Leung Keith K W, Lu Yu-An, Wang Yue
Department of Linguistics, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300093, Taiwan.
Brain Sci. 2025 Jun 22;15(7):671. doi: 10.3390/brainsci15070671.
A transfer of learning effects across speech perception and production is evident in second-language (L2)-learning research, suggesting that perception and production are closely linked in L2 speech learning. However, underlying factors, such as the phonetic cue weightings given to acoustic features, of the relationship between perception and production improvements are less explored. To address this research gap, the current study explored the effects of Mandarin tone learning on the production and perception of critical (pitch direction) and non-critical (pitch height) perceptual cues.
This study tracked the Mandarin learning effects of Indonesian adult learners over a four-to-six-week learning period.
We found that perception and production gains in Mandarin L2 learning concurrently occurred with the critical pitch direction cue, F0 slope. The non-critical pitch height cue, F0 mean, only displayed a production gain.
The results indicate the role of critical perceptual cues in relating tone perception and production in general, and in the transfer of learning effects across the two domains for L2 learning. These results demonstrate the transfer of the ability to perceive phonological contrasts using critical phonetic information to the production domain based on the same cue weighting, suggesting interconnected encoding and decoding processes in L2 speech learning.
在第二语言（L2）学习研究中，学习效果在言语感知和产出之间的转移是明显的，这表明在L2言语学习中，感知和产出紧密相连。然而，对于感知和产出改善之间关系的潜在因素，如赋予声学特征的语音线索权重，却较少被探究。为了填补这一研究空白，本研究探讨了普通话声调学习对关键（音高方向）和非关键（音高高度）感知线索的产出和感知的影响。
本研究追踪了印度尼西亚成年学习者在四到六周学习期内的普通话学习效果。
我们发现，在普通话L2学习中，感知和产出的提升与关键音高方向线索F0斜率同时出现。非关键音高高度线索F0均值仅显示出产出方面的提升。
结果表明关键感知线索在一般情况下将声调感知与产出联系起来，以及在L2学习中跨两个领域的学习效果转移方面所起的作用。这些结果证明了利用关键语音信息感知音系对立的能力基于相同的线索权重转移到了产出领域，这表明在L2言语学习中存在相互关联的编码和解码过程。
