Acquisition of Mandarin Tones: A Cross-Sectional Study

描述（由申请人提供）： 本研究是一项横断面研究，旨在探讨以英语为母语的成年学习者（年龄18岁及以上）学习汉语普通话作为第二语言（L2）时的行为和神经生理变化。它将集中在词汇声调的习得，这是音高模式，用于对比汉语中的词义，而不是英语的语言特征。在行为层面上，各种研究调查了在非词汇和非交际环境中学习孤立的非母语辅音的情况，表明通过适当的形式和程度的训练，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音段的学习，更少的是考虑这些非母语声音在实际交际语境中的使用，如单词。近年来，一些研究探讨了与语音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，要么局限于单词的学习，而没有考虑语音特征的贡献，特别是超音段。虽然跨语言的研究已经完成了比较母语为汉语和母语为英语的成年人感知普通话音调的行为和神经生理反应，没有进行描述的变化，非汉语（英语）为母语的科目，因为他们成为熟练的普通话。目前的研究将涉及行为和功能磁共振成像实验的大学生学习汉语普通话在四个不同阶段（1年至4年的大学课程）。一般的假设是，提高第二语言水平将导致行为和神经生理反应更接近那些在母语者。了解语言发展对于在中风等受伤的情况下制定最有效的语言康复计划非常重要。对于成年人的康复来说，了解成年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.