Using voice quality to learn non‐native tonal categories.

Abstract

An artificial language learning experiment will be used to study if voice quality can be used to learn tonal systems. Cross‐linguistically, tone, and voice quality can co‐vary in different ways. For instance, Mazatec (Jalapa de Diaz), has three phonation types (modal, breathy, creaky) fully crossed with three level tone levels [Ladefoged et al. (1988)], while Mandarin has creaky phonation in Tone 3 and Tone 4, which are also distinguished from one another and Tone 1 and 2 by f0 contour [Davison (1991); Belotel‐Grenié and Grenié (2004)]. The goal of the study is to investigate if English listeners unfamiliar with tone languages can use phonation‐type contrasts to learn tonal contrasts in artificial tone languages differing in how tone and voice quality co‐vary. There will be a comparison of how learners generalize from training to novel stimuli for artificial languages where voice quality and tone contrasts are correlated and uncorrelated cues.