Vowel perception in Chinese–Japanese cognates across language contexts: an ERP study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This electroencephalographic study investigated cross-language vowel processing in Chinese speakers without Japanese-learning experience and Chinese-Japanese bilinguals with varying Japanese proficiency using an auditory oddball paradigm. Participants processed shared vowels (/a/, /i/) in Chinese-Japanese cognates under single- and mixed-language contexts. Behaviourally, mixed-language contexts produced longer reaction times, particularly for Japanese targets. ERP findings revealed stage-specific effects of language context and target language: MMN reflected early phonetic discrimination and target-language sensitivity, P3a indexed context-dependent attentional orienting, and N400 reflected later sensitivity to language membership and contextual configuration. These findings show that cross-language vowel processing involves dynamic interactions among phonetic mapping, attentional orienting, and lexical-semantic processing, with processing patterns varying with Japanese proficiency. By integrating behavioural and ERP measures, this study provides evidence for the multi-stage and proficiency-sensitive nature of cross-language vowel processing..
Source: Figshare
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214636610