Why Are Lexical Tones Difficult to Learn?: Insights from the Incidental Learning of Tone-Segment Connections

Autor/inn/en	Chan, Ricky K. W.; Leung, Janny H. C.
Titel	Why Are Lexical Tones Difficult to Learn?: Insights from the Incidental Learning of Tone-Segment Connections
Quelle	In: Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 42 (2020) 1, S.33-59 (27 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Chan, Ricky K. W.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0272-2631
Schlagwörter	Second Language Learning; Phonetics; Intonation; Phonology; Music; Sino Tibetan Languages; Thai; Prior Learning; Music Education; Musicians; English; Task Analysis; Auditory Discrimination; Incidental Learning; Auditory Stimuli; Comparative Analysis; Tone Languages; Syllables + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Zweitsprachenerwerb; Phonetik; Fonetik; Fonologie; Musik; Vorkenntnisse; Musikerziehung; Musiker; English language; Englisch; Aufgabenanalyse; Inzidentelles Lernen; Auditive Stimulation; Tonsprache; Silbe
Abstract	L2 sounds present different kinds of challenges to learners at the phonetic, phonological, and lexical levels, but previous studies on L2 tone learning mostly focused on the phonetic and lexical levels. The present study employs an innovative technique to examine the role of prior tonal experience and musical training on forming novel abstract syllable-level tone categories. Eighty Cantonese and English musicians and nonmusicians completed two tasks: (a) AX tone discrimination and (b) incidental learning of artificial tone-segment connections (e.g., words beginning with an aspirated stop always carry a rising tone) with synthesized stimuli modeled on Thai. Although the four participant groups distinguished the target tones similarly well, Cantonese speakers showed abstract and implicit knowledge of the target tone-segment mappings after training but English speakers did not, regardless of their musical experience. This suggests that tone language experience, but not musical experience, is crucial for forming novel abstract syllable-level tone categories. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01