Issues of underlying cognitive functions in nonnative speech perception

Among the cognitive resources we bring as a foundation to speech acquisition, some facilitate and others challenge the path forward. Compared to a native language (NL), second language (L2) speech acquisition naturally begins after the NL, which has the direct consequence that it can build on the NL acquisition process and on the emerging NL, as well as other non-speech experience that has been attained and which would not have been available during NL acquisition. With a focus on speech perception, the facilitation and challenges posed by non-speech temporal and frequency-based experience are discussed for L2 acquisition.