Effect of Linguistic and Musical Experience on Distributional Learning of Nonnative Lexical Tones.

Jia Hoong Ong,Denis Burnham,Paola Escudero,Catherine J Stevens

doi:10.1044/2016_jslhr-s-16-0080

Jia Hoong Ong, Denis Burnham + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1044/2016_jslhr-s-16-0080

Copy DOI

Abstract

Evidence suggests that extensive experience with lexical tones or musical training provides an advantage in perceiving nonnative lexical tones. This investigation concerns whether such an advantage is evident in learning nonnative lexical tones based on the distributional structure of the input. Using an established protocol, distributional learning of lexical tones was investigated with tone language (Mandarin) listeners with no musical training (Experiment 1) and nontone language (Australian English) listeners with musical training (Experiment 2). Within each experiment, participants were trained on a bimodal (2-peak) or a unimodal (single peak) distribution along a continuum spanning a Thai lexical tone minimal pair. Discrimination performance on the target minimal pair was assessed before and after training. Mandarin nonmusicians exhibited clear distributional learning (listeners in the bimodal, but not those in the unimodal condition, improved significantly as a function of training), whereas Australian English musicians did not (listeners in both the bimodal and unimodal conditions improved as a function of training). Our findings suggest that veridical perception of lexical tones is not sufficient for distributional learning of nonnative lexical tones to occur. Rather, distributional learning appears to be modulated by domain-specific pitch experience and is constrained possibly by top-down interference.

Highlights

Evidence suggests that extensive experience with lexical tones or musical training provides an advantage in perceiving nonnative lexical tones
The results revealed that listeners in the unimodal condition did not improve on any of the test dimensions, whereas those in the bimodal condition improved on all test dimensions, showing generalized distributional learning over test stimuli. These results indicate that Mandarin listeners are able to learn nonnative lexical tones based on the distributional structure of the input; those trained on a bimodal distribution improved after training, whereas those trained on a unimodal distribution did not, over and above (a) any practice effect due to the pretest–training– posttest experimental design and (b) higher pitch memory performance by listeners in the unimodal condition relative to those in the bimodal condition
Concerning pitch memory, the AusE musicians were familiar with a mean of 26.50 of the 40 songs (SD = 7.93), and their percentage accuracy ranged from 29.41% to 96.55% (M = 67.50%, SD = 14.15%), with four scoring above the absolute pitch (AP) criterion of at least 85% accuracy

Summary

Introduction

Evidence suggests that extensive experience with lexical tones or musical training provides an advantage in perceiving nonnative lexical tones. We examine whether pitch experts (tone language listeners and nontone language musicians), who perceive lexical tones more readily, might show greater distributional learning relative to AusE nonmusicians.

Results

Conclusion