Pacific Second Language Research Forum 2016 (PacSLRF2016) September 911, 2016 Chuo University, Tokyo

Does talker variability improve

the learning of word level prosody?
Thanasak Sirikanerat (Tohoku University)
Natsue Sugaya (Tohoku University)
sirikanerat.por@gmail.comsugaya@m.tohoku.ac.jp

Background Aim
Acoustic variability (talker, F0, speech rate) facilitates
1 Does talker variability facilitate Japanese vocabularies

Vocabulary learning learning by non-learnres ?

2 Does talker variability facilitate Japanese pitch accent
Barcroft & Sommers (2005), Sommers & Barcroft (2007),
Barcroft & Sommers (2014) learning

Tone learning Memorization

Perrachione et al. (2011)
Result
Word
meaning

Segments

More effective Tone

Perrachione et al. (2001) 1-syllable word
Chinese tone (tone 1, 2, 4)
Minimal pair /p/ with T1,2,4
Multi-syllable word ?
Japanese pitch accent
Non minimal pair ?

Method
Overview: Pic-L2
sound L2-L1
Accent judgement

Participants: 21 Thai native speakers (without Japanese

knowledge)
Task: Pic-L2 & L2-L1 No significant difference between variability condi-
Stimli : 18 concrete nouns, 2 morae & 2 syllable tion was found (p<.20)
(EX hana flower yama mountain)
BUT participants could learn pitch accent
Learning phase:
(compared to chance level p<.05)
Block Block Block Block Block Block
1 2 3 4 5 6 Accuracy for Pic-L2 = 0.57, L2-L1 = 0.62, 0.62
1-18 1-18 1-18 1-18 1-18 1-18

Counter balance Discussion & limitation

Participants Why participant did not benefit from acoustic
Words 1a 1b 2a 2b 3a 3b variability?
sara 1 talker 6 talker 3 talker
Cognitive resources: dual task may consume too
dish
kasa 3 talker 1 talker 6 talker
much cognitive resources
umbrella Accent judgment task: correct choice 2, incorrect
kagi 6 talker 3 talker 1 talker choice 1
key
Stimuli selection: some words tend be known-word
References
Barcroft, J., & Sommers, M. S. (2005). Effects of acoustic variability on second language vocabulary learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 27(3), 387414.
Barcroft, J., & Sommers, M. S. (2014). Effect of variability in fundamental frequency on L2 vocabulary learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 36, 423-449.
Perrachione, T. K., Lee, J., Ha, L. Y. Y., & Wong, P. C. M. (2011). Learning a novel phonological contrast depends on interactions between individual differences and training paradigm design. Journal of Acoustic Society of America, 130(1), 461472.
Sommers, M. S., & Barcroft, J. (2007). An integrated account of the effects of acoustic variability in first language and second language: Evidence from amplitude, fundamental frequency, and speaking rate variability. Applied Psycholinguistics, 28(2), 231-249.
Acknowledgement: Special thanks go to all participants, Japanese native speakers for their recording sounds and Silpakorn Univerity, Thailand where I collected data for the present study. I am also indebted to Tomoko Hotta and Atsuya Yoshida for their help in judging participants pronunciation.