Does second language experience modulate perception of tones in a third language?

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that English speakers pay attention to pitch height rather than direction, whereas Mandarin speakers are more sensitive to pitch direction than height in perception of lexical tones. The present study addresses if a second language (L2, i.e., Mandarin) overrides the influence of a native language (L1, i.e., English) in modulating listeners' use of pitch cues in the perception of tones in a third language (L3, i.e., Cantonese). English-speaking L2 learners (L2ers) of Mandarin constituted the target group. Mandarin speakers and English speakers without knowledge of Mandarin were included as control groups. In Experiment 1, all groups, naïve to Cantonese tones, discriminated Cantonese tones by distinguishing either a contour tone from a level tone (pitch direction pair) or a level tone from another level tone (pitch height pair). The results showed that L2ers patterned differently from both control groups with regard to pitch cues under the influence of L2 experience. The acoustics of the tones also affected all listeners' discrimination. In Experiment 2, L2ers were instructed to identify Mandarin tones to measure their sensitivity to L2 tones. The results showed that L2ers' sensitivity to L2 tones is not necessarily correlated with their perception of L3 tones.