The perception of Mandarin lexical tones by native Japanese adult listeners with and without Mandarin learning experience

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimiko Tsukada ◽  
Mariko Kondo ◽  
Kazuko Sunaoka
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Japanese Adult ◽  
Perceptual Accuracy ◽  
Lexical Tones ◽  
Tone Perception ◽  
Phonetic Context ◽  
Mandarin Tone ◽  
Better Than

Processing lexical tones is known to be difficult for non-native speakers from various language backgrounds. Perceptual accuracy of six Mandarin tone contrasts (T1–T2, T1–T3, T1–T4, T2–T3, T2–T4, T3–T4) of two groups of Japanese listeners (learners and non-learners) and a control group of Mandarin listeners were compared in Mandarin learning experience, phonetic context, and speaker gender. Both Japanese groups perceived T2–T3 poorly, but the learner group was significantly better than the non-learner group for this and the T1–T2 contrasts. The learners’ advantage was observed across various phonetic contexts (initial consonants and tone bearing vowels), suggesting that their tone perception was more stable and resistant to speaker variation. In regard to speaker gender, both Japanese groups perceived the T2–T3 contrast more poorly, and T1–T2 and T1–T4 contrasts more successfully, when produced by female speakers.

scholarly journals An Investigation of Tone Perception and Production in German Learners of Mandarin

2011 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongwei Ding ◽  
Rüdiger Hoffmann ◽  
Oliver Jokisch
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Preliminary Test ◽  
Production Test ◽  
Main Experiment ◽  
Lexical Tones ◽  
Tone Perception ◽  
Acoustic Measures ◽  
Language Studies ◽  
Mandarin Tone ◽  
Cross Language

AbstractThis study investigates the possible errors related to Mandarin tone perception and production by German speakers. In a preliminary test, 23 German listeners should identify the tones of 186 monosyllables. Results show that exposure to Mandarin Chinese can help to discriminate lexical tones as highly expected. In the main experiment, 17 German subjects were asked to take part in a perception and production test. Stimulus of perception involves 48 monosyllables uttered by a standard professional Chinese speaker; acoustic measures were conducted to analyze the production of 72 monosyllables for each subject. It is found that German speakers have much smallerf0 range than Chinese native speakers. Findings can provide implications for cross language studies and teaching practices.

High-Variability Phonetic Training Benefits Lexical Tone Perception: An Investigation on Mandarin-Speaking Pediatric Cochlear Implant Users

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Hongwei Ding ◽  
Yang Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Cochlear Implants ◽  
Clinical Utility ◽  
High Variability ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Lexical Tone ◽  
Identification Task ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Lexical Tones ◽  
Tone Perception ◽  
Mandarin Tone

Purpose Lexical tone perception is known to be persistently difficult for individuals with cochlear implants (CIs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of high-variability phonetic training (HVPT) in improving Mandarin tone perception for native-speaking children with CIs. Method A total of 28 Mandarin-speaking pediatric CI recipients participated in the study. Half of the children with CIs received a five-session HVPT within a period of 3 weeks. Identification and discrimination of lexical tones produced by familiar talkers (used during training) and novel talkers (not used during training) were measured before, immediately after, and 10 weeks after training termination. The other half untrained children served as control for the identical pre- and posttests. Results Lexical tone perception significantly improved in both trained identification task and untrained discrimination task for the trainees. There was also a significant effect in transfer of learning to perceiving tones produced by novel talkers. Moreover, training-induced gains were retained for up to 10 weeks after training. By comparison, no significant pre–post changes were observed in the control group. Conclusion The results provide the first systematical assessment for the efficacy of the HVPT protocol for Mandarin-speaking pediatric CI users with congenital hearing loss, which supports the clinical utility of intensive short-term HVPT in these children's rehabilitative regimens.

The perception of Mandarin lexical tones by native Korean speakers differing in their experience with Mandarin

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimiko Tsukada ◽  
Jeong-Im Han
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Lexical Tone ◽  
Discrimination Test ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
Lexical Tones ◽  
Perceptual Salience ◽  
Level Tone

While it is well established that non-native speakers differ from native speakers in their perception and/or production of Mandarin lexical tones, empirical studies focusing on non-native learners are still limited. The objective of this study is to add to the current understanding of lexical tone perception by comparing native speakers of standard Korean from the Seoul/Kyunggi area differing in Mandarin experience (NK1, NK2) with native speakers of Mandarin. NK1 ( n = 10) had no experience with Mandarin whereas NK2 ( n = 10) consisted of highly advanced learners of Mandarin. A group of 10 native Mandarin (NM) speakers was included as controls. Accuracy of perception of six tone pairs (T1–T2, T1–T3, T1–T4, T2–T3, T2–T4, T3–T4) was assessed in a four-alternative forced-choice discrimination test. As expected, the NK2 group with extensive Mandarin learning experience resembled the NM group to a greater extent than did the NK1 group. T2–T3 was the hardest pair for both NK groups, but NK2 had the largest advantage over NK1 for this pair. Apart from T2–T3 which is generally considered difficult, tone pairs involving T1 caused some misperception by the NK groups. This may be related to the difficulty with perceiving a level tone which shows the least fundamental frequency (F0) movement and possibly has limited perceptual salience.

scholarly journals Situation-bound utterances in Chinese as a foreign language: the effectiveness of the identification task

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Sergio Conti ◽  
Carmen Lepadat
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Identification Task ◽  
Communicative Functions ◽  
Successful Recall ◽  
Experimental Group

Abstract This paper investigates the effectiveness of the identification task on the retention of situation-bound utterances (SBUs) in Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). The participants were Italian CFL learners with different lengths of learning experience, divided into an experimental and a control group. The target SBUs were selected by means of a discourse completion questionnaire previously submitted to Italian and Chinese native speakers and Italian CFL learners. During the treatment, the experimental group was provided with six communicative functions and was asked to identify the corresponding SBUs from eight short dialogues. Subsequently, a posttest was administered to both the experimental and the control groups. Overall, the statistical analysis of the test results suggests a significant effect of the task on the participants’ ability to recall the target SBUs, both from an immediate and a longitudinal perspective. However, the data also suggest that, while the participants’ length of learning experience and minor linguistic or cultural specificities of the target formulae did not significantly influence the effectiveness of this specific vocabulary learning task, the presence vs. absence of the SBUs in either the L1 or the L2 might be a crucial factor for their successful recall.

Effects of First Language Background and Learning Experience in Perceiving Mandarin Lexical Tones: Learners and Nonlearners From English- and Japanese-Speaking Backgrounds

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Kimiko Tsukada ◽  
Kaori Idemaru
Keyword(s):  
Discrimination Task ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
First Language ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Classroom Experience ◽  
Language Background ◽  
Lexical Tones ◽  
Japanese Speakers ◽  
Mandarin Tones

Purpose: This research compared individuals from two first language (L1) backgrounds (English and Japanese) to determine how they may differ in their perception of Mandarin tones (Tones 1 vs. 2 [T1–T2], Tones 1 vs. 3 [T1–T3], Tones 1 vs. 4 [T1–T4], Tones 2 vs. 3 [T2–T3], Tones 2 vs. 4 [T2–T4], Tones 3 vs. 4 [T3–T4]) on account of their L1. Method: The participants included two groups of learners of Mandarin (23 English speakers, 18 Japanese speakers), two groups of nonlearners of Mandarin (24 English speakers, 21 Japanese speakers), and a control group of 10 Mandarin speakers. A four-alternative forced-choice discrimination task that included 360 trials was presented in three blocks of 120 trials. Results: The native Mandarin group was more accurate in their tonal discrimination of all six tone pairs than all the nonnative groups. While Japanese nonlearners generally outperformed English nonlearners in their overall perception of Mandarin lexical tones, L1-based differences were less extensive for the two groups of learners. Both learner groups were least accurate on T2–T3 and most accurate on T3–T4. Conclusion: The results suggest that with classroom experience, English speakers can overcome their initial disadvantage and learn lexical tones in a new language as successfully as speakers of Japanese with classroom experience.

The Perception of Mandarin Lexical Tones by Native Speakers of Burmese

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimiko Tsukada ◽  
Mariko Kondo
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
First Language ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Discrimination Test ◽  
Discrimination Accuracy ◽  
Lexical Tones ◽  
Australian English ◽  
Mandarin Tones ◽  
English Group

This study examines the perception of Mandarin lexical tones by native speakers of Burmese who use lexical tones in their first language (L1) but are naïve to Mandarin. Unlike Mandarin tones, which are primarily cued by pitch, Burmese tones are cued by phonation type as well as pitch. The question of interest is whether Burmese listeners can utilize their L1 experience in processing unfamiliar Mandarin tones. Burmese listeners’ discrimination accuracy was compared with that of Mandarin listeners and Australian English listeners. The Australian English group was included as a control group with a non-tonal background. Accuracy of perception of six tone pairs (T1-T2, T1-T3, T1-T4, T2-T3, T2-T4, T3-T4) was assessed in a discrimination test. Our main findings are 1) Mandarin listeners were more accurate than non-native listeners in discriminating all tone pairs, 2) Australian English listeners naïve to Mandarin were more accurate than similarly naïve Burmese listeners in discriminating all tone pairs except for T2-T4, and 3) Burmese listeners had the greatest trouble discriminating T2-T3 and T1-T2. Taken together, the results suggest that merely possessing lexical tones in L1 may not necessarily facilitate the perception of non-native tones, and that the active use of phonation type in encoding L1 tones may have played a role in Burmese listeners’ less than optimal perception of Mandarin tones.

Dialect Effects on Mandarin Tone Perception Development

2021 ◽  
pp. 002383092110462
Author(s):  
Yuan Zhang ◽  
Yun Zheng ◽  
Gang Li
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Nursery School ◽  
Normal Hearing ◽  
Lexical Tones ◽  
Tone Perception ◽  
Tone Recognition ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
Speech And Language Development ◽  
Mandarin Tone ◽  
Impaired Children

This study aimed to characterize factors that influence early dialect development in a language environment with multiple dialects. Children were evaluated for these dialect effects compared with normal hearing referenced measures of speech and language development that are commonly implemented in hearing-impaired children. Dialect exposure and use were assessed longitudinally in Chinese children (2–6 years old) that were raised in a community where Putonghua (PTH) and Sichuanhua (SCH) Mandarin dialects were used. Lexical tones in these dialects are different. A total of 20 boys and 20 girls (2 years old at the beginning of the study) that attended the same nursery school were included in this study. SCH was used by the majority of subjects <4 years old. The majority of subjects >4 years old used either dialect, with a few users of both dialects at this age. PTH tone perception did not differ significantly as a function of dialect use. Tone recognition and discrimination were >90% accurate by 6 years old, in contrast to previous results for children with minimal exposure and use of PTH. Children with approximately ⩾50% PTH exposure might be accurately assessed with norm-referenced speech materials spoken in PTH, regardless of their preferred dialect. However, the current norm-referenced assessments of children with minimal PTH exposure and nonusers of the dialect might be inaccurate.

On the Relationship Between General Auditory Sensitivity and Speech Perception: An Examination of Pitch and Lexical Tone Perception in 4- to 6-Year-Old Children

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 487-498
Author(s):  
Puisan Wong ◽  
Man Wai Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Auditory Sensitivity ◽  
Pitch Discrimination ◽  
Lexical Tone ◽  
Perceptual Training ◽  
Lexical Tones ◽  
Tone Perception ◽  
Tone Discrimination

Purpose Theoretical models and substantial research have proposed that general auditory sensitivity is a developmental foundation for speech perception and language acquisition. Nonetheless, controversies exist about the effectiveness of general auditory training in improving speech and language skills. This research investigated the relationships among general auditory sensitivity, phonemic speech perception, and word-level speech perception via the examination of pitch and lexical tone perception in children. Method Forty-eight typically developing 4- to 6-year-old Cantonese-speaking children were tested on the discrimination of the pitch patterns of lexical tones in synthetic stimuli, discrimination of naturally produced lexical tones, and identification of lexical tone in familiar words. Results The findings revealed that accurate lexical tone discrimination and identification did not necessarily entail the accurate discrimination of nonlinguistic stimuli that followed the pitch levels and pitch shapes of lexical tones. Although pitch discrimination and tone discrimination abilities were strongly correlated, accuracy in pitch discrimination was lower than that in tone discrimination, and nonspeech pitch discrimination ability did not precede linguistic tone discrimination in the developmental trajectory. Conclusions Contradicting the theoretical models, the findings of this study suggest that general auditory sensitivity and speech perception may not be causally or hierarchically related. The finding that accuracy in pitch discrimination is lower than that in tone discrimination suggests that comparable nonlinguistic auditory perceptual ability may not be necessary for accurate speech perception and language learning. The results cast doubt on the use of nonlinguistic auditory perceptual training to improve children's speech, language, and literacy abilities.

Comparing the Mathematics Continuous Performance Test With Other Measures of Tests of Attention

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dubi Lufi ◽  
Shachar Pan
Keyword(s):  
Performance Test ◽  
Continuous Performance Test ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Continuous Performance ◽  
Adhd Assessment ◽  
Research Reporting ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Continuous Performance Tests ◽  
Better Than

Abstract. Several studies have shown that Continuous Performance Tests (CPT) can diagnose Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) better than other tests. Research reporting comparisons of two or more CPT-type tests is scarce. The purpose of the study was to compare the Mathematics Continuous Performance Test (MATH-CPT) with another CPT-type test (CPT II) and a questionnaire (the Brown Scale). The comparison was carried out by looking at correlations among subscales and checking the precision of detecting ADHD. Ninety-five high school and college students participated in the study, 41 with ADHD were the research group and 54 were the control group. The participants performed the two tests and answered the questionnaire. The results showed that the MATH-CPT correctly identified 74.50% of the participants of both groups as compared to the 71.60% of the CPT II. Correlations between the two CPT-type tests were moderate; however, they were similar to correlations found in other studies comparing similar tools. The MATH-CPT, final attention formula, showed significant correlations with the Brown scales, while the CPT II, confidence index associated with ADHD assessment, showed nonsignificant correlations with the questionnaire. The study indicated that MATH-CPT can be used with a clinical population of ADHD and for research purposes.

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