Native Japanese Speakers' Evaluation of Foreigners' Japanese Pronunciation : The Case of Japanese University Students

Abstract

This study aims to examine native Japanese speakers' (university students') evaluation of foreigners' Japanese pronunciation. The result of a questionnaire survey showed that the evaluation was roughly divided into "acceptable" and "unacceptable" and that the evaluation was influenced by various factors. This study also suggested that it was crucial for the examination of native Japanese speakers' evaluation to take into consideration their consciousness and mental attitudes towards those influential factors.