Rhythm Pattern Database for Teaching Intelligible Pronunciation to Japanese EFL Learners

本文利用日本18本初中英语教材，建立了日本英语学习者清晰发音的节奏模式数据库。“节奏模式”显示了一个单词有多少个音节，以及它的主重音在哪里。该数据库包括音节数、节奏模式、体裁、相应的片假名词及其动词数等信息。根据数据库显示，单音节词和双音节词占据了教科书的90%。本研究旨在阐明26名日本英语学生使用三种不同的单词重音表达所读出的30个英语单词对42名不熟悉日本语言和文化的听者的可理解性的影响。结果表明，在“节奏模式”的帮助下发音的学生比在没有任何重音指示的情况下发音的学生更容易理解。

Rhythm Pattern Database for teaching intelligible pronunciation to Japanese EFL learners has been created, using all the 18 junior high school English textbooks. "Rhythm pattern" shows how many syllables a certain word has and where its primary stress comes. The database includes such information as the number of syllables, rhythm patterns, genres, corresponding katakana words and the number of their moras. According to the database, one-syllable words and two-syllable words occupy 90% of the textbooks.A study is conducted to clarify how 30 English words pronounced by 26 Japanese EFL students using three different representations of word stress influence intelligibility to the 42 listeners who are not familiar with Japanese language and culture. The result indicates that the words pronounced by the students with the help of "rhythm pattern" representation have enhanced intelligibility, compared with those pronounced with the words without any indication of word stress.