This article presents a comparative study of rhythmic measures in read speech produced by Mandarin-speaking learners of French as a foreign language and native French speakers. Using a range of acoustic cues (%V, ΔC, VarcoΔC, CrPVI, CnPVI, VarcoΔV, vrPVI, vnPVI), the analysis reveals significant differences in the temporal organization of speech. Mandarin-speaking learners exhibit increased variability in raw measures, reflecting local hesitations and lengthening, as well as a higher vocalic proportion, consistent with prosodic influences from Mandarin. Normalized indices show a more nuanced rhythmic organization, though still distinct from that of native speakers. These findings highlight the strong impact of the learners’ mother tongue on foreign language rhythmic production and provide pedagogical implications for improving prosody acquisition in French as a foreign language among Mandarin-speaking learners.
Wang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.