Masakazu is a four-month-old Japanese infant. When presented the phonemes /r/ and /l/, he will _____.
A) not be able to discriminate between these two phonemes
B) be able to discriminate between these two phonemes
C) need the VOT changed to 10 msec to discriminate between the two phonemes
D) spontaneously mimic the /r/, but not the /l/

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

At four months of age, infants, including those from Japanese backgrounds, are still in the critical period of language acquisition where they can discriminate between phonemes from different languages, including those like /r/ and /l/, which may not be distinguished in their native language later in life.

Masakazu Is a Four-Month-Old Japanese Infant