This study aims at examination on the relationship between the
perception and production of Mandarin tone by Kazak minor
learners from China. The eight-day perceptual training course
of Mandarin tone is designed. Perception is assessed by means
of identification test. Production data is collected both at
pretest and post-test, and evaluated by native speakers of
Mandarin Chinese. The results from the perception at pretest
and post-test reveal that training Kazak learners to perceive
Mandarin tones has been shown to be effective, with
identification improvement by 22.7%. The trainees have big
difficulties in identifying tone 1. And tone 1 is more
incorrectly to be perceived as tone 2 than the reverse, and tone
2 is more incorrectly to be perceived as tone 3, and vice versa.
The production results show that, comparing to the pretest,
identification of trainees’ post-test tone productions improve
by 12%, indicating significant tone production improvement
after perceptual training. And acoustic analysis of the pretest
and post-test productions further indicate the pitch shape and
pitch height more resembles the native norm after the
perceptual training, but the pitch height is still a bit lower than
the native norm. These results are discussed by the means of
the relationship between Kazak native speakers’ perception
and production of Mandarin tone.