Less precise auditory processing limits instructed L2 speech learning: Communicative focus on phonetic form revisited

Abstract

Drawing learners' attention to phonetic form during meaning-oriented activities (i.e., communicative focus on form) has been found to be an optimal method of L2 speech training. In the context of 55 Chinese speakers’ English [ɪ] and [i] acquisition (e.g., “sit” vs. “seat”), the current study set out to examine the extent to which the outcomes of such instructed L2 speech learning are tied to individual differences in domain-general auditory processing (precisely representing the acoustic properties of sounds). All the participants engaged in 1.5 h of meaning-oriented instruction. The treatment was carefully manipulated to induce those in the experimental group to attend to the accurate distinction of English [ɪ] and [i]. According to the pre- and post-tests, the experimental group significantly enhanced their English [ɪ] and [i] identification accuracy. However, the follow-up analyses demonstrated that instructional effectiveness was observed especially among those with high levels of auditory processing, but unclear among those with low levels of auditory processing. The findings suggest that the source of individual variation in instructed L2 speech learning stems at least partially from domain-general auditory processing, and that auditory training could help facilitate language learning in some individuals with specific auditory difficulties.