An Elucidation on the Speech Environments Occurring English Sound Changes and a Database Construction of the Sound Change-Acquisition

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K02834
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: English linguistics
• Research Institution: Matsuyama University (2019); Iwate prefectural university,Miyako college (2017-2018)
• Principal Investigator: Kamiya Atsunori 松山大学, 経営学部, 教授 (60511160)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 音声変化 / 発話速度 / 同化 / 連結 / 脱落

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to investigate English sound changes by focusing on literature survey and using acoustic experiments. In this study, I have looked up 47 textbooks of English phonetics and have found out the data suggesting that the frequency in usages of English sound changes is not identical. I have also conducted some acoustic experiments focusing on some important English sound changes. I hypothesize that there is a threshold where English sound changes stop occurring and that the intrinsic speech rate (400ms.-500ms.) will play a critical role in occurring English sound changes. By conducting some acoustic experiments involving native English speakers, I evaluated these hypotheses.

Free Research Field

英語音声学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、伝統的な英語音声学の手法を用いながらも、英語の音声変化（同化、連結、脱落）と発話速度に着目し、日本人英語学習者にとって重要な英語音声変化を明らかにするという、これまでにない新たな試みである。本研究で実施した教材分析、音声実験の結果・考察を踏まえることで、これまでに存在しなかった新しい視点から英語の音声変化を学習することが可能となり、英語リスニング能力を飛躍的に向上させることにつながることが期待される。