ERIC Number: EJ1055278
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Apr
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0267-6583
EISSN: N/A
Perception of Non-Native Consonant Length Contrast: The Role of Attention in Phonetic Processing
Porretta, Vincent J.; Tucker, Benjamin V.
Second Language Research, v31 n2 p239-265 Apr 2015
The present investigation examines English speakers' ability to identify and discriminate non-native consonant length contrast. Three groups (L1 English No-Instruction, L1 English Instruction, and L1 Finnish control) performed a speeded forced-choice identification task and a speeded AX discrimination task on Finnish non-words (e.g. /hupo/--/huppo/) which were manipulated for intervocalic consonant duration. The results indicate that basic information, focusing the participants' attention on a particular contrast, assists novice listeners in processing a non-native contrast. We find support for a phonetic level of processing which is intermediate to non-linguistic acoustic processing and phonemic processing at which the phonetic cue of duration becomes significant. We interpret the results in relation to the Speech Learning Model (Flege 1995, 2003).
Descriptors: Role, Attention, Phonetics, Language Processing, Native Language, Acoustics, Models, Speech Communication, Language Research, Finno Ugric Languages, Control Groups, Auditory Discrimination, Cues, Auditory Perception, Phonemes, Task Analysis, Identification, Second Language Learning, Linguistics, Introductory Courses, Undergraduate Students, Foreign Countries, Reaction Time, Statistical Analysis, Listening
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A