A twin study of speech perception and production in first and second language among Chinese children learning English as a second language

Abstract

The faculty of language processing in our brain develops with the constraint of our genetic dispositions and also our experiences. Do the same genetic influences affect learning of phonology in L1 and L2? This study examines the genetic and environmental effects on the individual differences on L1 and L2 speech perception and production among Chinese children learning English as a second language. By employing a twin‐study design, 150 pairs of monozygotic and 150 pairs of same‐sex dizygotic twins aged from 4 to 11 were tested. Children’s speech perception and production in both languages were assessed with an AXB speech perception task of minimal word pairs and two picture naming tasks, respectively. Children’s nonverbal IQ was also measured. Scores of accuracy will be computed for each task. Analyses will be conducted to consider the relationship between accuracy in perception and production in L1 and L2, to estimate the extent of genetic contribution to speech perception, and to determine whether heritable individual differences are accounted for by a common factor, or whether different factors influence proficiency in L1 and L2.