Development of a CEFR-based Framework for Teaching and Learning English Sounds in Japan

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25580132
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Prefectural University of Hiroshima
• Principal Investigator: Joto Akiyo 県立広島大学, 人間文化学部, 教授 (60196665)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SHIMAOKA Takashi 筑波大学, 名誉教授 (20015382) ; DATE Tamikazu プール学院大学, 国際文化学部, 名誉教授 (50207271) ; TANIGUCHI Masaki 高知大学, 人文社会・教育科学系, 教授 (90163633) ; NISHIO Yuri 岐阜薬科大学, 薬学部, 教授 (20455059) ; ICHIZAKI Kazuaki 呉工業高等専門学校, 准教授 (70534288)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MIYAKE Misuzu 広島国際大学, 心理科学部, 教授 (50352034) ; TANABE Yuji 専修大学, 文学部, 教授 ; SHIBATA Yusuke 高知大学, 全学教育機構, 特任講師 (90725673)
• Research Collaborator: INUI Takashi 東京家政大学, 人文学部, 教授 (20266539)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 英語音声教育 / 日本語話者 / CEFR / CEFR-J / 英語音声到達度指標 / Can Do記述文 / 共通参照枠 / 英語音声指導

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aims to develop proficiency guidelines for the perception and production of English sounds for native speakers of Japanese. Through a questionnaire survey of English sound education, an analysis of English textbooks and English sounds produced by Japanese learners, and previous studies, a global scale of the guidelines was drafted in Can Do descriptors on ten different levels of proficiency. Learners at the lower level could hear and pronounce the difference in basic vowels and consonants in learned words, rhythms in short words and sentences, and the basic intonation of limited sentence types. Learners could achieve proficiency at a higher level, step by step, over the long term in the phonological items such as the segmental sounds which Japanese learners have difficulty perceiving and producing, consonant clusters, sound change, weak forms of function words, and intonation in context or according to the speaker's attitude.

Free Research Field

英語音声学