Sari Nenonen University of Helsinki

Anna Shestakova University of Helsinki

Minna Huotilainen University of Helsinki

Risto Näätänen University of Helsinki

Mismatch negativity (MMN) is a component of the auditory event-related potential (ERP) that reflects pre-attentive and automatic detection of acoustic changes in repetitive sound features (see Näätänen, 2001, for a review). In several studies, the MMN has been used as an index of duration-discrimination sensitivity in the brain. In the present cross-linguistic study, we used the MMN to determine the effect of native language, Russian, on the processing of speech-sound duration in a second language (L2), Finnish, that uses duration as a cue for phonological distinction. Based on the hypotheses of Flegeís (1995) Speech Learning Model (SLM), the native-language effect was compared with Finnish vowels that either can or cannot be categorized using the Russian phonological system (ìsimilarî and ìnewî sounds in the SLM, respectively). The results showed that in Russian L2 users of Finnish, the duration-change MMN for the Finnish sounds that could be categorized through Russian was reduced in comparison with that for the Finnish sounds having no Russian equivalent. For the Finnish sounds that have no Russian equivalent, new vowel categories independent of the native Russian language have apparently been established, enabling a native-like attuning of duration processing. However, in the sounds that can be mapped through the Russian phonological system, plastic changes facilitating the duration processing may be inhibited by the native Russian language.

References: Näätänen, R. (2001). The perception of speech sounds by the human brain as reflected by the mismatch negativity (MMN) and its magnetic equivalent (MMNm). Psychophysiology, 8, 1-21. Flege, J.E. (1995). Second language speech learning. Theory, Findings, and problems. In W. Strange (Ed.), Speech perception and linguistic experience. Issues in cross-language research (pp. 233-277). Timonium, MD: York press.

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