The Effects of Language Experience on Speech Perception and Speech Production

Dear Colleagues,

We invite proposals for contributions to an upcoming Special Issue entitled “The Effects of Language Experience on Speech Perception and Speech Production”. Researchers are paying increasingly more attention to the role of input as a predictor of success in L2 segmental production and perception. A primary motivation of this shift is the increased skepticism of the view that maturational factors associated with normal development (e.g., the closure of a supposed critical period) will explain most or all observed inter-subject variability in studies of L2 production and perception. Existing research focusing on language experience has been wide-ranging in terms of research design and the participants examined. It has included the study of monolinguals who attempt to classify and/or repeat the sounds of an unknown language, research examining the performance of students in L2 classrooms, and the study of individuals who have been immersed in an L2 for short (e.g., study abroad programs) or long periods (e.g., immigration). The primary goal of this Special Issue is to identify and highlight similarities and differences that arise from research examining participants who differ so widely in language experience. The Special Issue will contribute to this line of research by consolidating novel studies examining how language experience shapes speech perception and speech production in L2 learning. We encourage proposals that employ innovative research techniques and/or examine novel learner populations, which can include but are certainly not limited to the following: naïve listeners producing/perceiving unknown languages, second language classroom learners, immersion experiences (study abroad/domestic immersion, missionaries, etc.), and long-term immigration.

Prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors are invited to submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send this to the Guest Editor (joseph.casillas@rutgers.edu) and CC the Languages Editorial Office (languages@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Tentative completion schedule:

• Abstract submission deadline: 20 April 2023
• Notification of abstract acceptance: 20 May 2023
• Full manuscript deadline: 20 December 2023

Dr. Joseph V. Casillas
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Languages is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.