Impact of Japanese L1 Rhythm on English L2 Speech.
Saya Kawase, Chris Davis, Jeesun Kim
PMID 38693793WHAT IT FOUND
Japanese learners with limited English experience produced English vowels and consonants with less duration variability than native English speakers, consistent with Japanese first-language rhythm carrying over.
Key findings
01Native English speech had greater duration variability than native Japanese speech, with means of 50.0 and 41.9 on the variability score.
02Japanese English productions had lower duration variability than native English productions, with means of 39.95 and 50.0 on the variability score.
03The proportion of vowel intervals was similar in Japanese English productions and native English productions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 10 Japanese and 10 Australian English female speakers were tested, and all reported no history of speech, vision, or hearing problems. The Japanese speakers had lived in Australia for a mean of 2.43 months, so results may not apply to more experienced English speakers. The speakers read sentences aloud, so the findings may not apply to spontaneous conversation. The measures index duration variability, and the authors note that speech rhythm can be conceptualized and measured in different ways. The authors note that less variable segment durations might also reflect a general tendency among beginning learners, not only first-language influence.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that Japanese first-language rhythm is the only cause of differences in Japanese English speech. The study compared only 10 Japanese and 10 Australian English female speakers reading sentences, and the authors note beginning learners may show less variability for reasons other than first-language influence.