Spoken word recognition and L2 listening performance : an investigation of the ability of Hong Kong learners to recognise the most frequent words of English when listening to news broadcasts
Since the late 1970s there has been extensive research into L1 spoken word recognition. However, in L2 listening research, there have been very few such studies, with most studies focusing on the final stage of speech processing (comprehension) and on how comprehension is affected by modifications to the spoken text and the use of strategies. The six experiments reported here are among the first to specifically focus on the spoken word recognition of L2 listeners. In the experiments, I investigate the word recognition rates of Hong Kong learners of English at intermediate level and above (university students and staff) listening to BBC news broadcasts. Using an innovative methodology that recorded the keystrokes made by participants when transcribing a recording, I was able to obtain insights into the listeners' initial perceptions of a section of speech. The results show that at the original speech rate (nearly 200 wpm), only one in three of the 1,000 most frequent words of English was recognised on first hearing a section of the news item, and only two in every three of these words were recognised on first attempting to transcribe the word. Even with slow speech rates (150 and 120 wpm) and short stretches
Pemberton, R.
Spoken word recognition and L2 listening performance : an investigation of the ability of Hong Kong learners to recognise the most frequent words of English when listening to news broadcasts. Since the late 1970s there has been extensive research into L1 spoken word recognition. However, in L2 listening research, there have been very few such studies, with most studies focusing on the final stage of speech processing (comprehension) and on how comprehension is affected by modifications to the spoken text and the use of strategies. The six experiments reported here are among the first to specifically focus on the spoken word recognition of L2 listeners. In the experiments, I investigate the word recognition rates of Hong Kong learners of English at intermediate level and above (university students and staff) listening to BBC news broadcasts. Using an innovative methodology that recorded the keystrokes made by participants when transcribing a recording, I was able to obtain insights into the listeners' initial perceptions of a section of speech. The results show that at the original speech rate (nearly 200 wpm), only one in three of the 1,000 most frequent words of English was recognised on first hearing a section of the news item, and only two in every three of these words were recognised on first attempting to transcribe the word. Even with slow speech rates (150 and 120 wpm) and short stretches
spoken word recognition listen performance investigation ability hong_kong learner recognise frequent word english listen news broadcast since extensive spoken word recognition however listening study study_focus final_stage speech processing comprehension comprehension affect modification speak text use strategy report among first specifically_focus spoken word recognition listener investigate word_recognition rate hong_kong learner_english intermediate_level university_student staff listening bbc news broadcast using innovative record make participant transcribe recording able obtain insight listener initial perception section speech show original speech_rate nearly frequent word english recognise first hear section news item every word recognise first_attempt transcribe word even slow speech_rate short stretch