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Chaoqun鈥檚 MA dissertation explores how music aptitude and auditory perception influence second language learners learning pronunciation. In the study, the researchers looked at 48 moderately experienced Chinese learners of English who had lived in the UK for one year. They examined the relationship between music aptitude, a talent for perceiving musical sounds such as rhythms, keys etc.; auditory perception, the ability to hear very subtle differences in basic acoustic information such as frequencies, duration, intensity; and second language pronunciation skill.

The study found that learners who pronounced words closer to native speakers鈥� pronunciation demonstrated more precise auditory processing abilities. However, music aptitude was not necessarily a good predictor of successful second language learners. The study suggests that having a good ear matters for language learning throughout the lifespan and may be applicable to adults鈥� second language learning as it is for children鈥檚鈥� first language acquisition.

Dr Kazuya Saito, Chaoqun鈥檚 supervisor, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing achievement that Chaoqun鈥檚 dissertation has been published in a top-tier journal in the field of second language acquisition, Second Language Research. It鈥檚 so rare to see MA students鈥� dissertations published in a prestigious journal of this kind and is an incredible testament to Chaoqun鈥檚 study.鈥�

Second Language Research is a peer-reviewed academic journal in the field of linguistics, concerned foremost with second language acquisition and second-language performance.

Links

• Read the paper: 鈥樷��
• Centre for Applied Linguistics
• Department of Culture, Communication and Media

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