Abstract—Accurate speech-sound perception and production are prerequisites for communication in a nonnative language. Earlier research has shown that new categorization and pronunciation patterns evolve in
different learning settings and that these skills can be trained with various methods. We tested the effects of
two types of training protocols on the production and identification of L2 vowels embedded in a pseudo-word
context. Group 1 (Producers) participated in a listen and repeat training, where they produced the target
stimulus /tᵾ:ti/ and the non-target stimulus /ty:ti/ after the example in a pseudo-randomized order; Group 2
(Listeners) was instructed to count the number of targets /tᵾ:ti/ in the same stimulus train without any motoric
production movements. The results showed clearly that listen and repeat training led to plastic changes both in
production and in identification, while no learning effects were obtained with the listening paradigm. This
suggests a significant role of motoric experience in the acquisition of speech.
Index Terms—non-native vowel production, vowel identification, active auditory and motoric training