Effects of tone training on Cantonese tone-word learning

J Acoust Soc Am. 2013 Aug;134(2):EL133-9. doi: 10.1121/1.4812435.

Abstract

The present study examined the effect of improving lexical tone identification abilities on Cantonese tone-word learning. Native English non-musicians received training on Cantonese tones before learning the meanings of words distinguished by these tones. Their results were compared to English non-musicians and musicians who received no tone training. The tone-trainees obtained a similar level of word identification proficiency as musicians by the end of training and were significantly better than non-tone trained non-musicians. These results lend support for phonetic-phonological-lexical continuity in learning because enhancing listeners' perception of lower-level tonal information significantly contributed to success in a higher-level linguistic task.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Audiometry
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Learning*
  • Male
  • Music*
  • Phonetics*
  • Pitch Perception*
  • Psychoacoustics
  • Recognition, Psychology
  • Speech Acoustics*
  • Speech Perception*
  • Time Factors
  • Young Adult