were partially missing for younger listeners. Conclusions Both aging and the presence of speech-shaped noise significantly reduced the CP of Mandarin Tones 1–2/4. Listeners' Mandarin tone recognition may be related to their CP of Mandarin tones.

Aging Effect on Categorical Perception of Mandarin Tones 2 and 3 and Thresholds of Pitch Contour Discrimination

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuxia Wang ◽  
Xiaohu Yang ◽  
Hui Zhang ◽  
Lilong Xu ◽  
Can Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mandarin Chinese ◽  
Categorical Perception ◽  
Aging Effect ◽  
Pitch Contour ◽  
Tone Perception ◽  
F0 Contour ◽  
Identification Function ◽  
Tone Discrimination ◽  
Mandarin Tones ◽  
Mandarin Tone

Purpose The purpose of the study was to examine the aging effect on the categorical perception of Mandarin Chinese Tone 2 (rising F0 pitch contour) and Tone 3 (falling-then-rising F0 pitch contour) as well as on the thresholds of pitch contour discrimination. Method Three experiments of Mandarin tone perception were conducted for younger and older listeners with Mandarin Chinese as the native language. The first 2 experiments were in the categorical perception paradigm: tone identification and tone discrimination for a series of stimuli, the F0 contour of which systematically varied from Tone 2 to Tone 3. In the third experiment, the just-noticeable differences of pitch contour discrimination were measured for both groups. Results In the measures of categorical perception, older listeners showed significantly shallower slopes in the tone identification function and significantly smaller peakedness in the tone discrimination function compared with younger listeners. Moreover, the thresholds of pitch contour discrimination were significantly higher for older listeners than for younger listeners. Conclusion These results suggest that aging reduced the categoricality of Mandarin tone perception and worsened the psychoacoustic capacity to discriminate pitch contour changes, thereby possibly leading to older listeners' difficulty in identifying Tones 2 and 3.

Lexical preference in second dialect acquisition in a second language

2021 ◽  
pp. 136700692110369
Author(s):  
Ksenia Gnevsheva ◽  
Anita Szakay ◽  
Sandra Jansen
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Social Constraints ◽  
Second Languages ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Second Language Speakers ◽  
Dialect Acquisition ◽  
Second Dialect Acquisition ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Australian English

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: How does second dialect acquisition in a second language compare to that in a first language in terms of rates and predictors of second dialect vocabulary use? Design/methodology/approach: A lexical preference task was completed by four groups of participants residing in Australia: first language speakers of Australian (L1D1) and American (L1D2) English, and first language speakers of Russian who acquired Australian (L2D1) and American (L2D2) English first. The participants named objects which are denoted by different words in American and Australian English (e.g. bell pepper vs capsicum). Data and analysis: The response was coded as either American or Australian, and percentage of use of Australian items was calculated for each group. Findings/conclusions: L1D1 used Australian words the most and L1D2 the least. L2D1 and L2D2 fell between the two L1 groups. L1D2 rate of use was predicted by proportion of life spent in Australia. L2D1 were more likely to choose Australian words if they had lived in Australia longer and had positive attitudes toward Australia. L2D2 were less likely to use Australian words the longer they had lived in the USA. Similar, but not identical, factors predict second dialect acquisition in the first and second languages. Originality: The research is innovative in considering second dialect acquisition in second language speakers and creates a bridge between second language and second dialect acquisition research. Significance/implications: The finding that second language speakers may be more flexible in second dialect acquisition than first language speakers has important implications for our understanding of cognitive and social constraints on acquisition.

KULTURMØDER TIL FORHANDLING: Betydningen af ‘kultur’ i praktiksamtaler med voksne med dansk som andetsprog

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Tranekjær
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Discursive Psychology ◽  
Second Language Speakers

The article demonstrates how the combination of discursive psychology and conversation analysis enables an examination of culture as a product of discursive processes which are influenced and permeated by a broader social, discursive and cultural context. In this way an understanding is presented of cultural encounters as something which is not only determined by the background of the participants but is a product of interaction and the resources used in the negotiation of meaning and identity. The article is based on research of internship interviews, that is, interactions between Danish employers and adult second language speakers seeking an internship placement. Through examples from these interviews, it is argued that culture can be analyzed by combining a micro-perspective on the negotiation and organization of meaning in interaction with a macro-perspective on interactions as a manifestation of a broader social, discursive and cultural practice and organization.

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