O uso de estímulos sintéticos em testes de percepção de vogais de uma língua estrangeira

Résumé

The development of models like Flege’s Speech Learning Model and Best’s Perceptual Assimilation Model directed Interphonology research to the perception of target language contrasts. These model shave triggered the development of perception tests, often using synthesized stimuli. The present paper discusses the ways previous studies have used these stimuli in vowel perception tests, and also presents the results of a pilot test developed in Brazil. While previous tests were concerned with checking the acoustic cues used in the perception of vowel contrasts, the present paper analyzes a test that can access the categorical boundaries in the perception of English front vowels by Brazilian Portuguese speakers and native English speakers. The stimuli for this test were created with the ASLsynthesizer; innovations can be observed in the test developmentand application.