• Search Research Projects
  • Search Researchers
  • How to Use
  1. Back to project page

2000 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

An Experimental Phonetic Study of Japanese and Other Languages for Teaching Japanese Speech Sounds.

Research Project

Project/Area Number 10480047
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B).

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Japanese language education
Research InstitutionHOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY

Principal Investigator

KURIHARA Takehiko  Hokkaido Univ., Institute of Language and Culture Studies, Professor., 言語文化部, 教授 (40000608)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) NOZAWA Toshitaka  Hokkaido Univ., Institute of Language and Culture Studies, Professor., 言語文化部, 教授 (60113601)
YAMADA Kitchijiro  Hokkaido Univ., Graduate School of International Media and Communication, Professor., 大学院・国際広報メディア研究科, 教授 (40091516)
TAKENAKA Nozomi  Hokkaido Univ., Institute of Language and Culture Studies, Associate Professor., 言語文化部, 助教授 (20227044)
FUJITAKA Naomasa  Hokkaido Univ., Professor Emeritus., 名誉教授 (00000589)
SUGA Yasuo  Hokkai Gakuen Univ., School of Humanities., Professor., 人文学部, 教授 (30154438)
Project Period (FY) 1998 – 2000
KeywordsSound spectrograph / Formant History / Fundamental frequencies. / F1-F2 Chart / Pitch contour and energy spectrum / high-pitched word-initial accent / Devoicing / Beginning or Attaque (Stimmeinsatz (m)).
Research Abstract

This three-year research project focused on segmental and prosodic characteristics of Japanese words and utterances produced by native speakers of English, German, French, Russian, Chinese and Korean. The common research themes include the acoustic features of the vowel /u/ with their formant configurations, double consonants ("sokuon") and the syllabic nasal (/N/ "hatsuon"), and the occurrence and non-occurrence of vowel devoicing in relevant environments. Prosodic features of non-native speakers' data are also acoustically analyzed in terms of pitch contours, pitch range, accent, length, pause and energy. The contrastive acoustic analyses have yielded a number of interesting results. Among the findings are :
(1) the Japanese vowel u/ has a wider distribution than other vowels, as predicted, both among native and nonnative speakers, with the second formant structure fluctuating between a relatively low value (approximately 1100Hz) and an intermediate value (1800Hz or higher), depending … More on the phonetic environment, thus indirectly endorsing that the Japanese vowel /u/ has at least two positional variants or allophones-a high back unrounded variant [*] and high mid unrounded variant [*].
(2) Some non-native speakers, particularly Korean speakers, tend to obscure the difference between double/long consonants and single consonants, as in kite/kitte and itai/ittai contrasts.
(3) With prosodic features, speakers of Western languages such as English, German, Russian and French tend to show narrower pitch ranges than Japanese, thus producing more or less monotonous or flat intonation.
(4) Part of the supposedly "foreign accent" often results from the wrong accentual pattern (s) in Japanese utterances, with misplaced high-pitched word-initial accent pattern, among others.
(5) In many cases negative phonological transfer from the speaker's native language seems to a critical factor in "foreign accents, " although definitive evidence is not always available as to whether the features are due to general tendencies or idiolectal variations or idiosyncrasies. Less

  • Research Products

    (12 results)

All Other

All Publications (12 results)

  • [Publications] 栗原豪彦: "非母語話者による日本語母音/u/の音響特性"北海道大学言語文化部紀要. 38(号). 85-103 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] 藤鷹尚眞: "ドイツ語話者の日本語発話の韻律とその指導-無声化母音・促音・撥音を含む文の対照的音声分析から"ノルデン. 37(号). 151-177 (2000)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Publications] Ayusawa, T.: "Prosodic features of Japanese questions. Mizutani, O., Ayusawa, T., and Maekawa, K., eds. Mother-Tongue Interference in Japanese Prosody (2)-An Acoutic Phonetic Contrasive Study."Research Project Report of Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research. 1-20 (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Fujisaki, H.and Sugitou, M.: "Physical Properties of Speech Sounds."Iwanami. Japanese 5. 63-106

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Imanishi, M.and Miwa: "J.Acoustic features of Japanese vowels-Differences in dialects. Sugitou"M.(ed.) Japanese and Japanese Education 2 : 85-108. Meiji-Shoin. (1989)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Lacheret-Dujour, A.and Beaugendre, F.: "La Prosodie du Francais"CNRs Editions. 19-56

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Clark, J.and Yallop, C: "An Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology"2^<nd> ed. Blackwell. (1990)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Hirst, D.& DI Cristo, A., eds.: "Intonation System : A Survey of Twenty Languages."Cambridge University Press.. (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Imanishi, M.: "An Experimental Study of Japanese Sounds.("Nihongo Onsei no Jikkenteki Kenkyu")"Tokyo : Izumi Shoin. (1997)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Kent, R.and Read, C.: "The Acoustic Analysis of Speech"Singular Publishing Croup. (1992)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Olive, J.., Greenwood, A., and Coleman, J.: "Acoustics of American English Speech-"A Dynamic Approach. Springer.. (1993)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Publications] Pierrehumbert, J.and Beckman, M.: "Japanese Tone Structure"The MIT Press. (1988)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より

URL: 

Published: 2002-03-26  

Information User Guide FAQ News Terms of Use Attribution of KAKENHI

Powered by NII kakenhi