A Study of Onomatopoeia Retention among Non-Native Teachers of Japanese:

Focusing on Expressions Featured in the Video “ONOMATOPOEIA – Share Feelings –”

Abstract

This study examines the retention of Japanese onomatopoeia among non-native Japanese language teachers. Based on responses from 85 participants, we analyzed recognition, comprehension, and usage of 26 expressions from the video “ONOMATOPOEIA –Share Feelings-.” Results from the analysis of variance and cluster analysis show that retention increases with proficiency and varies by expression. These findings suggest that retention data can inform the selection and sequencing of onomatopoeia in teaching materials.