Non-Natives Are Not Always Disadvantaged
Better-Than-Native Learning of Novel English Stress-Based Word Contrasts in Cantonese Listeners
Datos Bibliográficos
| ID | 23310656 |
|---|---|
| Autores | William Choi (0000-0001-7981-7782, University of Hong Kong, autor de correspondencia), Ester Sze Hang Chan (University of Hong Kong), Pandora Joy Sze (University of Hong Kong), Cheuk Lun Isaac Lee (University of Hong Kong) |
| Año | 2026 |
| Fecha de publicación | 2026-07-27 |
| Peer Reviewed | Sí |
| Open Access | Sí |
| Tipo | ARTICLE |
| Revista | International Journal of Bilingualism (JOURNAL) |
| Identificadores de la revista | ISSN: 1367-0069 • E-ISSN: 1756-6878 |
| Editorial | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/13670069261464846 |
| OpenAlex | W7171361747 |
| Idioma | EN |
| Referencias citadas | 57 |
Aim: This study investigated whether a Cantonese advantage in English lexical stress perception would benefit word learning. Methodology: Twenty Cantonese listeners and 20 English listeners completed four sessions of English word learning, in which the English pseudowords differed in segmental information, lexical stress, or both. Half of the English pseudowords had vowel reduction, while the other half did not. Data and Analysis: The sample size was 40, with trial accuracy in English pseudoword identification recorded across four sessions. A mixed-effects logistic regression on trial accuracy was performed. Findings: In Sessions 1 and 2, the Cantonese listeners identified the English pseudowords as accurately as the English listeners did. In Sessions 3 and 4, the Cantonese listeners outperformed the English listeners in identifying the English pseudowords without vowel reduction. The results suggested that Cantonese tone language experience could help listeners encode in long-term memory a novel second language (L2) phonological contrast that, in part, relies on fundamental frequency. Originality: Departing from the usual conception of first language (L1) interference in L2 vocabulary acquisition, Cantonese listeners showed better-than-native performance in English stress-related word learning. Implications: L1 influence is not necessarily detrimental to L2 vocabulary acquisition. A new research agenda is to investigate the circumstances under which L1 influence should be harnessed or reduced.
American English · Contrast (vision) · Perception · Pseudoword · Stress (linguistics) · Tone (literature) · Vocabulary · Vowel · Word (group theory) · Language Development and Disorders · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Phonetics and Phonology Research
Stress and Non-Stress Accent
Tone
Native Listening
Lexical competition and the acquisition of novel words
Auditory and phonetic memory codes in the discrimination of consonants and vowels
Persistent stress ‘deafness’
A robust method to study stress “deafness”
A theory of lexical access in speech production
A perceptual interference account of acquisition difficulties for non-native phonemes
An investigation of current models of second language speech perception
Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4
Weight sensitivity and prominence in Laurentian French
Intonational Cues to Segmental Contrasts in the Native Language Facilitate the Processing of Intonational Cues to Lexical Stress in the Second Language
From fuzzy to fine-grained representations in the developing lexicon
Phonological processing and the L2 mental lexicon
The Influence of Native-Language Phonology on Lexical Access
A Destressing “Deafness” in French
Do Cantonese listeners have a non-native advantage in English stress-related lexical decision
Cantonese Tone Perception by Punjabi Speakers of Cantonese
A Stress “Deafness” Effect in European Portuguese
Forbear is a Homophone
Roles of Domain-General Auditory Processing in Second Language Speech Learning Revisited
Theorizing positive transfer in cross-linguistic speech perception
Perception of predictable stress
Korean listeners' processing of suprasegmental lexical contrasts in Korean and English
Bridging phonological system and lexicon
The weighting of vowel quality in native and non-native listeners' perception of English lexical stress
English Learners' Use of Segmental and Suprasegmental Cues to Stress in Lexical Access
The acquisition of English stress by speakers of nonaccentual languages
| Velocidad de citación | historical |
|---|---|
| Altamente citado | No |