Training for Learning Mandarin Tones

2011 ◽  
pp. 259-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinchun Wang
Keyword(s):  
First Language ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Immediate Feedback ◽  
Perceptual Training ◽  
Language Background ◽  
Training Groups ◽  
Training Techniques ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Beginning Learners ◽  
Mandarin Tones

This study explores the effect of two training paradigms for learning Mandarin tones in pedagogical contexts. Eighteen beginning learners of Chinese with different first language background received three weeks of training as extra curriculum CALL activities. Based on learners’ choices, one group (the A Group, n=10) received perceptual training only with auditory input involving four-way forced choice identification tasks with immediate feedback. A second group (the AV Group, n=8) received perceptual and production training with auditory and visual input. At post test, both groups improved significantly in perceptual accuracy of Mandarin tones as compared with a control group (the C Group, n=10) and perceptual learning also generalized to new stimuli by a new speaker. Both training groups’ production accuracy of Mandarin tones also improved significantly at post test. The findings show that both training paradigms are effective and laboratory based training techniques can be implemented in CALL contexts.

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.

scholarly journals SPOKEN AND WRITTEN REPRESENTATION OF NUMBER IN L2 CATALAN INDEFINITE DETERMINER PHRASES

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 321-350
Author(s):  
Liliana Tolchinski ◽  
Naymé Salas ◽  
Joan Perera
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
First Language ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Similar Time ◽  
Language Background ◽  
Indefinite Article ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
L1 Influence ◽  
The Relationship

The study explores the relationship that second language (L2) learners of Catalan establish between the spoken and the written representation of number inflection within an indefinite-article Determiner Phrase (DP); and it also addresses first language (L1) influence in this processo Five- to eight-year-olds, speakers of varieties of Chinese and Moroccan Arabic, with differing degrees of literacy instruction in their home countries —but similar time of residence in Catalonia— participated in the study. The children carried out individual semi-structured tasks designed to evaluate comprehension and production of changes in number inflections (un cotxe ‘a car’; uns cotxes ‘a-pl cars ’). Results showed that, irrespective of children’s language background, comprehension preceded production of singular and plural indefinite-article DPs; spoken representation was easier than written representation of number changes; and production of plural indefinite-article DPs was more difficult than its singular counterpart. Despite typological differences between the languages compared, both groups of L2 learners, even the Catalan control group, underwent similar processes.

scholarly journals A Survey on the Effectiveness of Mother Tongue on Learning L2 Vocabulary by Iranian Pre-intermediate EFL Learners

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Mohammadreza Khodareza ◽  
Maryam Kaviani
Keyword(s):  
Mother Tongue ◽  
First Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Proposal A ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Objective Structures ◽  
L2 Vocabulary ◽  
Learning English

<p>This study investigated the role of mother tongue on learning English vocabulary by Iranian pre-intermediate EFL learners. For this purpose, 30 female pre-intermediate learners were chosen. After administering a Nelson test participants were selected from the intact classes at Foreign Language Institute in Babol. These 30 partners were randomly allocated to 2 gatherings (one laboratory and the other control) each comprising of 15 partners. The participants received a pre-test comprising 70 English words to ensure that they did not have previous information of objective structures. Experimental group received their instruction, meaning of each target word, and translation of target words with their mother tongue (Persian). But control group just received target language (English) for all activities or instructions. Both teacher and students in this group didn’t allow using Persian. After the treatment, the same pre-test was given to the participants as a post-test to measure the effectiveness of therapy gained. After collecting the data, to respond the research proposal, a t-test was conducted. The results indicated that first language had significant effect on learning English words. The findings of this study are considered to be useful in methodology issue.</p>

Transfer of L1 visual word recognition strategies during early stages of L2 learning: Evidence from Hebrew learners whose first language is either Semitic or Indo-European

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tal Norman ◽  
Tamar Degani ◽  
Orna Peleg
Keyword(s):  
Word Recognition ◽  
Visual Word Recognition ◽  
First Language ◽  
Visual Word ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Familiar Word ◽  
Language Background ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Beginning Learners ◽  
Word Pattern

The present study examined visual word recognition processes in Hebrew (a Semitic language) among beginning learners whose first language (L1) was either Semitic (Arabic) or Indo-European (e.g. English). To examine if learners, like native Hebrew speakers, exhibit morphological sensitivity to root and word-pattern morphemes, learners made an off-line graded lexical decision task on unfamiliar letter strings. Critically, these letter strings were manipulated to include or exclude familiar Hebrew morphemes. The results demonstrate differential morphological sensitivity as a function of participants’ language background. In particular, Indo-European-L1 learners exhibited increased sensitivity to word-pattern familiarity, with little effect of root familiarity. In contrast, Semitic-L1 learners exhibited non-additive sensitivity to both morphemes. Specifically, letter strings with a familiar root and a familiar word-pattern were the most likely to be judged as real words by this L1-Semitic group, whereas strings with a familiar root in the absence of a familiar word-pattern were the most likely to lead to a non-word decision. These findings show that both groups of learners activate their morphological knowledge in Hebrew in order to process unfamiliar Hebrew words. Critically, the findings further demonstrate transfer of L1 word recognition processes during the initial stages of second language (L2) learning.

Conceptual versus Perceptual Training for Auditory Graphs

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (17) ◽  
pp. 1598-1601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce N. Walker ◽  
Michael A. Nees
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Stock Price ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Point Estimation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Estimation Task ◽  
Perceptual Training ◽  
Brief Training ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Experimental Training

A study examined different types of brief training for performance of a point estimation task with a sonified graph of quantitative data. For a given trial, participants estimated the price of a stock at a randomly selected hour of a 10-hour trading day as displayed by an auditory graph of the stock price. Sixty Georgia Tech undergraduate students completed a pre-test, an experimental training session, and a post-test for the point estimation task. In an extension of Smith and Walker (in press), a highly conceptual, task analysisderived method of training was examined along with training paradigms that used either practice alone, prompting of correct responses, or feedback for correct answers during the training session. A control group completed a filler task during training. Results indicated that practice with feedback during training produced better post-test scores than the control condition

scholarly journals Destabilizing effects of L2 explicit pronunciation instruction on L1 speech:

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe Flores Kupske
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
First Language ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Pronunciation Instruction ◽  
First Language Attrition ◽  
L2 Development ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Dynamic Perspective ◽  
Data Collections

Anchored in a Complex Dynamic perspective on language development, this study explores the effects of L2 explicit pronunciation instruction on L2 English and L1 Brazilian Portuguese VOT production. To this end, 16 Brazilian intermediate users of L2 English were investigated. Volunteers were divided into control and experimental groups. The latter received explicit pronunciation instruction on the production of the English voiceless stops. The study included three data collections, a pre-test, an immediate post-test and a delayed post-test. An acoustic analysis of VOT duration is reported. The results revealed that the control group did not produce the expected VOT pattern for L2 English at any time of the study. No alterations in the L1 were reported. On the other hand, after the instruction, the experimental group produced higher L2 English VOT values. First language attrition was reported since the L1 BP VOT durations also increased after instruction. In addition to highlighting the effects of explicit instruction on L2 development and L1 attrition, this study confirms that language development is constant, and that even L1 adult grammars are not rigid, with potential to change due to the perception and processing of novel nonnative phonetic-phonological categories.

scholarly journals TEKNIK PELATIHAN ASERTIF UNTUK MENINGKATKAN ASERTIVITAS TERHADAP PERILAKU SEKSUAL DALAM BERPACARAN

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-481
Author(s):  
Wardati Humaira
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Behavior ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Group Design ◽  
Assertiveness Training ◽  
Training Techniques ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Assertive Training ◽  
Test Control

One technique that can be applied to increase assertiveness is assertiveness training. This study aims to determine the effect of assertive training techniques to increase assertiveness on sexual behavior in dating by using a pre-experimental approach with pre-test and post-test Control Group Design as well as non-probability sampling techniques and then analyzed by bivariate and multivariate analysis. The results of the independent sample t test for the level of assertiveness showed that the value of p = 0.001 with a test value of t = 7.394, which means that there is an effect of assertive technique training on the assertiveness level of adolescents in sexual behavior. The mean value in the provision of assertive technique training is known to be 4.09 and the mean value to the control is 0.36, this means that there is a change in the value of the assertiveness level of assertiveness towards sexual behavior in dating.

scholarly journals Theatre for All

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Munns ◽  
Barbara Brough
Keyword(s):  
Education System ◽  
First Language ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Language Background ◽  
Esl Education ◽  
Analysis Techniques ◽  
Dramatic Text ◽  
Development Of Students

At the crossroads of ESL education and drama there lies a relatively unexplored issue facing schools. Little research exists proposing and examining the efficacy of pedagogy designed to serve students without an English-as-a-first-language background. Through the lens of Ontario’s education system wherein students of all language backgrounds are expected to learn together in subject classrooms, the impacts of existing ESL focused pedagogy were tested in this mixed environment. Using existing linguistic analysis techniques focused around rhythm and pause, the development of students’ performance of dramatic text who followed this pedagogy was measured against a control group in an attempt to ascertain whether this pedagogy has merit in the classroom, and what still needs to be done to create more inclusive and effective drama classrooms in the province of Ontario.

scholarly journals The effect of shooting training on the development of the shot hit rate for basketball players

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 2426
Author(s):  
Ahmet Uzun ◽  
Atilla Pulur
Keyword(s):  
Training Group ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Final Test ◽  
Basketball Players ◽  
Training Groups ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Experimental Group

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of shooting training for young basketball players and the development of shot percentage of special shot training. 30 male students-athletes participated in this study voluntarily participated in College Teams (age= 14,82 ± 1,0; height= 183,44 ± 6,13; body weight= 68,06 ± 5,38). Subjects were divided into 2 groups, consisting of continuous shooting training (experiment) (n = 15) and general basketball training group (control) (n = 15).Both training groups were subjected to a training program for 10 weeks, 4 days in a week. In this study, 60 minutes of normal basketball training plus shot training and 100-110 minutes of normal basketball training were applied to the control group. During the 10-week period, two-points jump shot (2000 pieces), three-points jump shot (2000 pieces)   and in the Zig-Zag run (two-points jump shot-1000 pieces , three-points jump shot-1000 pieces) and totally 6000 shots used as moving. There was no statistically significant difference in the pre-test results between the control and the experimental group in the study, and 2-points, 3-points and zig-zag between the control and the experimental group. However there is a statistically significant difference in all parameters in the final test. In the study, 2-points, 3-points and zig-zag drills 2 and 3-points shots pre-test and post-test results were found to be statistically significant in the experimental group. As a result; general basketball training has shown little improvement in young basketball players' shooting performance, but it has been proven that the long shot training with accurate shot technique training has significantly improved shot performance.

scholarly journals COMMUNICATIVE FOCUS ON FORM AND SECOND LANGUAGE SUPRASEGMENTAL LEARNING

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 647-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuya Saito ◽  
Xianghua Wu
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Relative Advantage ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Focus On Form ◽  
L2 Perception ◽  
High Level ◽  
Mandarin Tones ◽  
Sound Learning

The current study examined how form-focused instruction (FFI) with and without corrective feedback (CF) as output enhancement facilitated second language (L2) perception of Mandarin tones at both the phonetic and phonological levels by 41 Cantonese learners of Mandarin. Two experimental groups, FFI only and FFI-CF, received a 90-min FFI treatment designed to encourage them to notice and practice the categorical distinctions of Mandarin tones through a range of communicative input and output activities. During these activities, the instructors provided CF only to students in the FFI-CF group by recasting and pushing them to repair their mispronunciations of the target features (i.e., output enhancement). The control group received comparable meaning-oriented instruction without any FFI. The effectiveness of FFI was assessed via a forced-choice identification task with both trained and untrained items for a variety of tonal contrasts in Mandarin (high-level Tone 1 vs. mid-rising Tone 2 vs. high-falling Tone 4). According to statistical comparisons, the FFI-only group attained significant improvement in all lexical and tonal contexts, and such effectiveness was evident particularly in the acquisition of Tone 1 and Tone 4—supposedly the most difficult instances due to their identical phonological status in the learners’ first language, Cantonese. The FFI-CF group, however, demonstrated marginally significant gains only under the trained lexical conditions. The results suggest that FFI promotes learners’ attentional shift from vocabulary to sound learning (generalizable gains in trained and untrained items) and facilitates their access to new phonetic and phonological categories. Yet the relative advantage of adding CF to FFI as output enhancement remains unclear, especially with respect to the less experienced L2 learners in the current study.

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