How Consonants and Vowels Shape Spoken-Language Recognition

All languages instantiate a consonant/vowel contrast. This contrast has processing consequences at different levels of spoken-language recognition throughout the lifespan. In adulthood, lexical processing is more strongly associated with consonant than with vowel processing; this has been demonstrated across 13 languages from seven language families and in a variety of auditory lexical-level tasks (deciding whether a spoken input is a word, spotting a real word embedded in a minimal context, reconstructing a word minimally altered into a pseudoword, learning new words or the “words” of a made-up language), as well as in written-word tasks involving phonological processing. In infancy, a consonant advantage in word learning and recognition is found to emerge during development in some languages, though possibly not in others, revealing that the stronger lexicon–consonant association found in adulthood is learned. Current research is evaluating the relative contribution of the early acquisition of the acoustic/phonetic and lexical properties of the native language in the emergence of this association.

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Rapid acquisition of novel written word-forms: ERP evidence

Behavioral and Brain Functions ◽

10.1186/s12993-020-00173-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Beatriz Bermúdez-Margaretto ◽

Yury Shtyrov ◽

David Beltrán ◽

Fernando Cuetos ◽

Alberto Domínguez

Keyword(s):

Word Processing ◽

Semantic Processing ◽

Lexical Processing ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Spoken Language ◽

Random Permutation ◽

Rapid Acquisition ◽

Memory Traces ◽

Word Forms ◽

Written Word

Abstract Background Novel word acquisition is generally believed to be a rapid process, essential for ensuring a flexible and efficient communication system; at least in spoken language, learners are able to construct memory traces for new linguistic stimuli after just a few exposures. However, such rapid word learning has not been systematically found in visual domain, with different confounding factors obscuring the orthographic learning of novel words. This study explored the changes in human brain activity occurring online, during a brief training with novel written word-forms using a silent reading task Results Single-trial, cluster-based random permutation analysis revealed that training caused an extremely fast (after just one repetition) and stable facilitation in novel word processing, reflected in the modulation of P200 and N400 components, possibly indicating rapid dynamics at early and late stages of the lexical processing. Furthermore, neural source estimation of these effects revealed the recruitment of brain areas involved in orthographic and lexico-semantic processing, respectively. Conclusions These results suggest the formation of neural memory traces for novel written word-forms after a minimal exposure to them even in the absence of a semantic reference, resembling the rapid learning processes known to occur in spoken language.

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Second language learners develop non-native lexical processing biases

Bilingualism Language and Cognition ◽

10.1017/s1366728918001165 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 119-130 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Seth Wiener

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Mandarin Chinese ◽

Language Learners ◽

Second Language Learners ◽

Lexical Processing ◽

Native Language ◽

Spoken Language ◽

Language Recognition ◽

English Vowels ◽

L1 And L2

AbstractInfants develop language-specific biases favoring either consonantal or vocalic information. These phonological biases affect various levels of spoken-language recognition in children and adults. This study explored whether adults who speak a second language (L2) apply phonological biases during L2 lexical processing, and whether the biases applied are those of the native language (L1), or those appropriate for the L2. Two word reconstruction experiments were carried out in English and Mandarin Chinese. L1 and L2 speakers of English demonstrated a consonantal bias by changing English vowels faster than consonants. L1 and L2 speakers of Mandarin demonstrated a vocalic bias by changing Mandarin consonants faster than vowels. Even relatively late L2 classroom learners whose L1 triggers a consonantal bias (English) exhibited a vocalic bias in their L2 (Mandarin). Lexically related processing biases are thus determined by the phonological and lexical characteristics of the stimuli being processed and not solely by listeners’ L1.

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Sequence Summarizing Neural Networks for Spoken Language Recognition

10.21437/interspeech.2016-764 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jan Pešán ◽

Lukáš Burget ◽

Jan Černocký

Keyword(s):

Neural Networks ◽

Spoken Language ◽

Language Recognition

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Stacked Long-Term TDNN for Spoken Language Recognition

10.21437/interspeech.2016-1334 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Daniel Garcia-Romero ◽

Alan McCree

Keyword(s):

Spoken Language ◽

Language Recognition

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Spoken Language Recognition With Prosodic Features

IEEE Transactions on Audio Speech and Language Processing ◽

10.1109/tasl.2013.2260157 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 21 (9) ◽

pp. 1841-1853 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Raymond W. M. Ng ◽

Tan Lee ◽

Cheung-Chi Leung ◽

Bin Ma ◽

Haizhou Li

Keyword(s):

Spoken Language ◽

Prosodic Features ◽

Language Recognition

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N170 reflects visual familiarity and automatic sublexical phonological access in L2 written word processing

Bilingualism Language and Cognition ◽

10.1017/s1366728920000759 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Yen Na Yum ◽

Sam-Po Law

Keyword(s):

Phonological Processing ◽

Word Processing ◽

Time Window ◽

Mixed Effects Models ◽

Linear Mixed Effects Models ◽

Linear Mixed Effects ◽

Repetition Detection ◽

Korean Chinese ◽

Written Word ◽

Bilingual Readers

Abstract The literature has mixed reports on whether the N170, an early visual ERP response to words, signifies orthographic and/or phonological processing, and whether these effects are moderated by script and language expertise. In this study, native Chinese readers, Japanese–Chinese, and Korean–Chinese bilingual readers performed a one-back repetition detection task with single Chinese characters that differed in phonological regularity status. Results using linear mixed effects models showed that Korean–Chinese readers had bilateral N170 response, while native Chinese and Japanese–Chinese groups had left-lateralized N170, with stronger left lateralization in native Chinese than Japanese–Chinese readers. Additionally, across groups, irregular characters had bilateral increase in N170 amplitudes compared to regular characters. These results suggested that visual familiarity to a script rather than orthography-phonology mapping determined the left lateralization of the N170 response, while there was automatic access to sublexical phonology in the N170 time window in native and non-native readers alike.

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