Abstract
Speakers of different languages might rely on differential phonological units when planning spoken output. In the present experiment, we investigated the role of phonemes, as well as the relative time course of syllabic vs phonemic encoding, in Mandarin Chinese word production. A form preparation task was combined with encephalography (EEG). In Experiment 1, word-initial phonemic overlap was manipulated; in Experiment 2, overlap was either in terms of phonemes or of syllables. Priming in latencies was found for syllabic but not for phonemic overlap. Phonemic overlap modulated ERPs in a 230-300 ms time window (range across Experiment 1 and 2) whereas syllabic overlap was found in a 200-280 ms time window. These results show that both phonemes and syllables are important planning units for Chinese speakers, and the relatively similar time course of activation provides important constraints on psycholinguistic models of Chinese spoken production.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 107559 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Neuropsychologia |
Early online date | 15 Jul 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2020 |
Keywords
- Chinese spoken word production
- phonological encoding
- syllable
- phoneme
- form preparation task