“Panda” or “Bear, cat”: Mandarin-speaking preschoolers use duration and pitch to distinguish compounds and lists

Compounds (e.g., jellybeans) and list forms (e.g., jelly, beans) can be distinguished by the presence or absence of boundaries, marked by durational and pitch cues. Studies have shown that 5-year-olds learning English have acquired both cues for distinguishing compounds and lists. However, it is not clear how and when this ability is acquired by children speaking tonal languages, such as Mandarin. This study examined whether Mandarin-speaking preschoolers can use durational and pitch cues to distinguish compounds and lists and whether their productions are adult-like. Thirty-one 4-year-olds, 34 5-year-olds, 29 6-year-olds, and 43 adults participated in an elicited production experiment. Results showed that similar to English-speaking preschoolers, Mandarin-speaking preschoolers can use durational cues to mark boundaries, triggering appropriate pitch changes for distinguishing compounds and lists, though these were not fully adult-like, even in the oldest age group.