When Variability Matters in Second Language Word Learning

More about the book

The research explores the impact of training with multiple talkers on native English speakers' ability to acquire Arabic pharyngeal-glottal consonant contrasts. It analyzes learner performance across two discrimination tasks after a word-learning phase, comparing the effects of multiple versus single talker training. Findings support the hypothesis that variability in talkers aids in recognizing non-native consonant phonemes, while also indicating that different task demands do not significantly affect the ability to distinguish these novel contrasts.