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Article published In: Chinese as a Second Language (漢語教學研究—美國中文教師學會學報)
Vol. 52:1 (2017) ► pp.3–27

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Prosodic features, self-monitoring, and dysfluency in native and non-native Mandarin speech

 | University of Wisconsin – Madison
Published online: 4 September 2017
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https://doi.org/10.1075/csl.52.1.01yan
Abstract
This study explores the relationship between the prosodic features for time delay, self-monitoring in speech production, and perceived dysfluency. In this study, twenty native and non-native speakers of Chinese took a speech test. Each speech was transcribed, prosodic features were assigned symbols, and the coding system traced self-monitoring. An additional twenty-eight native speakers assessed the fluency of the speech samples, and then the researcher matched assessment results with symbols and coding, and analyzed them. The results indicate that uh/um and self-monitoring influence perceived dysfluency in most cases while other prosodic features do not; that the filled pause in non-native speech is a salient feature of perceived dysfluency; and how a dysfluency is perceived. The study also finds the native speakers’ perception bias.
摘要
本文从言语表达和感知的角度研究造成延时的韵律特点、自我监控和不流利之间的关系。十位汉语母语者和十位汉语学习者参加了本研究项目中的口语考试。口试的内容被录音，并被转写成汉字，韵律特点用特殊的符号标明，而四种自我监控形式也被标注。同时，另有二十八位汉语母语者对这些口语语料进行评估。研究者将评估的结果与转写中的韵律标示和自我监控标示进行对比，分析他们的关系。结果表明在大多数情况下，口语表达中有声停顿呃/嗯和自我监控影响不流利的感知，而无声停顿、延长和实词作为有声停顿则不影响不流利感知；汉语学习者口语表达中的有声停顿是感知不流利的非常鲜明的特点。结果显示了在何种情况下，汉语学习者口语表达中的无声停顿会被感知为不流利。本研究还发现了母语者在感知汉语学习者不流利时的偏见。
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1What is fluency?
    • 1.2What is studied?
    • 1.3Assessment of fluency
      • 1.3.1Analysis of production
      • 1.3.2Perception assessment
      • 1.3.3Some terms used in the production analysis
  • 2.Methodology
    • 2.1Participants
    • 2.2Procedure
    • 2.3Analysis
      • 2.3.1Transcription
      • 2.3.2Counting and coding system
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1Global score and local dysfluency number: highly correlated
    • 3.2The relationship between prosodic features/self-monitoring and perceived dysfluency
      • 3.2.1How many prosodic features or self-monitorings are produced when dysfluencies are perceived?
      • 3.2.2How many dysfluencies are perceived when a specific feature is produced?
      • 3.2.3Feature combinations and perceived dysfluencies
      • 3.2.4In which cases do prosodic features and self-monitoring influence fluency?
        • 3.2.4.1Analysis of silent pause
        • 3.2.4.2Analysis of filled pause
        • 3.2.4.3Analysis of self-monitoring
  • 4.Discussion
    • 4.1NS perceptual bias
    • 4.2How do prosodic features and self-monitoring influence perceived fluency?
    • 4.3Comparison between NS and NNS
  • 5.Conclusion
  • 6.Pedagogical implications
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
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