Overweighting of pitch cues in stop identification by Korean learners of Mandarin Chinese

Abstract

The present study reports on a novel case where learners of a tonal language not only develop keen sensitivity to F0 cues in general, but the increased sensitivity may also foster perceptual reorganization of cue weighting in stop identification. Korean learners of Mandarin and novice listeners participated in identification tasks for which pitch contours of Mandarin words containing unaspirated stops were digitally manipulated. In word-initial position, learners showed considerably higher sensitivity to onset pitch cues, showing a near-categorical perception from lenis to fortis judgment along with higher onset pitch. In word-medial position, tone contours emerged as a significant predictor of the stops; predominant fortis judgment in high-level tone vs. lenis judgment in mid-rising tone. The novice listeners showed similar patterns in both cases, but to a much smaller degree. The effect of tone contours was discussed with reference to an auditory contrast whereby onset pitch of mid-rising tone is percep...