Abstract
The present study reports a novel case where a simple one-to-one category mapping may develop into a systematic
one-to-two mapping over the course of second language acquisition. We examined the split in category mapping of the Mandarin
unaspirated stops conditioned by tone by Korean-speaking learners of Mandarin Chinese (e.g. Mandarin /ta35/ to Korean
lenis [ta] vs. Mandarin /ta55/ to Korean fortis [t’a]). Korean L2 learners and naïve listeners participated in
identification tasks in which f0 contours of Mandarin words containing unaspirated stops with short-lag VOTs were
digitally manipulated. In word-initial position, learners showed a near-categorical perception from lenis to fortis as
f0 increased, while most stimuli were identified as fortis by naïve listeners. The effect of
f0 was much smaller in word-medial position, but the group difference remained the same, confirming the two
groups’ differential use of phonetic cues for stop identification. Taken together, a substantial reorganization of perceptual
cues, namely the promotion of f0 concurrent with significant underweighting of VOT cues, seems to have taken
place during L2 acquisition. The findings were discussed with reference to PAM-L2 whereby the knowledge of the L2 phonological
system along with particular phonetic properties of the L2 sounds may have driven a perceptual regrouping of the L2 stop
categories.
