Learning foreign sounds in an alien world: videogame training improves non-native speech categorization

Abstract

Although speech categories are defined by multiple acoustic dimensions, some are perceptually weighted more than others and there are residual effects of native-language weightings in non-native speech perception. Recent research on nonlinguistic sound category learning suggests that the distribution characteristics of experienced sounds influence perceptual cue weights: Increasing variability across a dimension leads listeners to rely upon it less in subsequent category learning (Holt & Lotto, 2006). The present experiment investigated the implications of this among native Japanese learning English /r/-/l/ categories. Training was accomplished using a videogame paradigm that emphasizes associations among sound categories, visual information, and players' responses to videogame characters rather than overt categorization or explicit feedback. Subjects who played the game for 2.5h across 5 days exhibited improvements in /r/-/l/ perception on par with 2-4 weeks of explicit categorization training in previous research and exhibited a shift toward more native-like perceptual cue weights.

Copyright © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Figures

Figure 1

Schematic diagram of training stimuli. The left panel shows the F2 and F3 onset frequency structure of /r/-/l/ stimuli whereas the right panel plots /d/-/g/ stimuli. All stimuli on the grids were used during perceptual cue weighting tasks. The stimuli highlighted with shaded rectangles were used during the training and categorization testing. Additional interleaved stimuli within the shaded region (not pictured) served as generalization stimuli.

Figure 2

Results of videogame training. The top panel illustrates pre- versus post-test percent correct categorization of /r/-/l/ and /d/-/g/ for Trained versus Control participants in comparison to native English listeners. The bottom panel shows the change in perceptual weighting of F3 in categorization responses from pre- to post-test among Trained and Control listeners on /r/-/l/ and /d/-/g/ tasks in comparison to native English listeners.