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Intelligibility of Dental Fricatives in Japanese Native Speakers of EFL

Research Project

Project/Area Number 19K23088
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Review Section 0102:Literature, linguistics, and related fields
Research InstitutionMeisei University

Principal Investigator

Fujiwara Ai  明星大学, 教育学部, 教授 (70611309)

Project Period (FY) 2019-08-30 – 2024-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
Budget Amount *help
¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Keywords歯摩擦音 / LFC / EFL / intelligibility / 日本語母語話者 / 発音 / 外国語教育 / 音声学 / 外国語 / 代替音素 / Praat / ELF / オンライン授業 / 英語音声学
Outline of Research at the Start

本研究の目的は、日本語母語話者の英語の発音をEnglish as a Lingua Franca(ELF)の枠組みで捉え、そのintelligibility(明瞭性)を検証するために、Lingua Franca Core (LFC)の項目のうち「日本語母語話者が困難を感じる」とされる歯摩擦音(thの発音)について、(1)日本語母語話者の代替音素のintelligibilityについて、アジア圏の英語話者がどれだけ許容するかを調査し、(2) ELFとして歯摩擦音のintelligibilityを維持するための日本語母語話者への適切な発音指導とはどのようなものかを明らかにすることである。

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined the intelligibility of dental fricative substitutes in the English pronunciation of Japanese native speakers. Overall, the most frequently used substitutes for dental fricatives were alveolar fricatives, with about 25% accuracy for both voiced and voiceless sounds. Voiced sounds, in particular, tended to become voiceless at the end of words.

Analyzing individual variations in substitute sounds revealed that individual pronunciation tendencies did not necessarily match the overall trend. Some students frequently used correct dental fricatives, and alveolar stops, which are said to be intelligible in LFC, as substitutes. This study suggests implications for teaching intelligible pronunciation.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

個人内における歯摩擦音の代替音素のバリエーションの分析から、有声/無声どちらかが「正しく」発音できるということは、その音の調音点と調音方法を正しく身につけていると考えられるが(違いは声帯の振動の有無)、実際は学習者にとってどちらか一方(有声/無声)の発音の習得は、他方の発音も補完するものではないことが明らかになった。また、代替音素として、LFCでintelligibleとされる歯茎破裂音を多用している学習者もいることから、intelligibleな英語の発音として歯茎破裂音が有効であることを授業を通じて伝えることで、コミュニケーションのための英語の発音をより効果的に伸ばすことができると考える。

Report

(6 results)
  • 2023 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2022 Research-status Report
  • 2021 Research-status Report
  • 2020 Research-status Report
  • 2019 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (7 results)

All 2024 2023 2022 2021 2019

All Presentation (6 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 6 results) Book (1 results)

  • [Presentation] A Study of Japanese Pronunciation of Dental Fricatives: How Non-Native Speakers of Japanese Perceive Them2024

    • Author(s)
      Ai Fujiwara
    • Organizer
      The 22nd Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education
    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Face-to-Face vs. Online Language Learning: What is the Future of University Language Learning2023

    • Author(s)
      FUJIWARA, Ai
    • Organizer
      The 21st Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Language, Nation, and Ethnicity in Japanese Foreign Language Education2022

    • Author(s)
      FUJIWARA, Ai
    • Organizer
      The 20th AsiaTEFL International Conference
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Japanese Learners’ Realization of English Dental Fricatives2022

    • Author(s)
      Ai Fujiwara
    • Organizer
      56th RELC International Conference
    • Related Report
      2021 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Japanese Learners’ Substitutions for the English Dental Fricatives2021

    • Author(s)
      Ai Fujiwara
    • Organizer
      the 19th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Education
    • Related Report
      2020 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Teaching English Pronunciation to Japanese EFL Learners: Contrastive Analyses of English and Other Languages2019

    • Author(s)
      Ai Fujiwara
    • Organizer
      9th Annual Professional Development Forum
    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Book] 多次元のトピカー英米の言語と文化ー2022

    • Author(s)
      植月惠一郎、奥井裕、野村忠央、大森夕夏、加藤良浩、近藤直樹、藤原愛
    • Total Pages
      636
    • Publisher
      株式会社 金星堂
    • ISBN
      9784764712126
    • Related Report
      2021 Research-status Report

URL: 

Published: 2019-09-03   Modified: 2025-01-30  

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