Acquisition of Mandarin Tones: A Cross-Sectional Study

描述（由申请人提供）：这是一项横断面研究，研究以英语为母语的成人学习者（18岁及以上）学习汉语作为第二语言（L2）的行为和神经生理变化。它将侧重于词汇音调的习得，这是一种在普通话中用于对比词义的音高模式，并不是英语的语言特征。在行为层面上，关于在非词汇和非交际环境中学习孤立的非母语辅音的各种研究表明，通过适当的训练形式和程度，成年人可以学会感知和/或发出母语中没有的声音。然而，很少有研究调查词汇音调或超分音的学习，更少的研究考虑到这些非母语声音在实际交际环境（如单词）中的使用。近年来，一些研究调查了与语言和单词学习相关的神经变化；但它们要么局限于语音的实验室训练，要么是不考虑语音特征，尤其是超音段的贡献的单词学习。虽然有跨语言研究比较了母语为普通话的成年人和母语为英语的成年人对普通话声调的行为和神经生理反应，但没有研究描述非普通话（英语）受试者在熟练掌握普通话后的变化。目前的研究将涉及在四个不同阶段（大学课程的一到四年级）学习汉语的大学生的行为和功能磁共振成像实验。一般的假设是，提高二语熟练程度会导致行为和神经生理反应更接近母语人士。对语言发展的理解对于制定最有效的语言康复计划非常重要，特别是在中风等损伤的情况下。对于成人的康复来说，了解成人是如何学习的尤为重要。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a cross-sectional study examining behavioral and neurophysiologic changes associated with learning Mandarin Chinese as a second language (L2) by native English-speaking adult learners (ages 18 years and up). It will focus on the acquisition of lexical tones, which are pitch patterns that are used to contrast word meaning in Mandarin, and is not a linguistic feature of English. At the behavioral level, various studies investigating the learning of isolated non-native consonants in non-lexical and non-communicative contexts show that with the appropriate form and degree of training, adults can learn to perceive and/or produce sounds that do not occur in their native language. However, there have been few studies that investigated the learning of lexical tones or suprasegmentals, and fewer yet that considered the use of these non-native sounds in actual communicative contexts such as words. In recent years, several studies examined neural changes associated with speech and word learning; but they are either confined to laboratory training of speech sounds, or the learning of words without considering the contribution of phonetic features, especially suprasegmentals. While cross-linguistic research has been done comparing behavioral and neurophysiologic responses of native Mandarin-speaking and native English-speaking adults perceiving Mandarin tones, none was conducted to describe changes in non-Mandarin (English) speaking subjects as they become proficient in Mandarin. The current study will involve behavioral and fMRI experiments on university students learning Mandarin Chinese at four different stages (years 1 to 4 of the university curriculum). The general hypothesis is that increased L2 proficiency will result in behavioral and neurophysiologic responses closer to those in native speakers. An understanding of language development is important for developing the most efficacious language rehabilitation programs in cases of injuries such as strokes. For the rehabilitation of adults, it is especially important to understand how adults learn.