Most children learn a language such as Mandarin Chinese that uses lexical tone to communicate meaning. This study aimed to examine the phonological specificity of tone representations in monolingual and bilingual learners of Mandarin. Two age-groups were tested: toddlers (2.5 to 3.5 years) and preschoolers (4 to 5 years; N = 80). Using a preferential looking paradigm, children were presented with correct and mispronounced (Cantonese or Mandarin tone substitutions) forms of familiar words. In the aggregate, participants demonstrated preferential fixation to visual targets (naming effects) for correctly pronounced words, words mispronounced with native (Mandarin) tone substitutions, and for words mispronounced with nonnative (Cantonese) tone substitutions. However, naming effects were greater for correct pronunciations and for Cantonese tone mispronunciations relative to Mandarin tone mispronunciations. There were no interactions of responses to each trial type with age or with language exposure. Results are discussed in terms of possible determinants of tone sensitivity in early childhood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

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年龄和双语对母语和非母语声调变化敏感性的影响：来自普通话学习者口语识别的证据。

大多数孩子学习一种语言，例如汉语，它使用词汇语调来传达意思。本研究旨在检查普通话单语和双语学习者的声调表征的语音特异性。测试了两个年龄组：幼儿（2.5 至 3.5 岁）和学龄前儿童（4 至 5 岁；N = 80）。使用优先寻找范式，向儿童呈现正确和发音错误（粤语或普通话声调替代）形式的熟悉单词。总的来说，参与者表现出对正确发音的单词、用母语（普通话）声调替换读错的单词以及用非母语（粤语）声调替换发错的单词的视觉目标（命名效应）的优先注视。然而，与普通话声调错误相比，正确发音和粤语声调错误的命名效应更大。对每种试验类型的反应与年龄或语言接触没有相互作用。结果根据儿童早期音调敏感度的可能决定因素进行了讨论。（PsycInfo 数据库记录 (c) 2020 APA，保留所有权利）。