Acquisition of Speech Perception by Second Language Learners : Learning Process of Japanese Special Phonemes

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The principal purpose of this project was to describe and analyze the acquisition processes of speech perception in learning Japanese as a second language (L2) from a new viewpoint, called here "learning paradigm in speech perception studies", and to clarify the hierarchical and sequential structures of learning.(1) Theoretical researchSeveral theoretical and methodological problems in the previous experimental studies on L2 speech perception learning were discussed, and new viewpoints and methods were proposed to overcome these problems.(2) Experimental researchCharacteristics of L2 speech perception were experimentally clarified by using a cross-language design between Japanese and American English. Native speakers of Japanese had various confusion at the segmental level (English vowels, /r/-/I/, and so on ) ; those of American English had difficulties not at the segmental level but at the suprasegmental level (i.e.Japanese mora).Native speakers of American English and Chinese were t … More rained to identify Japanese short/long vowels and the special phoneme/Q/ (moraic geminata). Both groups of subjects showed stable improvements in the training and extensive generalization in the achievement tests. The laboratory training using natural tokens was effective for generalization over unfamiliar phonemic contexts and talkers. Various exemplars in the phonemic contexts facilitated the perceptual learning, but sufficient amounts of training trials compensated for the insufficient variability in the exemplars. The importance of analyzing the dynamic and plastic acquisition processes in the studies of L2 speech perception learning was clarified.(3) ProspectsIt is necessary to develop a computer-assisted learning system for Japanese speech perception in order to support autonomous learning by individual learners. In such a learning system, training stimulus sets should be optimized both in acoustical/phonetical space and in temporal/sequential structure of training. To develop an effective training system for native speakers of various languages, cross-language experimental studies for those languages will be indispensable. Less