TY - GEN
T1 - The Effects of High and Low Variability Phonetic Training on the Perception and Production of English Vowels /e/-/æ/ by Cantonese ESL Learners with High and Low L2 Proficiency Levels
AU - WONG, Janice W S
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2014 ISCA.
Copyright:
Copyright 2015 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2014/9
Y1 - 2014/9
N2 - This study investigated the effects of two perceptually-based training paradigms in both the perception and production of English /e/ and /æ/ by Cantonese ESL learners with high and low listening and oral proficiency levels. Sixty-four subjects participated in the study, in which 22 (9 with high proficiency, H-HV; 13 with low proficiency, L-HV) were trained under High Variability Phonetic Training (HVPT) approach, 19 (8 with high proficiency, H-LV; 11 with low proficiency, L-LV) were trained under Low Variability Phonetic Training (LVPT) approach whereas 23 (10 with high proficiency, H-CO; 13 with low proficiency, L-CO) were the control subjects. Both training approaches were effective in improving the subjects' perception of the two vowels, with HVPT groups showing more robust improvement than LVPT groups. Perceptual learning could also be generalized to new words and new speakers and be transferred to the production domain, with HVPT groups outperforming LVPT groups. However, subjects with different proficiency levels learned to similar degrees in all tests. The results demonstrated that both approaches offered a type of learning that allows attention to focus on phonetic information, which is different from what is learned in an L2 classroom; whereas stimulus variability also plays a role in the learning.
AB - This study investigated the effects of two perceptually-based training paradigms in both the perception and production of English /e/ and /æ/ by Cantonese ESL learners with high and low listening and oral proficiency levels. Sixty-four subjects participated in the study, in which 22 (9 with high proficiency, H-HV; 13 with low proficiency, L-HV) were trained under High Variability Phonetic Training (HVPT) approach, 19 (8 with high proficiency, H-LV; 11 with low proficiency, L-LV) were trained under Low Variability Phonetic Training (LVPT) approach whereas 23 (10 with high proficiency, H-CO; 13 with low proficiency, L-CO) were the control subjects. Both training approaches were effective in improving the subjects' perception of the two vowels, with HVPT groups showing more robust improvement than LVPT groups. Perceptual learning could also be generalized to new words and new speakers and be transferred to the production domain, with HVPT groups outperforming LVPT groups. However, subjects with different proficiency levels learned to similar degrees in all tests. The results demonstrated that both approaches offered a type of learning that allows attention to focus on phonetic information, which is different from what is learned in an L2 classroom; whereas stimulus variability also plays a role in the learning.
KW - High variability phonetic training
KW - L2 acquisition
KW - L2 proficiency
KW - Perception and production of non-native contrast
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84910029090&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84910029090
SN - 9781634394352
T3 - Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the International Speech Communication Association
SP - 524
EP - 528
BT - Proceedings of the 15th Annual Conference of the International Speech Communication Association (Interspeech 2014)
PB - International Speech Communication Association
T2 - 15th Annual Conference of the International Speech Communication Association: Celebrating the Diversity of Spoken Languages, INTERSPEECH 2014
Y2 - 14 September 2014 through 18 September 2014
ER -