KataLis: A Drill Style Learning System Focusing on Chinese Students’ Weak Points of Katakana Word Listening

Abstract

Recently, there are many Chinese students in Japan. Second language learning is affected by the features of their mother tongues. In learning Japanese, it is difficult for Chinese students to learn Katakana words and it is said that they need to listen Katakana words repeatedly. In addition. it is hard for them to recognize special sounds of Japanese and to distinguish the length of vowel. To clear these problems (called “week points” hereafter) of Katakana word listening, we develop a drill style learning system for Katakana word listening called “KataLis”. Our system gives ten listening questions of Katakana words as a drill. KataLis analyzes week points from the result of each drill. In the next drill, listening questions are selected according to the week point. Chinese students can train listening skill for Katakana words by repetition of the drill.