Processing accented speech in foreign language learning: Support for exemplar- based memory models in spoken language processing

The success of learning a second language can be attributed to factors pertaining to the learner, the learning environment, and a combination of these variables. In general, information that is cognitively easy to process produces a false sense of confidence in one's ability to remember future concepts. In the domain of second language learning, accented speech provides an ideal variable to explore how both familiarity and word type (e.g. emotional vs. non- emotional) impact success of language acquisition. Original data from two studies exploring the relationship between teacher accent and perceived familiarity by the learner is explored. Adult learners (English L1) of a second language (Marathi) were exposed to accents that varied in degree of familiarity and congruence with the target language. In a translation test, learners correctly translated a greater proportion of words that were studied in an unfamiliar accent than in their dominant accent (Experiment 1). However, this distinctiveness advantage disappears when learning tests are employed (Experiment 2). Findings support theories of exemplar- based memory that suggest the mental lexicon does not dissociate semantic meaning from the contextual properties in which spoken words are learned, or their defining features, when beginning to learn a new language. Applications to the classroom, clinical settings and future directions are provided.