A cross-language comparison of /d /–/ð / perception: Evidence for a new developmental pattern

• DOI: 10.1121/1.1362689
• Publication Date: 2006-01-05T18:22:11Z
• Authors: Linda Polka; Connie Colantonio; Megha Sundara
• Keywords: Phonotactics

Previous studies have shown that infants perceptually differentiate certain non-native contrasts at 6-8 months but not 10-12 of age, whereas differentiation is evident both ages in for whom the test are native. These findings reveal a language-specific bias to be emerging during first year life. A developmental decline observed all contrasts, it has been consistently reported every contrast which language effects adults, In present study English /d-th/ by English- and French-speaking adults French-learning two (6-8 months) was compared using conditioned headturn procedure. Two emerged. First, perceptual unaffected experience life, despite robust evidence adulthood. Second, had facilitative effect on performance after 12 months, remained unchanged absence specific experience. data clearly inconsistent with previous as well predictions based conceptual framework proposed Burnham [Appl. Psycholing. 7, 201-240 (1986)]. Factors contributing these patterns include acoustic properties /d-th/, phonotactic uniqueness /th/, influence lexical knowledge phonetic processing.