Doctoral Dissertation Research: Perception of Japanese temporally-cued phonetic contrasts by Japanese and American English listeners: Behavioral and Electrophysiological Measures

博士论文研究：日本和美国英语听众对日语时间提示语音对比的感知：行为和电生理测量

• 批准号: 0518989
• 负责人: Valerie Shafer
• 金额: $ 1.09万
• 依托单位: CUNY Graduate School University Center
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-08-01 至 2007-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0518989&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Perception; Japanese

This study will examine how American listeners perceive differences in duration of vowels (e.g., kiro vs. kiiro) and consonants (e.g., kite vs. kitte) in Japanese words using brain and behavioral measures. Specifically, the study will examine how well American English speakers, with no previous exposure to Japanese, can distinguish differences in vowel and consonant lengthening in Japanese. American English and Japanese speakers are likely to focus on different speech sound properties to recognize Japanese words because, unlike English, Japanese relies heavily on sound duration to distinguish meaning at the word level. This study will examine the question from a novel direction by considering the implications of first-language (L1) perception as an "over-learned" process. The notion of "highly over-learned processes" interfering with second-language (L2) speech perception relates to the claim that in first language learning, infants learn to automatically focus attention on important properties of speech sounds needed for word recognition (Jusczyk, 1997). The brain electrical measure, Mismatch Negativity (MMN), will be used to compare pre-attentive, automatic discrimination of the target sounds to discrimination with focused attention in the two groups of listeners. Research indicates that MMN serves as an index of pre-attentive, automatic discrimination. Subjects whose L1 is American English may not be able to discriminate between words with short and long sounds in Japanese without careful attention. In contrast, subjects whose L1 is Japanese will discriminate between these words without attention as shown by MMN. Behavioral discrimination of the words (pressing a button to a sound change) will provide further information regarding the relationship between preattentive brain responses and behavioral discrimination, which requires attention. The project will provide insight into how participants discriminate sounds automatically, as indexed by brain measures. In addition, information concerning the relationship between brain responses and overt behavioral responses will reveal how underlying brain processes contribute to the behavioral response and provide insight into the intricacies of the Japanese sound system. The broader impact of this research include several areas. First, the project will allow for development of evidence-based methods of foreign language education that can lead to more native-like speech perception and production. Second, it will contribute to the bilingual education field (infants through adults) and help determine critical periods in which speech perception skills in L2 should be introduced. Third, because it will improve the current approach to foreign language instruction, it will benefit society by improving the communication abilities of L2 learners.

本研究将研究美国听众如何感知元音持续时间的差异（例如，kiro对kiro）和辅音（例如，kite vs. kitte）在日语单词中使用大脑和行为测量。具体来说，这项研究将研究如何以及美国英语发言人，没有以前接触到日本，可以区分元音和辅音延长在日本的差异。美国英语和日语使用者可能会专注于不同的语音属性来识别日语单词，因为与英语不同，日语在很大程度上依赖于声音持续时间来区分单词级别的含义。本研究将从一个新的角度来探讨这个问题，即第一语言知觉是一个“过度学习”的过程。“高度过度学习过程”干扰第二语言（L2）言语感知的概念与以下主张有关：在第一语言学习中，婴儿学会自动将注意力集中在单词识别所需的语音的重要属性上（Jusczyk，1997）。脑电测量，失配负波（MMN），将被用来比较前注意，目标声音的自动识别与识别集中注意力在两组听众。研究表明，MMN作为一个指标的前注意，自动歧视。L1为美国英语的受试者在没有仔细注意的情况下可能无法区分日语中的短音和长音单词。相反，母语为日语的受试者在没有注意的情况下会区分这些单词，如MMN所示。对单词的行为辨别（按下按钮改变声音）将提供关于前注意大脑反应和行为辨别之间关系的进一步信息，这需要注意。该项目将深入了解参与者如何自动识别声音，如大脑测量所示。此外，有关大脑反应和外显行为反应之间关系的信息将揭示潜在的大脑过程如何影响行为反应，并提供对日本声音系统复杂性的见解。这项研究的广泛影响包括几个领域。首先，该项目将允许开发基于证据的外语教育方法，从而可以导致更像母语的语音感知和产生。第二，它将有助于双语教育领域（从婴儿到成人），并有助于确定关键时期，在第二语言的言语感知技能应该介绍。第三，因为它将改善目前的外语教学方法，它将通过提高第二语言学习者的交际能力而造福社会。