Aural lexical knowledge (ALK) is crucial for second language (L2) listening. Despite its importance, there scant research that has validly explored the relationship between ALK and L2 listening across different English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. In an effort to broaden this base, current study closely replicates previous study, Cheng et al. (2022), which measured single-word ALK, phr...

This paper investigates the use of Multi-Distribution Deep Neural Networks (MD-DNNs) for integrating acoustic and statetransition models in free phone recognition of L2 English speech. In Computer-Aided Pronunciation Training (CAPT) system, free phone recognition for L2 English speech is the key model of Mispronunciation Detection and Diagnosis (MDD) in the cases of allowing freely speaking. A ...

Abstract The current study explores how multilingual speakers with three typologically different languages (satellite-framed, verb-framed and equipollent-framed) encode gauge event similarity in the domain of caused motion. Specifically, it addresses whether, to what extent, acquisition an L2-English L3-Japanese reconstructs lexicalization conceptualization patterns established L1-Cantonese whe...

This study compared the performance of bilingual participants on the English and Spanish versions of the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT). The participants were divided into an early bilingual (EB) group and a late bilingual (LB) group based on age of second-language acquisition. All participants acquired Spanish as their first language (L1) and English as a second language (L2). Care was taken to ...

This study introduces and evaluates a computerized approach to measuring Japanese L2 oral proficiency. We present a testing and scoring method that uses a type of structured speech called elicited imitation (EI) to evaluate accuracy of speech productions. Several types of language resources and toolkits are required to develop, administer, and score responses to this test. First, we present a c...

Abstract This study examined perception of the American English (AE) /v/-/w/ consonant contrast by Hindi speakers as a second language (L2). A aim was to determine whether residence in US modulated this difficult for proficient bilingual Hindi-English listeners. Two groups bilinguals (the first resided more than five years, lived India) and group AE-speaking listeners participated study. Listen...

This study aimed to investigate the acquisition of liaison in English by Chinese-speaking learners. Ten second-year postgraduate students non-English majors Tongji University, China, were invited take part an experiment. They asked prepare recordings a set materials, including phrases, dialogues, and talking topic, before after self-study training on liaison. To examine every type their speech,...

This case study evaluates the characteristics of classroom speech found in classes taught by non-native elementary school English language instructors in Japan using corpora compiled by the authors. A corpus of spoken language was compiled from the lessons using XML tagging that marked speaker turns, language use, and classroom interaction modes. We then performed quantitative analyses on both ...

Infants use prosody to distinguish between rhythmically-distinct languages, but in multilingual settings infants often encounter speakers who learned one or more of their languages later in life. Late learners of a language typically carry over the timing of their L1 into their L2. Can infants tell when a single heavily-accented speaker switches between two rhythmically-distinct languages? Or d...

This study investigates the effect of tonal context on L2 learners’ production of Mandarin tones. Ten English-speaking learners of Mandarin were asked to imitate native productions of disyllables encompassing all possible tone combinations. Their productions were evaluated by two native judges. The results show that the learners’ error patterns vary depending on the tonal context. Specifically,...