汉语言语产生的语音加工单元——基于音位的研究

The functional unit of phonological encoding in Chinese spoken production:Study on phonemes

言语产生的语音加工单元具有跨语言的特异性。在印欧语言中,音位是语音加工的重要功能单元。音位指具体语言中能够区别意义的最小语音单位,如"big"包含三个音位/b/,/i/,/g/。目前,在汉语言语产生中,对音位的研究较少。本项目拟采用事件相关电位技术,对汉语言语产生中的音位加工进行探讨,试图考察:在汉语言语产生中,1)音位加工的心理现实性,以及音位表征是否受第二语言、汉语拼音习得、拼音使用经验的影响?2)音位的加工机制是怎样的?具体而言,音位加工的特异性、位置编码、组合方式、时间进程是怎样的?对这些问题的回答,将有助于深化对汉语言语产生的认识,为建立汉语言语产生计算模型提供基础;为比较印欧语言与汉语在机制上的异同提供基础;为制定汉语语音教育教学方法提供心理学依据。

Speech production studies have demonstrated cross-linguistic differences in the processing units involved in phonological encoding.It has been widely assumed a critical role of phonemes in spoken production of Indo-European languages.Phonemes are normally conceived of as abstractions of discrete segmental speech sounds which can distinguish the meaning between words.For instance,the word"big"represents a sequence of three phonemes/b/,/i/,/g/.Currently,investigations on the processing units in Chinese spoken production mainly focused on syllables,whereas only few studies concern the role of phonemes.In the present project,we propose to comprehensively tackle the role of phoneme in Chinese speech production,focusing on its psychological reality,potential factors influencing phoneme-based effects,processing mechanism and temporal properties,using both behavioral and electrophysiological techniques.Specifically,we will investigate:1)whether phonemic processing has"psychological reality"in Chinese speech production,and whether sensitivity to phonemic representations is artificially induced by exposure to English as a second language,experience of Pinyin,or phoneme-based typing input method?2)how we process phonemes?Specifically,we are interested in whether phoneme-based effects are phoneme-specific and position-specific,how phonemes associate together to form larger units,and the temporal properties of phonemic processing.The findings of the present project will not only improve our understanding of how Chinese speakers produce words in mind/brain,but also provide insights into the construction and development of theoretical and computational models of Chinese speech production.In addition,the findings will provide basis for cross-language comparisons,and the development of scientific teaching approaches of Chinese phonology.