The Contribution of Speaking Rate, Talker, and Coarticulation to Lexical Tone Processing: Effects of Language Background and Training

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。虽然听演讲通常是一项毫不费力的任务，但由于上下文的关系，演讲声音的实际线索不断波动。语音感知研究的一个基本问题是听者如何从变化的语音信号中提取和整合信息。这个项目研究如何感知恒定性是通过检查声学变异的三个基本来源实现的：在一个话语被说出的速率的变化，由于说话者产生的话语的差异，以及从句子上下文产生的变化。具体来说，该项目将收集数据，记录在话语产生过程中发生的变化范围，以及母语使用者如何适应这种变化。该项目还将研究非本机侦听器如何处理这种变化。最后一个部分将确定如何培训程序的非母语听众可以帮助实现更成功的第二语言学习。因此，本建议将有助于了解母语和非母语的听众是如何能够适应语音信号的变化，使熟练的语言processingispossible.本研究包括一系列的跨语言研究，涉及收购和培训的线索，以言语知觉。本研究的重点是汉语普通话词汇声调作为一个理想的情况下，扩大调查以外的个人语音。由于研究的国际性，该项目将促进美国和中国机构之间的合作联系。从这些实验的结果将有直接的影响，第二语言的教学，并可能突出需要具体的语音训练方法在第二语言课堂中，学习者系统地暴露于上下文的变化（如说话速度，说话者，和coarticulatory信息），以帮助语言学习。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Although listening to speech is typically an effortless task, the actual cues to speech sounds continually fluctuate due to context. A fundamental issue in the study of speech perception is how listeners are able to extract and integrate information from the variable speech signal. This project investigates how perceptual constancy is achieved by examining three fundamental sources of acoustic variability: changes in the rate at which an utterance is spoken, differences due to which talker produced the utterance, and variations resulting from the sentence context. Specifically, the project will collect data documenting the range of variation that occurs in the production of utterances and how native speakers adjust to this variation. The project will also examine how non-native listeners handle this variation. A final component will determine how training procedures for non-native listeners can help to achieve more successful second language learning. As such, the present proposal will contribute to understanding how both native and non-native listeners are able to adjust to changes in the speech signal such that proficient language processing is possible.This research consists of a series of cross-linguistic studies involving the acquisition and training of cues to speech perception. The research focuses on Mandarin Chinese lexical tones as an ideal case for extending investigations beyond individual speech sounds. The project will foster collaborative contact between U.S. and Chinese institutions due to the international nature of the research. Findings from these experiments will have direct implications for the teaching of second languages and may highlight the need for specific phonetic training approaches in second language classrooms in which learners are systematically exposed to aspects of contextual variation (such as speaking rate, talker, and coarticulatory information) to aid in language learning.