Comparison of English narrow focus production by L1 English, Beijing and Taiwan Mandarin speakers

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanya Visceglia ◽  
Chao-yu Su ◽  
Chiu-yu Tseng
Keyword(s):  
Taiwan Mandarin ◽  
Narrow Focus ◽  
Mandarin Speakers ◽  
L1 English

scholarly journals Perception of gesturally different Mandarin retroflexes by Taiwan Mandarin speakers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe-chen Guo
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Taiwan Mandarin ◽  
Pedagogical Implication ◽  
Perceptual Difference ◽  
Mandarin Speakers ◽  
First Moment

This paper reports results from a study investigating whether there is a perceptual difference between gesturally different Mandarin retroflexes. Previous studies have suggested that there are two articulatory manners for Mandarin retroflexes: One involves the tongue tip being “curled-up,” and the other the tongue body being “bunched-up.” Thus, by implementing a perception test on Taiwan Mandarin listeners and an acoustic analysis, the research determines whether retroflexes produced with these gestures will be perceived differently. The resultsdings then show that “curled-up” and “bunched-up” retroflexes are not perceptually contrastive at a phonological level. However, the latter are perceived to be phonetically more retroflexed, with such property of stronger retroflexion reflected in their lower M1 (first moment) values. These findings yield one pedagogical implication. The teaching of retroflex articulations can be made reference to the gesture with which Mandarin learners can produce with more ease.

scholarly journals Applying a Newly Learned Second Language Dimension to the Unknown: The Influence of Second Language Mandarin Tones on the Naïve Perception of Thai Tones

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-123
Author(s):  
Vance Schaefer ◽  
Isabelle Darcy
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Lexical Decision ◽  
Repetition Priming ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Lexical Representations ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Mandarin Speakers ◽  
Mandarin Tones ◽  
L1 English

Abstract This study investigates whether L2 Mandarin learners can generalize experience with Mandarin tones to unfamiliar tones (i.e., Thai). Three language groups – L1 English/ L2 Mandarin learners (n=18), L1 Mandarin speakers (n=30), L1 monolingual English speakers (n=23) – were tested on the perception of unfamiliar Thai tones on ABX tasks. L2 Mandarin learners and L1 Mandarin speakers perceived Thai tones more accurately than L1 English non-learners. Mandarin learners L1 speakers showed priming on Mandarin tones on a lexical decision task with repetition priming, suggesting L2 tones had been encoded within lexical representations of L2 Mandarin words. However, results must be interpreted cautiously, with an absence of expected priming and presence of unexpected priming. In sum, learners can transfer L2 tone experience to unfamiliar tones, expanding the Feature Hypothesis (McAllister, Flege, & Piske, 2002) to include L2 influence as well. In addition, results indicate a potential disconnect between perception and encoding.

scholarly journals Frequency at the syntax–discourse interface: A bidirectional study on fronting options in L1/L2 German and L1/L2 English

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Hopp ◽  
Joseph Bail ◽  
Carrie N. Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Relative Frequency ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Narrow Focus ◽  
Per Se ◽  
Discourse Interface ◽  
L1 English

The present study investigates whether second language (L2) speakers are sensitive to the information-structural constraints and frequency distributions at the syntax–discourse interface in the L2. L1-German–L2-English and L1-English–L2-German speakers completed a speeded naturalness judgment task. For sentences presented in broad or narrow-focus contexts, they judged the naturalness of fronted locative (LP) and temporal (TP) adverbial phrases and fronted objects in both English and German. English and German differ in the frequency with which they employ these constructions. With high-frequency fronted-LP and TP sentences, both the L2 English and L2 German speakers exhibited equivalent judgments as their L1 counterparts, in spite of differences in the perceived naturalness and relative frequency of these constructions in English vs. German. Like L1 speakers, L2 English and L2 German speakers also judged the less-frequent fronted objects as more natural in narrow-focus than broad-focus contexts, showing successful acquisition at the syntax–discourse interface. However, they judged fronted object sentences as more natural overall than their respective L1 counterparts in both English and German. Together, these findings suggest that convergence at the L2 syntax–discourse interface is possible per se, but that lower construction frequency in the input entails persistent overgeneralization of non-canonical options in the L2.

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