Empirical research on the effects of theoretical and autonomous pronunciation learning for enhancing awareness of the English phonological system

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K02914
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Kobe Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: Nakanishi Noriko 神戸学院大学, グローバル・コミュニケーション学部, 教授 (80512285)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 英語音声学 / ICTを用いた教育実践 / 自律的学習 / webプログラム開発

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to improve English learners' pronunciation and fluency by familiarizing English phonetic symbols, rhythms, and features of connected speech. The learners were encouraged to use web systems that were developed to visualize English phonetic information, and they engaged in pronunciation learning autonomously. Speaking tests were conducted regularly to examine the effects of the teaching practice, and the results were reported in research presentations, academic papers, and books.

Free Research Field

英語音声学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

入力された英文を発音記号に変換し各音素の発音の仕方を提示するPhoneme Counter、学習者の英語発話を自動音声認識しどのように聞こえるかを客観的に把握できる Speech Saver、国際語としての英語発音のモデルとして英米語変種以外にも触れることができるSounds of Englishesのように、英語音声を視覚的に提示するwebシステムを構築し一般公開した。これらのシステムを用いた授業実践ではスピーキングテストスコアが有意に上昇しただけでなく、学習者による英語音声に対する意識の向上が見られた。