Cover not available
Article published In:
Acquisition of Chinese: Bilingualism and Multilingualism
Edited by Boping Yuan and Yanyu Guo
[Journal of Second Language Studies 3:2] 2020
► pp. 180–204

Acoustic analysis of Chinese tone production by Thai-speaking learners of L2 Chinese

| The Education University of Hong Kong
| The Education University of Hong Kong
This article reports on an empirical study of Chinese tone production in various contexts by Thai-speaking learners of L2 Chinese. Comparisons are made between Thai students and Chinese native speakers. The acoustic data are analyzed in terms of pitch register, pitch contour and duration, which show that the main problems of Thai students are: (1) T1 is lower in sentence-mid and sentence-initial positions; (2) T2 is less rising or even exhibits a falling-rising contour at a lower register; (3) T3 cannot approximate a full falling-rising contour in isolated characters and at sentence-final position; (4) T4 is too long and the falling slope is too strong. Our results suggest that Thai students should make efforts in both pitch and rhythm control and pay attention to context variations. It is also suggested that similar research methods can be applied to L2 Chinese learners with different first languages (L1s).
Keywords: tone production, L2 speakers of Chinese, Thai speakers, acoustic analysis, error analysis, pitch, duration
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Chinese lexical tones
    • 1.2Previous studies of Chinese tone error patterns by Thai learners
  • 2.Research method
    • 2.1Design of a reading list
    • 2.2Participants, experiment procedures and recording settings
    • 2.3Acoustic measurement and data conversions
  • 3.Results and discussions
    • 3.1An overview of tone production patterns by both groups
    • 3.2Analyses by context types
    • 3.3Analyses by tone categories
    • 3.4Further discussions
  • 4.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 5 February 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jsls.19035.zha
References (30)
References
Boersma, P., & Weenink, D. (2018). Praat: Doing phonetics by computer [computer program]. Retrieved on 14 March 2018 from [URL]
Cai, Z.-Y., & Cao, W. (2002). 泰国学生汉语语音偏误分析 [An analysis of the pronunciation errors of Thai students]. 世界汉语教学 [Chinese Teaching in the World](60), 86–92.Google Scholar
Chao, Y. R. (1930/2006). A system of “Tone-letters”. In Z. Wu & X. Chao (Eds.), Linguistic essays by Yuenren Chao (Vol. 301, pp. 98–103). Beijing: Commercial Press, 2006. (Reprinted from: English version included in Z. J. Wu, & X. N. Chao (Eds.), 2006, Linguistic essays by Yuenren Chao (pp. 98–103). Beijing: Commercial Press).Google Scholar
Chen, E. (2006). 泰国学生汉语习得中的语音偏误分析 [A study of pronunciation errors to Thai students in the process of learning Chinese language]. (Master’s dissertation). 云南大学 [Yunnan Normal University], Kunming.Google Scholar
Corder, P. (1967). The significance of learner’s errors. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 41, 161–169.Google Scholar
Du, Y., & Liu, Z. (2017). 泰国来华留学生汉语学习初级阶段单字调偏误实验研究 [An experimental study on the monosyllabic tone mistakes produced by Chinese learners from Thailand who are at primary stage]. 贺州学院学报 [Journal of Hezhou University], 33(2), 53–59.Google Scholar
Fries, C. C. (1945). Teaching and learning English as a foreign language. University of Michigan Press.Google Scholar
Fu, Z. (1996). 泰语三百句 [Three hundred sentences in Thai]. Peking University Press.Google Scholar
Heydari, P., & Bagheri, M. (2012). Error analysis: Sources of L2 learners’ errors. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2(8), 1583–1589. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Jassem, W. (1971). Pitch and compass of speaking voice. Journal of International Phonetic Association, 121, 59–68. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Jeeranan, S., & Jian, Q. (2004). 泰国学生初学汉语的偏误分析 [The errors that occurred when the Thailand students begin to learn Chinese]. 云南师范大学学报 [Journal of Yunnan Normal University], 2(3), 46–49.Google Scholar
Klapuri, A., & Davy, M. (2006). Signal processing methods for music transcription: Springer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lado, R. (1981). Linguistics across cultures: Applied linguistics for language teachers. University of Michigan Press.Google Scholar
Li, H. (1995). 泰国学生汉语学习的语音偏误 [The pronunciation errors of Chinese learning of Thai students]. 世界汉语教学 [Chinese Teaching in the World] (32), 66–71.Google Scholar
Mao, L. (2007). 声调偏误与对外汉语声调教学研究综述 [General study of intonation errors and Chinese intonation teaching as a foreign language]. 湖南第一师范学报 [Journal of Hunan First Normal College], 7(2), 119–122.Google Scholar
Maritxalar, M., De Ilarraza, A. D., & Oronoz, M. (1997). From psycholinguistic modelling of interlanguage in second language acquisition to a computational model. Paper presented at the CoNLL97: Computational Natural Language Learning, ACL.
Menn, L., & Boyce, S. (1982). Fundamental frequency and discourse structure. Language and Speech, 251, 341–383. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Nemser, W. (1971). Approximative systems of foreign language learners. IRAL-International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 9(2), 115–124. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Ohala, J. J., & Eukel, B. W. (1987). Explaining the intrinsic pitch of vowels. In R. Channon & L. Shockey (Eds.), In honor of Ilse Lehiste (pp. 207–215). Foris.Google Scholar
Rose, P. (1987). Considerations in the normalisation of the fundamental frequency of linguistic tone. Speech Communication, 61, 343–351. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Rustipa, K. (2011). Contrastive analysis, error analysis, interlanguage and the implication to language teaching. Ragam Jurnal Pengembangan Humaniora, 11(1), 16–22.Google Scholar
Selinker, L. (1972). Interlanguage. IRAL-International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 10(1–4), 209–232.Google Scholar
Thepboriruk, K. (2010). Bangkok Thai tones revisited. Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society, 3(1), 86–105.Google Scholar
Wang, Y., & Zhang, P. (2013). 泰国学生汉语声调习得偏误声学实验分析 [An experimental study on the errors made by Thai students in learning Chinese four tones]. 普洱学院报 [Journal of Pu’er University], 29(1), 109–115.Google Scholar
Xu, Y. (1997). Contextual tonal variations in Mandarin. Journal of Phonetics, 251, 61–83. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Xue, D.-M. (2008). 泰国中学生汉语四声单字调获得情况研究 [Research on Thai middle-school students’ attainment of Mandarin mono-syllabic tones]. (Master’s dissertation). 暨南大学 [Jinan University], Guangzhou.Google Scholar
Yao, C.-L., & Ding, H. (2013). 在华泰国留学生汉语普通话语音习得新趋势 [New trends of the study on Mandarin Chinese voice learning for Thai students in China]. 河北联合大学学报（社会科学版） [Journal of Hebei United University (Social Science Edition)], 13(5), 117–119.Google Scholar
Zhang, J. (2013). 泰国中高年级学生汉语语音偏误分析及教学对策 [An analysis of the pronunciation errors and countermeasure in instruction of Thai senior students]. 贺州学院学报 [Journal of Hezhou University], 29(4), 121–125.Google Scholar
Zhang, L. (2019). Tone features of Chinese and teaching methods for second language learners. International Journal of Chinese Language Education, 51, 45–66.Google Scholar
Zhu, X. (2005). 上海声调实验录 [An Experimental Study in Shanghai Tones]. Shanghai: Shanghai Educational Publishing House.Google Scholar