Non-Natives Are Not Always Disadvantaged: Better-Than-Native Learning of Novel English Stress-Based Word Contrasts in Cantonese Listeners

Abstract

This study investigated whether a Cantonese advantage in English lexical stress perception would benefit word learning. Twenty Cantonese listeners and 20 English listeners completed four sessions of English word learning, in which the English pseudowords differed in segmental information, lexical stress, or both. Half of the English pseudowords had vowel reduction, while the other half did not. The sample size was 40, with trial accuracy in English pseudoword identification recorded across four sessions. A mixed-effects logistic regression on trial accuracy was performed. In Sessions 1 and 2, the Cantonese listeners identified the English pseudowords as accurately as the English listeners did. In Sessions 3 and 4, the Cantonese listeners outperformed the English listeners in identifying the English pseudowords without vowel reduction. The results suggested that Cantonese tone language experience could help listeners encode in long-term memory a novel second language (L2) phonological contrast that, in part, relies on fundamental frequency. Departing from the usual conception of first language (L1) interference in L2 vocabulary acquisition, Cantonese listeners showed better-than-native performance in English stress-related word learning. L1 influence is not necessarily detrimental to L2 vocabulary acquisition. A new research agenda is to investigate the circumstances under which L1 influence should be harnessed or reduced.