An Evaluation of English Pronunciation of Japanese EFL Learners Using Multiple Metrics

Abstract

This is a report on an examination and evaluation of Japanese learners’ English using multiple metrics: phoneme substitution, epenthesis, elision, primary stress, rhythm and overall goodness. In the examination, the difficulty in producing weak/lax vowels was highlighted. The correlation analysis between overall goodness and each of the other metrics indicated that improving both segmental and prosodic features is essential for Japanese learners to achieve good pronunciation. A systematic pronunciation evaluation using multiple metrics is beneficial not only for a deeper and broader understanding of Japanese English but also to the development of pronunciation teaching and learning.