Effects of oral practice on pronunciation: Focusing on word accentuation

Kayo Yoshida, Purdue University

Abstract

Instruction for pronunciation and prosody has attracted attention in the Japanese language education recently. Previous research shows that in-class instruction explicitly focused on pronunciation—such as shadowing, chorus reading, and repeating—is effective for acquiring correct accentuation. Therefore, the present research was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of repeating words in pronunciation focusing on accentuation acquisition. The mean results of the class-and-computer condition and class-only condition were compared to determine the effects of an out-of-class exercise using a video-based oral training computer application. The subjects who participated in the class-and-computer condition took a pretest, a posttest, and a delayed posttest in addition to the repetition exercise outside of class with the computer application. The subjects who participated in the class-only condition took only a pretest, a posttest, and a delayed posttest without the out-of-class exercise. The present research found that the subjects significantly improved in word accentuation after the training outside of class using the computer application. The out-of-class training with the computer application may maximize the limited time available for pronunciation practice in the classroom. The research also found some evidence that accent types are related to the amount of improvement. The participants made the greatest gain on words of the high center type (from 40.43% correct on the pretest to 61% correct on the posttest). Apart from accentuation, a difficulty with words with long vowels was observed on the pretest. When a word contained two long vowels, participants tended to shorten one of them.

Degree

M.A.

Advisors

Fukada, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Linguistics|Modern language|Language

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