Tonal language experience facilitates pitch perception in L2/3 Japanese

Abstract This study tested nine groups of listeners on their discrimination of three pitch accent patterns in Japanese-like nonwords. We performed three analyses on listeners’ pitch discrimination accuracy. The first compared two tonal language-speaking groups (Mandarin and Cantonese), the second involved L1 English groups with tonal or nontonal L2 classroom experience, and the third L2/3 Japanese learners at two proficiency levels. The main finding of the study revealed that speaking a tonal L1 or having learned a tonal language as an L2 facilitates the discrimination of Japanese pitch accent patterns. However, accuracy differences between the two tonal L1 groups were not detected on the discrimination task. In addition, Japanese proficiency only increased perceptual accuracy for L1 tonal speakers. These findings provide further evidence for facilitative transfer of tone experience to the prelexical processing of pitch in an L2/3.