The impact of auditory feedback on error monitoring and phonetic category representation in a second language

外语学习者即使在与目标语言有了广泛的经验之后，也经常会出现发音错误。这项拟议的项目旨在解释一个明显的悖论，即学习者经常能够察觉到同伴的发音错误，但他们无法纠正自己的发音错误。尽管有大量的研究关注社会经济因素对二语学习成绩的影响，但涉及一般语音处理机制的认知因素仍未被广泛探讨。目前的L2声音习得模型都不能充分解释L2语言中持久的知觉-产生不对称现象。这项拟议的项目将通过评估这种不对称的两个潜在原因来弥合这一差距：(1)在使用听觉反馈进行错误监控方面的缺陷，以及(2)语音类别表征的性质。(1)第二语言学习者是否因为没有意识到自己的错误而在改正自己的作品时遇到困难。它将测试听者在听自己的声音时是否比其他学习者的声音更难发现和处理错误。(2)将决定某些发音错误的经历如何影响语音类别和词汇表征之间的联系。它还将评估新建立的母语(L1)中不存在的L2类别或L2中不存在的L1类别是否会影响两种语言的灵活性感知和产出。这里的方法创新是在在线改变的听觉反馈下测试第二语言的产生。也就是说，参与者将得到一个反馈信号，通过信号处理技术，该信号与他们的实际生产不匹配。由此产生的补偿性发音将说明错误监控以及类别表示的性质，因为该方法对L1中的语音类别的分布很敏感，并且如这里将确定的那样，潜在地也在L2中。该项目的长期意义在于，它有助于认知神经科学和语音处理领域关于语音产生和感知关系的中心辩论。它将揭示听觉反馈和错误监控在二语加工中的工作原理。此外，它还有可能为语言教学中的策略提供信息。

Learners of a foreign language (L2) often retain pronunciation errors even after extensive experience with the target language. The proposed project aims at explaining the apparent paradox that, frequently, learners are able to perceive pronunciation errors of fellow learners, yet they are unable to correct the same errors in their own production. Although a large amount of research is concerned with socio-economic factors affecting suboptimal attainment in learning an L2, cognitive factors involving general mechanisms of speech processing remain widely unexplored. None of the current models of L2 sound acquisition sufficiently accounts for a persistent perception-production asymmetry in the L2. The proposed project will close this gap by assessing two potential causes for this asymmetry: (1) deficits in using auditory feedback for error monitoring, and (2) the nature of phonetic category representations. (1) will address whether L2 learners have difficulties in correcting their productions because they are not aware of their own errors. It will be tested whether listeners have more trouble detecting and processing errors when listening to their own voice compared to other learners' voices. (2) will determine how experience with certain mispronunciations affects the association between phonetic categories and lexical representations. It will also assess whether newly established L2 categories that are not present in the native language (L1) or L1 categories that are not present in the L2, nevertheless affect flexibility perception and production in both languages. The methodological innovation here is to test L2 production under online-altered auditory feedback. That is, participants will be presented with a feedback signal that, through signal-processing techniques, mismatches their actual production. Resulting compensatory articulation will speak to error monitoring as well as to the nature of category representations as this method is sensitive to the distribution of phonetic categories in L1 - and as will be determined here - potentially also in L2. The long-term significance of the project is that it contributes to a central debate in cognitive neuroscience and speech processing about the relation of speech production and perception. It will reveal the workings of auditory feedback and error monitoring in L2 processing. In addition, it has the potential to inform strategies in language teaching.