22.1561, Diss: Phonetics/Neuroling: Grenon: 'The Bi-Level Input Processing ...'

Wed Apr 6 14:23:16 UTC 2011

LINGUIST List: Vol-22-1561. Wed Apr 06 2011. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 22.1561, Diss: Phonetics/Neuroling: Grenon: 'The Bi-Level Input Processing ...'

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1)
Date: 06-Apr-2011
From: Izabelle Grenon [zazafig at yahoo.ca]
Subject: The Bi-Level Input Processing Model of First and Second Language Perception

-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:18:43
From: Izabelle Grenon [zazafig at yahoo.ca]
Subject: The Bi-Level Input Processing Model of First and Second Language Perception

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Institution: University of Victoria 
Program: Department of Linguistics 
Dissertation Status: Completed 
Degree Date: 2010 

Author: Izabelle Grenon

Dissertation Title: The Bi-Level Input Processing Model of First and Second
Language Perception 

Dissertation URL:  http://hdl.handle.net/1828/2907

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Ling
                     Neurolinguistics
                     Phonetics
                     Psycholing

Subject Language(s): English (eng)
                     French (fra)
                     Japanese (jpn)

Dissertation Director(s):
Ewa Czaykowska-Higgins
Sonya Bird

Dissertation Abstract:

The focus of the current work is the articulation of a model of speech sound
perception, which is informed by neurological processing, and which accounts for
psycholinguistic behavior related to the perception of linguistic units such as
features, allophones and phonemes. 

The Bi-Level Input Processing (BLIP) model, as the name suggests, proposes
two levels of speech processing: the neural mapping level and the phonological
level. The model posits that perception of speech sounds corresponds to the
processing of a limited number of acoustic components by neural maps tuned to
these components, where each neural map corresponds to a contrastive speech
category along the relevant acoustic dimension in the listener's native
language. These maps are in turn associated with abstract features at the
phonological level, and the combination of multiple maps can represent a segment
(or phoneme), mora or syllable. 

To evaluate the processing of multiple acoustic cues for categorization of
speech contrasts by listeners, it may be relevant to distinguish between
different types of processing. Three types of processing are identified and
described in this work: additive, connective and competitive. 

The way speech categories are processed by the neurology in one's L1 may
impact the perception and acquisition of non-native speech contrasts later in
life. Accordingly, five predictions about the perception of non-native contrasts
by mature listeners are derived from the proposals of the BLIP model. These
predictions are exemplified and supported by means of four perceptual behavioral
experiments. Experiments I and II evaluate the use of spectral information
(changes in F1 and F2) and vowel duration for identification of an English vowel
contrast ('beat' vs. 'bit') by native North American English, Japanese and
Canadian French speakers. Experiments III and IV evaluate the use of vowel
duration and periodicity for identification of an English voicing contrast
('bit' vs. 'bid') by the same speakers. Results of these experiments demonstrate
that the BLIP model correctly predicts sources of difficulty for L2 learners in
perceiving
non-native sounds, and that, in many cases, L2 learners are able to capitalize
on their sensitivity to acoustic cues used in L1 to perceive novel (L2)
contrasts, even if those contrasts are neutralized at the phonological level in
L1. Hence, the BLIP model has implications not only for the study of L1
development and cross-linguistic comparisons, but also for a better
understanding of L2 perception. Implications of this novel approach to L2
research for language education are briefly discussed. 

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