Age of acquisition and proficiency in a second language independently influence the perception of non-native speech

Abstract

Sensorimotor processing in children and higher-cognitive processing in adults could determine how non-native phonemes are acquired. This study investigates how age-of-acquisition (AOA) and proficiency-level (PL) predict native-like perception of statistically dissociated L2 categories, i.e., within-category and between-category. In a similarity task, participants rated the level of similarity between pairs of English syllables from 1 (similar) to 4 (dissimilar). Early L2 acquisition predicts accurate within-categorization and high proficiency in late L2 acquisition predicts improved between-categorization. Our results suggest that the manner in which bilinguals learn to categorize non-native sounds depends on the cognitive processes available at the age of L2 exposure.

The effect of age of acquisition, socioeducational status, and proficiency on the neural processing of second language speech sounds

“…This ability to differentiate between L1 and L2 contrasts may be explained by children's acute perception of within-category and between-category phonemes. It has been found that early bilingual adults are able to ignore the irrelevant acoustic differences that exist between exemplars of the same phonemic L2 sound (e.g., hat – hat) and able to distinguish the phonetically meaningful differences that exist between exemplars of different L2 sounds (e.g., hat-hot) (Archila-Suerte et al, 2011). Even though the development of non-native speech perception in early bilinguals may not be linear (Bosch & Sebastián-Gallés, 2005), monolinguals and early bilinguals share a similar perceptual ability in the discrimination of speech sounds (Mayo, Florentine, & Buus, 1997).…”

“…However, it has been demonstrated that a high L2 proficiency level predicts improved perception of between-category speech sounds (Archila-Suerte et al, 2011). That is, highly proficient bilinguals can learn to distinguish between two phonemes of different L2 categories (e.g., hat-hot), especially if the L2 sound is markedly different from any L1 sound (Best et al, 2001; Fox, Flege, & Munro, 1995; Iverson et al, 2003).…”

“…In phonological learning specifically, early learners of a second language usually display more native-like patterns of L2 perception than late learners but a high proficiency level in late learners is also known to improve perception of second language sounds (Archila-Suerte, Zevin, Bunta, & Hernandez, 2011). Socieconomic status, which tends to correlate with socioeducational background, has recently emerged as a potential confounding variable in studies conducted with bilingual populations because many bilingual communities in the United States belong to minority groups of lower social standing.…”

L1 and L2 processing in the bilingual brain: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies

“…According to the framework of critical period, later L2 onset age is often associated with lower L2 performance due to the maturational decay of the ability to acquire language and/or the interference of the existing linguistic system (Archila-Suerte, Zevin, Bunta, & Hernandez, 2012;Archila-Suerte, Zevin, & Hernandez, 2015;Birdsong & Molis, 2001;Newport, 1990). Although a decline in L2 capability has been demonstrated in morphology, phonology, semantics, and syntax through adulthood (Flege, Yeni-Komshian, & Liu, 1999;Johnson & Newport, 1989;Weber-Fox & Neville, 1996), age six or seven is widely thought as the general turning point and thus the cut-off between early and late bilinguals (Meisel, 2004, chap.…”

Pronunciation in Foreign Language: How to Train?

“…Maturation then proceeded at the same level until the age of 30. This issue could provide evidence for the fact that only very early bilingualism (at approximately age 2) leads to native-like L2 acquisition (Goorhuis-Brouwer & de Bot, 2010) and to accurate phonetic production (Archila-Suerte et al, 2012). In sum, these studies explain sensitive periods in terms of brain development and functions.…”