This dissertation investigated 1) American L2 learners' perceptual ability to accurately identify Japanese pitch accent, and 2) learners' realization of Japanese pitch accent. This study was conducted to determine whether these abilities could be improved through training. Study 1 tested the ability to identify the accent location (pitch fall)…

This study investigates the question of whether language background affects the perception of lexical stress in English. Thirty native English speakers and 30 native Chinese learners of English participated in a stressed-syllable identification task and a discrimination task involving three types of stimuli (real words/pseudowords/hums). The…

The main aim of this study was to examine second language production and discrimination skills in the light of musical aptitude. Our study was conducted in university settings in south-western Finland. English was used as a model for the second language due to its popularity among young adults. There were three types of tests used in this study: a…

This paper explores the purported negative influence of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) on child second language acquisition (SLA) by studying Hong Kong Cantonese children's listening ability in second language (L2) English. 31 kindergarten third graders aged 4;6 to 6, and 29 first year secondary students aged 11-14 who have had a Filipino…

The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of vowels by speakers of English and Malayalam, native language of the state of Kerala, India. Three groups of subjects participated in the study, native speakers of English (L1E), native speakers of Malayalam (L1M) and native speakers of Malayalam who learnt English as a second language…

This study builds on the concept that aural-written verification helps L2 learners develop auditory discrimination skills, refine word recognition and gain awareness of form-meaning relationships, by comparing two modes of aural input: reading while listening (R/L) vs. listening only (L/O). Two test tasks (sequencing and gap filling) of 95 items,…

Dodson, in "Language Teaching and the Bilingual Method" (London; Pitman 1967, 1972), described a controversial, new bilingual method that involves the use of the mother tongue and introduction of the printed word along with the first auditory presentation. Dodson is interviewed about certain controversial points. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

An experiment is reported which was designed to determine whether the beginning student's ability to discriminate the sounds of Spanish can be increased by specific training which supplements the current texts. Training to improve discrimination included analytical material from the text and lectures, as well as listening exercises. (Author/RM)

Suggests ways to overcome the learner's difficulty in understanding spoken English, e.g., assimilation, elision, change of tempo and of style, and the reduction of stresses. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Discusses an aural discrimination test given to British students of French and examines the relationship between good aural discrimination ability and high achievement in a second language. (EKN)

An auditory perception study investigated the ability of 104 Japanese university students, all learners of English as a second language, to distinguish between five English voiceless fricatives in nonsense syllables. Stimuli consisted of 75 tokens presented in consonant-vowel, vowel-consonant-vowel, and vowel-consonant syllables spoken within a…

Describes a study in which measures of musical ability (pitch, loudness, and rhythm), auditory discrimination, and memory were used to account for variance in attained English as a second language (ESL) oral proficiency. Proposes research programs to determine whether training in musical abilities might be useful to ESL instruction. (SED)