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Article: Why are lexical tones difficult to learn?: Insights from the incidental learning of tone-segment connections

TitleWhy are lexical tones difficult to learn?: Insights from the incidental learning of tone-segment connections
Authors
Issue Date2020
PublisherCambridge University Press. The Journal's web site is located at http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=SLA
Citation
Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 2020, v. 42 n. 1, p. 33-59 How to Cite?
AbstractL2 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.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/272672
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 4.2
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 2.124
ISI Accession Number ID

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorChan, RKW-
dc.contributor.authorLeung, JHC-
dc.date.accessioned2019-08-06T09:14:21Z-
dc.date.available2019-08-06T09:14:21Z-
dc.date.issued2020-
dc.identifier.citationStudies in Second Language Acquisition, 2020, v. 42 n. 1, p. 33-59-
dc.identifier.issn0272-2631-
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/272672-
dc.description.abstractL2 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.-
dc.languageeng-
dc.publisherCambridge University Press. The Journal's web site is located at http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=SLA-
dc.relation.ispartofStudies in Second Language Acquisition-
dc.rightsStudies in Second Language Acquisition. Copyright © Cambridge University Press.-
dc.rightsThis article has been published in a revised form in [Journal] [http://doi.org/XXX]. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © copyright holder.-
dc.titleWhy are lexical tones difficult to learn?: Insights from the incidental learning of tone-segment connections-
dc.typeArticle-
dc.identifier.emailChan, RKW: rickykwc@hku.hk-
dc.identifier.emailLeung, JHC: hiuchi@hku.hk-
dc.identifier.authorityChan, RKW=rp02417-
dc.identifier.authorityLeung, JHC=rp01168-
dc.description.naturelink_to_subscribed_fulltext-
dc.identifier.doi10.1017/S0272263119000482-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-85072271365-
dc.identifier.hkuros300297-
dc.identifier.volume42-
dc.identifier.issue1-
dc.identifier.spage33-
dc.identifier.epage59-
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000514167300002-
dc.publisher.placeUnited Kingdom-
dc.identifier.issnl0272-2631-

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