Chiharu Tsurutani

Evaluation of speakers with foreign-accented speech in Japan: the effect of accent produced by English native speakers

Abstract Foreign-accented speakers are generally regarded as less educated, less reliable and less interesting than native speakers and tend to be associated with cultural stereotypes of their country of origin. This discrimination against foreign accents has, however, been discussed mainly using accented English in English-speaking countries. This study investigates the attitudes of Japanese people towards foreign-accented Japanese and their difference depending on the area of their residency, which will provide a valuable comparison to previous studies on the attitude towards foreign accent. Two groups of participants, one living in a metropolitan area and the other in a rural area, listened to a short Japanese passage spoken by Japanese native speakers and non-native (native English) speakers, and evaluated what they thought of each speakers likely personality, job and social status. The participants rated native speakers higher than non-native speakers in competence and integrity, and rated both types of speakers equally only in social attractiveness. The results show that despite some admiration of and respect for western culture in Japanese society, when their judgement is based on auditory speech, Japanese participants evaluate fluent native speakers of Japanese more favourably than foreign-accented speakers.

A Computer Program for Pronunciation Training and Assessment in Japanese Language Classrooms – Experimental Use of ‘Pronunciation Check’

E-learning is today an ever more popular mode for second language learning. However, the relative newness of using a computer program for pronunciation training and assessment (CAPTA) in language classrooms presents the need to explore possibilities and limitations of this mode to achieve the most effective outcomes possible. This paper illustrates the process to develop CAPTA from the perspective of educators and discuss the effectiveness and limitations of CAPTA in the current technological environment.

International Students' Accented English-Communication Difficulties and Developed Strategies.

Abstract The purpose of the present investigation is to explore the communication challenges caused by accented English along with strategies of international students in the Australian context. A quantitative approach was employed in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the linguistic experience of the students. Participants comprised 182 international students who spoke English as a second language and were undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate programs at three universities in South East Queensland. Results revealed that they experienced accent-related problems particularly in an educational setting. Their preferred strategies to overcome such difficulties were in conflict with what they regarded as the most effective strategies.

Acquisition of Japanese contracted sounds in L1 phonology

Japanese possesses a group of palatalized consonants, known to Japanese scholars as the contracted sounds, [CjV]. English learners of Japanese appear to treat them initially as consonant + glide clusters, where there is an equivalent [Cj] cluster in English, or otherwise tend to insert an epenthetic vowel [CVjV]. The acquisition of the Japanese contracted sounds by first language (L1) learners has not been widely studied compared with the consonant clusters in English with which they bear a close phonetic resemblance but have quite a different phonological status. This is a study to investigate the L1 acquisition process of the Japanese contracted sounds (a) in order to observe how the palatalization gesture is acquired in Japanese and (b) to investigate differences in the sound acquisition processes of first and second language (L2) learners: Japanese children compared with English learners. To do this, the productions of Japanese children ranging in age from 2.5 to 3.5 years were transcribed and the pat...