Most studies of non‐native speech perception have examined adult subject populations, as tests on infants, toddlers, and older children can be methodologically difficult to conduct. Direct application of methods used for adults in the assessment of children can be problematic. Such methods can be long, mentally fatiguing, and cognitively complex. In addition to task variables, stimuli which are difficult to perceive, such as non‐native speech sounds, make such tests on children all the more difficult. The present study examines a new computer‐based testing method specifically designed to test the discrimination of non‐native speech sounds with 5‐ to 15‐year‐old children. The design uses an oddity task that presents non‐native phoneme contrasts in a way that is engaging and motivating. For baseline comparison, discrimination data were obtained from 10 AE and 10 Hindi speaking adults using four phonetically different, natural CV Hindi speech contrasts and compared to identification data previously obtained from AE and Hindi adults using the same stimuli (Pruitt, 1995) implemented with a standard adult‐testing protocol. Results from pilot testing with children and adults using this new computer‐based method will be discussed and compared to the baseline identification and discrimination data. [Work supported by NICHD HD37954 to P. K. Kuhl.]
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