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Phonolexical Processing of Mandarin Segments and Tones by English Speakers at Different Mandarin Proficiency Levels

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Title: Phonolexical Processing of Mandarin Segments and Tones by English Speakers at Different Mandarin Proficiency Levels
Language: English
Authors: Yen-Chen Hao (ORCID 0000-0002-1666-2151)
Source: Second Language Research. 2024 40(3):533-557.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 25
Publication Date: 2024
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: English, Native Speakers, Mandarin Chinese, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Intonation, Phonology, Language Processing, Suprasegmentals, Tone Languages, Task Analysis, Accuracy, Vocabulary Development, Language Proficiency, Phonetics, Undergraduate Students, Study Abroad, Learning Experience, Language Tests, Acoustics, Auditory Perception
DOI: 10.1177/02676583231167790
ISSN: 0267-6583
1477-0326
Abstract: The current study examined the phonolexical processing of Mandarin segments and tones by English speakers at different Mandarin proficiency levels. Eleven English speakers naive to Mandarin, 15 intermediate and 9 advanced second language (L2) learners participated in a word-learning experiment. After learning the sound and meaning of 16 Mandarin disyllabic words, they judged the matching between sound and meaning pairs, with half of the pairs being complete matches while the other half contained segmental or tonal mismatches. The results showed that all three groups were more sensitive to segmental than tonal mismatches. The two learner groups outperformed the Naive group on segmental mismatches but not on tonal mismatches. However, their reaction times revealed that the learners but not the Naive group attended to tonal variations. The current findings suggest that increasing L2 experience has limited benefit on learners' phonolexical processing of L2 tones, probably due to their non-tonal native language background. Experience in a tonal L2 may enhance learners' attention to the tonal dimension but may not necessarily improve their accuracy.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: EJ1433577
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Phonolexical Processing of Mandarin Segments and Tones by English Speakers at Different Mandarin Proficiency Levels
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: 0267-6583<br />1477-0326
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The current study examined the phonolexical processing of Mandarin segments and tones by English speakers at different Mandarin proficiency levels. Eleven English speakers naive to Mandarin, 15 intermediate and 9 advanced second language (L2) learners participated in a word-learning experiment. After learning the sound and meaning of 16 Mandarin disyllabic words, they judged the matching between sound and meaning pairs, with half of the pairs being complete matches while the other half contained segmental or tonal mismatches. The results showed that all three groups were more sensitive to segmental than tonal mismatches. The two learner groups outperformed the Naive group on segmental mismatches but not on tonal mismatches. However, their reaction times revealed that the learners but not the Naive group attended to tonal variations. The current findings suggest that increasing L2 experience has limited benefit on learners' phonolexical processing of L2 tones, probably due to their non-tonal native language background. Experience in a tonal L2 may enhance learners' attention to the tonal dimension but may not necessarily improve their accuracy.
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  Data: 2024
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      – SubjectFull: Mandarin Chinese
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      – TitleFull: Phonolexical Processing of Mandarin Segments and Tones by English Speakers at Different Mandarin Proficiency Levels
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