Beyond temporal dominance: Reassessing spectral and temporal cues in second language speech using multilingual corpus data
Beyond temporal dominance: Reassessing spectral and temporal cues in second language speech using multilingual corpus data

Summary/Abstract: The relative importance of temporal and spectral cues in non-native speech sound production and perception has been explored in numerous studies (Bohn, 1995; Ćavar et al., 2022; Gao et al., 2020; Yazawa et al., 2023). The prevailing view in the existing literature mostly suggests that second language (L2) speakers tend to prioritize temporal cues over spectral cues (Perwitasari, 2019; Yuan & Archibald, 2022); however, some recent studies (e.g., Ćavar et al., 2022) have reported mixed patterns. To enhance our comprehension of the utilization of temporal and spectral cues in L2 speech, the present study employs a larger-scale corpus analysis of L2 English with the L2-ARCTIC corpus (Zhao et al., 2018), incorporating data from six L1 backgrounds. This study compares the duration, F1, and F2 of tense and lax vowels, evaluating the rel- ative significance of these cues in tense-lax distinctions through linear mixed-effects models and random forest classification models. Surprisingly, the re- sults do not align with the prevalent notion that speakers prioritize temporal cues over spectral cues. Instead, the speakers exhibited a greater preference for spectral cues, in contrast to previous research. These findings offer novel insights into the interplay between temporal and spectral cues in non-native speech production and perception.

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