LAUSR

To understand the development of native-like proficiency in speech processing, we must consider the apparent ease with which native speakers process speech sounds under a variety of conditions. In the present study, auditory temporal-order processing of American-English vowel sequences was compared across three listener groups: monolingual English speakers and relatively early vs. later learners of English as a second language. Using the methods of Fogerty, Humes and Kewley-Port [2010, J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 127, 2509-2520], 70-ms resynthesized versions of the syllables “pit, pet, put,” and “pot” were presented in a two-syllable temporal-order processing task. Task difficulty was increased by decreasing syllable-onset asynchrony (SOA), i.e., the duration between syllable onsets. SOA thresholds for accuracy of syllable-sequence identification were estimated using the method of constant stimuli on each of four 72-trial blocks. Similar SOA thresholds were obtained for native English speakers and early learners...