Improved learning of a non‐native phonetic contrast by combining active task performance with passive stimulus exposures.

Abstract

Adults can learn to hear the phonetic distinctions of another language with practice. It is commonly assumed that such improvements require active performance of the target task throughout training. However, we have seen that, for other perceptual tasks, similar performance gains can be achieved by replacing some active‐performance trials with passive stimulus exposures. Here we examined the learning of a non‐native phonetic contrast using several training protocols that varied in the proportion of active and passive trials during the practice period. Native, monolingual English speakers were trained to identify a Thai phonetic contrast along a voice‐onset‐time continuum. A group given half active training and half passive exposures showed as much improvement in the category boundary as a group given active training for the entire practice period. The active‐passive group out‐performed a group given half active training and half training on an unrelated task with no passive exposures. Finally, a group given only passive stimulus exposures showed the least improvement. Results suggest that learning a non‐native phonetic contrast via active task performance can be reinforced by passive stimulus exposures. Therefore, active‐passive training could be useful in real‐world speech training applications. [Work supported by NIH/NIDCD.]