Examining the links between subphonemic sensitivity and nonnative speech perception

Abstract

In general, listeners are sensitive to acoustic differences within their L1 phonemic categories (Andruski et al., 1994; McMurray et al., 2002; Toscano et al., 2010). However, some listeners appear to be more sensitive to subphonemic information than others (Kapnoula et al., 2017; Kong & Edwards, 2016). Recent electrophysiological evidence points to an early perceptual locus behind these individual differences; listeners with higher subphonemic sensitivity exhibit more linear (less warped) encoding of acoustic cues (Kapnoula & McMurray, 2021). It is unclear how these individual differences come to be and how they may affect listeners’ ability to learn a new language. Here, I will discuss the potential role of bi/multilingual exposure in shaping speech perception and I will present data that offer valuable insights into how subphonemic sensitivity may be linked to nonnative speech perception.