Native Language Experience Influences the Topography of the Mismatch Negativity to Speech

Using event-related brain potentials (ERPs), we measured pre-attentive processing involved in native vowel perception as reflected by the mismatch negativity (MMN) in monolingual and simultaneous bilingual (SB) users of Canadian English and Canadian French in response to various pairings of four vowels: English /u/, French /u/, French /y/, and a control /y/. The monolingual listeners exhibited a discrimination pattern that was shaped by their native language experience. The SB listeners, on the other hand, exhibited a MMN pattern that was distinct from both monolingual listener groups, suggesting that the SB pre-attentive system is tuned to access sub-phonemic detail with respect to both input languages, including detail that is not readily accessed by either of their monolingual peers. Additionally, simultaneous bilinguals exhibited sensitivity to language context generated by the standard vowel in the MMN paradigm. The automatic access to fine phonetic detail may aid SB listeners to rapidly adjust their perception to the variable listening conditions that they frequently encounter.

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Perception of musical melody and rhythm as influenced by native language experience

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America ◽

10.1121/10.0001179 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 147 (5) ◽

pp. EL385-EL390

Author(s):

Linjun Zhang ◽

Songcheng Xie ◽

Yu Li ◽

Hua Shu ◽

Yang Zhang

Keyword(s):

Native Language ◽

Language Experience

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The effect of native-language experience on the sensory-obligatory components, the P1–N1–P2 and the T-complex

Brain Research ◽

10.1016/j.brainres.2013.04.045 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 1522 ◽

pp. 31-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Monica Wagner ◽

Valerie L. Shafer ◽

Brett Martin ◽

Mitchell Steinschneider

Keyword(s):

Native Language ◽

Language Experience ◽

T Complex

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Recognizing sarcasm without language

Pragmatics & Cognition ◽

10.1075/pc.19.2.02che ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 203-223 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Henry S. Cheang ◽

Marc D. Pell

Keyword(s):

Native Language ◽

The Other ◽

Acoustic Features ◽

Language Experience ◽

Communicative Intent ◽

Speaker Intentions

The goal of the present research was to determine whether certain speaker intentions conveyed through prosody in an unfamiliar language can be accurately recognized. English and Cantonese utterances expressing sarcasm, sincerity, humorous irony, or neutrality through prosody were presented to English and Cantonese listeners unfamiliar with the other language. Listeners identified the communicative intent of utterances in both languages in a crossed design. Participants successfully identified sarcasm spoken in their native language but identified sarcasm at near-chance levels in the unfamiliar language. Both groups were relatively more successful at recognizing the other attitudes when listening to the unfamiliar language (in addition to the native language). Our data suggest that while sarcastic utterances in Cantonese and English share certain acoustic features, these cues are insufficient to recognize sarcasm between languages; rather, this ability depends on (native) language experience.

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Prior language experience and language anxiety as predictors for non-native language commercial website use intention

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies ◽

10.1016/j.ijhcs.2008.04.006 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 66 (9) ◽

pp. 678-687 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Hui-Jen Yang ◽

Wen-Yu Tsao ◽

Yun-Long Lay ◽

Minder Chen ◽

YiChing Liou

Keyword(s):

Native Language ◽

Language Anxiety ◽

Language Experience ◽

Website Use

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Effects of experience with L2 and music on rhythmic grouping by French listeners

Bilingualism Language and Cognition ◽

10.1017/s1366728915000425 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (5) ◽

pp. 971-986 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

NATALIE BOLL-AVETISYAN ◽

ANJALI BHATARA ◽

ANNIKA UNGER ◽

THIERRY NAZZI ◽

BARBARA HÖHLE

Keyword(s):

Native Language ◽

Musical Experience ◽

Mixed Effect Model ◽

Rhythm Perception ◽

Language Experience ◽

Mixed Effect ◽

Model Comparisons ◽

Input Quality ◽

Duration Data ◽

Effect Model

Rhythm perception is assumed to be guided by a domain-general auditory principle, the Iambic/Trochaic Law, stating that sounds varying in intensity are grouped as strong-weak, and sounds varying in duration are grouped as weak-strong. Recently, Bhatara et al. (2013) showed that rhythmic grouping is influenced by native language experience, French listeners having weaker grouping preferences than German listeners. This study explores whether L2 knowledge and musical experience also affect rhythmic grouping. In a grouping task, French late learners of German listened to sequences of coarticulated syllables varying in either intensity or duration. Data on their language and musical experience were obtained by a questionnaire. Mixed-effect model comparisons showed influences of musical experience as well as L2 input quality and quantity on grouping preferences. These results imply that adult French listeners’ sensitivity to rhythm can be enhanced through L2 and musical experience.

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