2021 Spring

[Cancelled] Prof. Man-ni Chu (Fu Jen Catholic University)

Prof. Carlos Gussenhoven (National Yang ming Chiao Tung University & Radboud University)

Prof. Roeland van Hout (Radboud University)

12:10-13:10 pm, Location: HC2, 2F, F210

"Perception-induced sound change and the identification of plosives in the coda: a cross-linguistic study"

Abstract: Ohala (1989, 1993a,b) claimed that the source of sound change may lie in misperceptions which can be replicated in the laboratory in language-neutral conditions. We tested this claim for the change of /t/ to /k/ in the coda in the Southern Min dialect of Chaoshan. We conducted a forced-choice segment identification task with CVC syllables in which the final C varied across the segments [p t k ʔ] in addition to a number of further variables, including the V, which ranged across [i u a]. Three groups of participants whose native languages have the coda systems /p t k ʔ/ (Zhangquan), /p k ʔ/ (Chaoshan) and /p t k/ (Dutch) took part. The results indicate that [t] is the least stably perceived segment overall. It is particularly disfavoured when it follows [a], where there is a bias towards [k]. We argue that this finding supports a perceptual account of the historically documented scenario that a change from /at/ to /ak/ preceded and triggered a more general merger of /t/ with /k/ in the coda of Chaoshan. The fact that the perception results are essentially the same across the three language groups lends credibility to Ohala’s scenario of perceptually motivated sound changes, while we grant that these are not the only or even the most common type of sound change.

April. 30 Prof. Carlos Gussenhoven (National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University & Radboud University)

Prof. Yu-an Lu (National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University)

Prof. Sang-Im Lee-Kim (National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University)

12:10-13:10 pm, Location: HC3, 4F, R402

"Exploring the sequence recall task for pitch distinctions"

Abstract: The Sequence Recall Task (SRT) has been used to detect the lexical status of word stress. We address the question whether the SRT can similarly distinguish languages with and without lexical tone. Using three pitch contrasts implemented on monosyllabic stimuli in addition to a segmental control contrast, we administered an SRT to speakers of atonal Indonesian, semi-tonal Swedish, tonal Zhumadian Mandarin, and tonal Taiwan Mandarin. Two hypotheses were tested. The first was that high performance in an SRT with pitch contrasts indicates the lexical status of tone. The second hypothesis was that performance in a tonal SRT depends on a number of phonological and phonetic factors that characterize tone systems. The first hypothesis was not fully borne out because of the strong effects of the factors addressing the second hypothesis. Specifically, the salience of the pitch contrast, the presence of the pitch contrast in a language's phonology, and the complexity of the tone system strongly influenced the accuracy scores, by the side of the general aptitude of participants as measured by their performance on the segmental control contrast. We attribute this finding to the richer phonological nature of tone, which functions in tone systems of greatly varying complexity across languages, compared to stress, which typically is a binary concept. This suggests that a tonal SRT is less likely to discriminate between tonal and atonal languages sampled from a typologically varied group, but might well usefully discriminate between otherwise similar tonal and atonal varieties of the same language, as available for Swedish, whose tonal varieties have not in fact been generally recognized as being tonal.

Mar. 12 Dr. Wei-Rong Chen (Haskins Labs, Yale)

12:10-13:10 pm, Location: HC3, 4F, R402

"Current developments in acoustic analysis"

Abstract: Many of our acoustic measurement tools and algorithms can be dated back to more than 50 years ago. In this talk, I will review the most recent developments in the theories/algorithms of acoustic measurements, including formants measurement, f0 tracking, and fricative analysis, and lead a discussion about what are the best practices in running acoustic analyses.