Perception of acoustic cues to Tokyo Japanese pitch-accent contrasts in native Japanese and naive English listeners

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (1) ◽  
pp. 307-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina A. Shport
Keyword(s):  
Pitch Accent ◽  
Acoustic Cues ◽  
Tokyo Japanese ◽  
Japanese Pitch Accent

Production and reproduction of Japanese pitch-accent by German, Italian, Vietnam, and Swahili speakers

2016 ◽  
Vol 140 (4) ◽  
pp. 3338-3338
Author(s):  
Ryoko Hayashi ◽  
Kazuhiro Isomura ◽  
Makiko Matsuda ◽  
Natsuya Yoshida ◽  
Motoko Ueyama
Keyword(s):  
Pitch Accent ◽  
Japanese Pitch Accent

Native and nonnative processing of Japanese pitch accent

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 623-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
XIANGHUA WU ◽  
JUNG-YUEH TU ◽  
YUE WANG
Keyword(s):  
Left Hemisphere ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Pitch Accent ◽  
Lexical Tone ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Tone Language ◽  
Hemisphere Dominance ◽  
Nonnative Listeners ◽  
Prosodic Processing ◽  
Japanese Pitch Accent

ABSTRACTThe theoretical framework of this study is based on the prevalent debate of whether prosodic processing is influenced by higher level linguistic-specific circuits or reflects lower level encoding of physical properties. Using the dichotic listening technique, the study investigates the hemispheric processing of Japanese pitch accent by native Japanese listeners and two groups of nonnative listeners with no prior pitch accent experience but differing in their native language experience with linguistic pitch: native listeners of Mandarin (a tone language with higher linguistic functional use of pitch) and native listeners of English (a stress language with lower functional use of pitch). The overall results reveal that, for both native and nonnative listeners, the processing of Japanese pitch accent is less lateralized (compared to lexical tone processing, which has been found to be a left hemisphere property). However, detailed analysis with individual pitch accents across groups shows a right hemisphere preference for processing the high–accent–low (H*L) pattern, a left hemisphere preference for LH*, and no hemisphere dominance for LH, indicating a significant reliance on the acoustic cues. These patterns are particularly prominent with the English listeners who are least experienced with linguistic pitch. Together, the findings suggest an interplay of linguistic and acoustic aspects in the processing of Japanese pitch accent by native and nonnative listeners.

scholarly journals A Japanese pitch accent practice program and L1 influence on pitch accent acquisition

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Group Treatment ◽  
First Language ◽  
Pitch Accent ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Mixed Design ◽  
Significant Interaction Effect ◽  
L1 Influence ◽  
Participant Group ◽  
Japanese Pitch Accent ◽  
Mixed Design Anova

Recent research has demonstrated that learners of Japanese struggle producing correct Japanese pitch accent. The goal of the present study was to investigate the effect learners’ first language (L1) may have on accent acquisition following the introduction and use of a digital Japanese Pitch Accent Learning and Practice (PALP) program in two Japanese courses. The PALP program visually and aurally presents learners with pitch patterns and requires learners to select the correct pitch accent pattern for new vocabulary. Participants’ pitch accent abilities were assessed at the beginning and end of their courses. A mixed design ANOVA was conducted to analyze the effect of learners’ L1 on pitch accent acquisition. Results evince a significant interaction effect between participant group (treatment/control) and L1 (Chinese/English), F(1, 24) = 10.09, p < .01 (η2 = .30). Specifically, English L1 participants in the treatment group considerably outperformed the control group English L1 participants. However, the Chinese L1 participants in both groups performed at approximately equal levels. These results suggest the existence of an L1 influence on pitch accent acquisition.

Mora-based pre-low raising in Japanese pitch accent

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Lee ◽  
Yi Xu ◽  
Santitham Prom-on
Keyword(s):  
Pitch Accent ◽  
Japanese Pitch Accent

TRAINING ENGLISH LISTENERS TO IDENTIFY PITCH-ACCENT PATTERNS IN TOKYO JAPANESE

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 739-769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina A. Shport
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Pitch Accent ◽  
Identification Accuracy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Language Bias ◽  
New Words ◽  
Tokyo Japanese ◽  
Pitch Patterns

The high-variability training paradigm (multiple words, phonetic contexts, and talkers) has been successful for perceptual learning of tone contrasts. Here, it is extended to training native English listeners on Tokyo Japanese pitch-accent contrasts. Participants had no previous experience with lexically contrastive pitch patterns. They learned to identify three pitch patterns in disyllabic Japanese words: 1st-syllable accented, 2nd-syllable accented, and unaccented. Immediate feedback was provided to the training group but not to the control group. The results showed an effect of training on pitch-pattern identification accuracy that was also generalized to new words spoken in new contexts. In contrast, the control group improved only on the 1st-syllable accented pattern. Error analysis suggested that the unaccented pattern is the most difficult to identify. The results are discussed in terms of native language bias and individual bias affecting second language learning in the prosodic domain.

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