English vowel perception by non-native speakers: impact of audio and visual training modalities

Abstract

Perception of sounds of a second language (L2) presents difficulties for non-native speakers which can be improved with training (Bradlow, Pisoni, Akahane-Yamada & Tohkura, 1997; Logan, Lively & Pisoni, 1991; Iverson & Evans, 2009). The aim of this study was to compare three different English vowel perceptual training programmes using audio (A), audiovisual (AV) and video (V) modes in non-native speakers with Spanish as native language (L1). 47 learners of English with Spanish as L1 were allocated to three different vowel training groups (AT, AVT, VT) and were given five training sessions to assess their improvement in English vowel perception. Additionally, participants were recorded before and after training to measure their improvement in the production of English vowels. Results showed that participants improved their perception and production of English vowels regardless of their training modality with no evidence of a benefit of visual information. These results also suggest that there is a lot of individual differences in perception and production of L2 vowels which may be related to a complex relation between speech perceptual and production mechanisms.