CROSS-LANGUAGE STUDIES OF VOWEL ACOUSTICS AND PERCEPTION

这项基础研究的长期目标是具体说明 语音信号中区别元音的独特声学模式 用不同的语言，并了解听众的过程， 从所述复合声学信号中恢复所述语言相关消息。 目的是研究元音出现时的声学和感知 在连续的讲话，使结果可以推广到实际情况。一 研究的重点是探讨元音的变化 与当地和全球的情况声学。（直接语音和 语音语境，说话风格，语速，句子韵律）和 研究这些声学变化如何影响对非母语的感知 第二语言学习者的元音。建议进行三组研究：（l） 美国英语元音声学变异的跨语言比较 (AE)，北德语，丹麦语，德语法语和日语;（2）研究 AE听者判断丹麦语时元音的跨语言感知相似性， 德语和法语的元音和日本听众判断AE和德语 元音;（3）知觉训练研究，研究 知觉训练对生产和知觉困难的非母语 元音的成人学习者的外语（AE扬声器学习德语和 法语，日语学习者英语）。这些研究将有助于 我们对特定语言的经验如何塑造与生俱来 能力的结果将使我们能够对问题做出更好的预测 面向成人外语学习者，发展外语技能， 语言教学和口音减少。结果也将提供证据 与当前关于母语语音表征的理论相关。 发展更好的正常人言语感知和产生理论 儿童和成年人构成了研究进展的基础， 有语音障碍的儿童。

The long-term objectives of this basic research are to specify the distinctive acoustic patterns in speech signals that differentiate the vowels in different languages and to understand the processes by which listeners recover the linguistically-relevant message from the complex acoustic signals. The goal is to investigate the acoustics and perception of vowels as they occur in continuous speech so that results may be generalized to actual situations. A specific focus of the proposed research is to explore how vowels vary acoustically with local and global situations. (immediate phonetic and phonotactic context, speaking style, speaking rate, sentence prosody) and to investigate how these acoustic variations affect the perception of non-native vowels by second language learners. Three sets of studies are proposed: (l) cross-language comparisons of acoustic variation in vowels of American English (AE), North German, Danish, German French, and Japanese; (2) studies of cross-language perceptual similarity of vowels by AE listeners judging Danish, German and French vowels and by Japanese listeners judging AE and German vowels; and (3) perceptual training studies which investigate the effects of perception training on the production and perception of difficult non-native vowels by adult learners of a foreign language (AE speakers learning German and French, Japanese speakers learning English). These studies will contribute to our understanding of how experience with a particular language shapes inborn capabilities. Results will allow us to make better predictions about problems facing adult foreign language learners and to develop techniques for foreign language instruction and accent reduction. Results will also provide evidence relevant to current theories about native-language phonological representation. Development of better theories of speech perception and production in normal children and adults form the basis for advances in research into problems of atypically developing children with phonological disorders.