Abstract
Most current theories and models of second language speech perception are grounded in the notion that learners acquire speech sound categories in their target language. In this paper, this classic idea in speech perception is revisited, given that clear evidence for formation of such categories is lacking in previous research. To understand the debate on the nature of speech sound representations in a second language, an operational definition of "category"is presented, and the issues of categorical perception and current theories of second language learning are reviewed. Following this, behavioral and neuroimaging evidence for and against acquisition of categorical representations is described. Finally, recommendations for future work are discussed. The paper concludes with a recommendation for integration of behavioral and neuroimaging work and theory in this area.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3025-3034 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | journal of the Acoustical Society of America |
| Volume | 152 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 1 2022 |
Funding
This work is partially supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant Nos. BCS-1734166, BCS-2117665, and IIS-2024926 to M.M.B.B.; National Institutes of Health (NIH)-National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) Grant No. F32DC018979 to C.L.R., and NIH Grant No. R01DC015504 to B.C. 1
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
- Acoustics and Ultrasonics