Presenter(s): Chia-ni Shen − Psychology, Communication Disorders & Sciences
Faculty Mentor(s): Melissa Baese-Berk
Poster 118
Research Area: Linguistics (Second Language Production And Perception)
Funding: UROP Mini Grant
In this project, we will examine the effectiveness of audiovisual training, pairing audio input with visual input, on non-native English speech production and perception. Speech perception relies on both acoustic information and visual information. Audiovisual training is a method that applies use of the two domains. Previous research utilizing this method has been employed in the field of speech pathology, showing positive outcomes in improving speech among dyslexic children. However, few studies to date have examined its use in second language learning. Furthermore, this research has focused primarily on perception and production of English /l/ and /r/ but not consonants made with the lips (i.e., labial sounds: /b,p,m,f,v/), which are known to be challenging for many second language learners though the differences between these consonants are typically visible on the lips. Therefore, the aim of this project is to explore audiovisual training across 3 non-native language groups: Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic. Participants will take part in a training study designed to examine the effects of audiovisual and audio-only training. Performance before and after the training will be assessed via perception and production tests. We hypothesize that 1) student production performance and perception performance will improve and 2) production and perception improvement will rely heavily on a participant’s language background and known difficulties with labial sounds. Results from this research will enrich understanding of language perception and production and provide information on the use of audiovisual training in second language learning.