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From Tones to Tunes: Emerging Associations between Tonal Language Immersion Education and Musical Pitch Perception in Children

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Title: From Tones to Tunes: Emerging Associations between Tonal Language Immersion Education and Musical Pitch Perception in Children
Language: English
Authors: Tessa M. Jordan (ORCID 0000-0002-3923-4117), Ying Wang (ORCID 0000-0002-5778-0306), Benjamin Swets (ORCID 0000-0002-2989-3864)
Source: Developmental Science. 2026 29(3).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Kindergarten
Primary Education
Grade 1
Descriptors: Tone Languages, Auditory Perception, Music, Young Children, Kindergarten, Grade 1, Mandarin Chinese, Immersion Programs, Second Language Learning, Short Term Memory, Auditory Discrimination, Accuracy, Mediation Theory
DOI: 10.1111/desc.70201
ISSN: 1363-755X
1467-7687
Abstract: This study investigated perceptual near transfer across the domains of language and music by examining how early exposure to a tonal language influences musical pitch perception in young children. Previous research has found a tonal language advantage in musical pitch perception in children, but this work often does not account for cultural and cognitive differences among participants. To address this, we compared musical pitch perception of U.S. kindergarten and 1st grade children enrolled in Mandarin immersion education to their peers in traditional English-only education at the same school. This design allowed us to assess the emergent effects of early tonal language exposure on musical pitch perception with a culturally similar comparison group. Inclusion of a working memory measure provided the ability to account for cognitive differences as well. Results indicated that children enrolled in Mandarin-immersion education demonstrated higher Mandarin lexical tone discrimination accuracy and greater musical pitch sensitivity relative to their peers in traditional English-only education, even when differences in working memory were controlled for. Critically, mediation analyses showed that lexical tone accuracy for the most discernable condition statistically mediated the association between immersion education and musical pitch sensitivity. These results provide support for language-to-music perceptual transfer grounded in shared pitch-processing and highlight the potential of tonal language immersion education to enhance perceptual abilities that benefit learning music.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1504337
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: From Tones to Tunes: Emerging Associations between Tonal Language Immersion Education and Musical Pitch Perception in Children
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tessa+M%2E+Jordan%22">Tessa M. Jordan</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3923-4117">0000-0002-3923-4117</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ying+Wang%22">Ying Wang</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5778-0306">0000-0002-5778-0306</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Benjamin+Swets%22">Benjamin Swets</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2989-3864">0000-0002-2989-3864</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Science%22"><i>Developmental Science</i></searchLink>. 2026 29(3).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 16
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tone+Languages%22">Tone Languages</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Auditory+Perception%22">Auditory Perception</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Music%22">Music</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Young+Children%22">Young Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+1%22">Grade 1</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mandarin+Chinese%22">Mandarin Chinese</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Immersion+Programs%22">Immersion Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Second+Language+Learning%22">Second Language Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Short+Term+Memory%22">Short Term Memory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Auditory+Discrimination%22">Auditory Discrimination</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Accuracy%22">Accuracy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mediation+Theory%22">Mediation Theory</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/desc.70201
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  Data: 1363-755X<br />1467-7687
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This study investigated perceptual near transfer across the domains of language and music by examining how early exposure to a tonal language influences musical pitch perception in young children. Previous research has found a tonal language advantage in musical pitch perception in children, but this work often does not account for cultural and cognitive differences among participants. To address this, we compared musical pitch perception of U.S. kindergarten and 1st grade children enrolled in Mandarin immersion education to their peers in traditional English-only education at the same school. This design allowed us to assess the emergent effects of early tonal language exposure on musical pitch perception with a culturally similar comparison group. Inclusion of a working memory measure provided the ability to account for cognitive differences as well. Results indicated that children enrolled in Mandarin-immersion education demonstrated higher Mandarin lexical tone discrimination accuracy and greater musical pitch sensitivity relative to their peers in traditional English-only education, even when differences in working memory were controlled for. Critically, mediation analyses showed that lexical tone accuracy for the most discernable condition statistically mediated the association between immersion education and musical pitch sensitivity. These results provide support for language-to-music perceptual transfer grounded in shared pitch-processing and highlight the potential of tonal language immersion education to enhance perceptual abilities that benefit learning music.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1504337
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        Value: 10.1111/desc.70201
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      – Text: English
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    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Tone Languages
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Auditory Perception
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      – SubjectFull: Music
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      – SubjectFull: Young Children
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      – SubjectFull: Kindergarten
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      – SubjectFull: Immersion Programs
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      – SubjectFull: Second Language Learning
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      – SubjectFull: Short Term Memory
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      – SubjectFull: Auditory Discrimination
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      – SubjectFull: Accuracy
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      – SubjectFull: Mediation Theory
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      – TitleFull: From Tones to Tunes: Emerging Associations between Tonal Language Immersion Education and Musical Pitch Perception in Children
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            NameFull: Ying Wang
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            NameFull: Benjamin Swets
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