Bilingual phonological contrast perception: The influence of Quanzhou Southern Min on Mandarin non-sibilant fricative discrimination

This study explores the discrimination of Mandarin non-sibilant fricatives by bilingual speakers (N = 40) of Quanzhou Southern Min (L1) and Mandarin (L2) in different phonological contexts, including rounded vowels and the glide w. The results of the ABX discrimination task indicate significant contextual effects of the following sound, in line with predictions based on the Perceptual Assimilation model (PAM) Best (1995). J. Phon. 20(3), 305-330. Additionally, the observed result could not be fully explained by the acoustic distance between stimuli, and discrimination ability was better for speakers with more exposure to and use of Mandarin.