The combined effects of L1-specific and extralinguistic factors on individual performance in a tone categorization and word identification task by English-L1 and Mandarin-L1 speakers

Adult second language learners often show considerable individual variability in the ease with which lexical tones are learned. It is known that factors pertaining to a learner’s first (L1; such as L1 tonal status or tone type) well extralinguistic (such musical experience and working memory) modulate learning facility. However, how L1-specific affect performance together dynamic ways less understood. Therefore, unpack potential interactions between these for learners, we assessed combined effects of status, type, memory on (L2) perception word pseudolanguage by English-L1 Mandarin-L1 adult using pre-lexical categorization task identification task. We found L2 were primarily facilitated factors, but degree rely modulated their instance English, not Mandarin participants. also clear participants tended struggle categorizing lexically processing level contrasts, do occur Mandarin.