Abstract
This study investigates how weak forms of function words can be effectively retained by Japanese EFL learners through shadowing. The phonological differences between Japanese and English make the retention of weak forms of function words difficult. Prior studies suggest that the creation of connections between visualized words in prior knowledge and auditory input can enhance the retention of weak forms of function words. The current study used a visual shadowing procedure, wherein learners were asked to shadow the sentences presented on a computer screen; then, shadowing performance in the following three different conditions was compared. The experimental group was asked to shadow in two different conditions-auditory shadowing and visual shadowing. The visual group performed only visual shadowing, and the control group was asked to perform only auditory shadowing. A pre- and posttest analysis revealed that the experimental group outperformed the other two groups. The results suggest that creating a connection between visualized words and auditory input by performing auditory shadowing and visual shadowing alternatively is effective in improving the retention of weak forms of function words for Japanese EFL learners.
