| Summary: | Substantial research suggests high variability (multi-talker) phonetic training helps second
language adults improve differentiation of challenging non-native speech sounds. Is such
training also useful for L2 children? Existing studies have mixed findings and important
limitations. We investigate the potential benefits of computerised phonetic training for 50 Dutch
7-year-olds and 39 11-year-olds trained on English vowel contrasts in a two-week study, in a
classroom setting. Half received multi-talker, half single-talker input (HV versus LV) with learning
evaluated by a battery of tests. Both groups improved in training, however, 11-year-olds
improved more. Moreover, 11-year-olds showed generalisation to novel talkers while 7-year-olds
did not, with Bayes Factor analyses providing evidence for the null. Generalisation in 11-yearolds was no greater following HV than LV input, with evidence for the null on one of two tasks
where generalisation was found. Results are discussed in terms of the interplay between age,
task demands and talker variability.
|
|---|