Posters

Tonal Recall: Musical Ability and Toneme Recognition

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Abstract

Because music and language both involve aural patterns and segments, they are speculated to share cognitive processes. Previous studies into the possible link between language- learning ability and musical ability have had inconsistent results. The current project investigated a possible correlation between musical ability and phonological perception. Specifically, this project addressed the following research questions: Is there a correlation between musical memory and the ability to recognize Mandarin tonemes? If so, does this correlation differ by gender or age? Adult participants completed a tone-deafness assessment that measured their pitch perception and short-term musical memory. Participants then watched a YouTube video that explained the tones used in Mandarin. After watching the video, they played an online game to measure their ability to identify the Mandarin tones that they had just learned. Finally, participants recorded their scores and demographic information (language history, age, and gender) in an online survey. The correlation between participants’ musical and toneme scores was calculated. The analysis showed a positive correlation between the two scores, with a slightly higher correlation for men than for women, and a higher correlation for older participants. The results suggest that musical ability is one of the individual differences that might confer a slight advantage on some second-language learners.

How to Cite:

Lorenzen, J., (2018) “Tonal Recall: Musical Ability and Toneme Recognition”, Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Proceedings 10(1).