Previous studies have shown that prosodic information plays an important role in spoken word recognition by L2 learners (Cooper et al. 2002). However, it remains unclear exactly how and when learners use prosodic cues during the word recognition process. This study addresses the question of whether Chinese (Mandarin) learners of Japanese utilize prosodic information incrementally by investigating the patterns and timing of their use of accentual information in the course of the word recognition process. We conducted eye-tracking experiments with a visual world paradigm, using artificial Japanese words. The analysis of saccadic eye-movement patterns revealed that Chinese L2 learners can use prosodic cues incrementally in word recognition.

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First language experience affects the processing of Japanese pitch accents; however, the influence of second language learning experience is unclear. The present study utilized identification experiments to compare the difference among native Japanese speakers (JN), native Chinese speakers with no experience of Japanese (CN), and native Chinese speakers with high Japanese proficiency (CJ). The results showed that identification responses to high-low vs. low-high accent differed between CN and CJ, indicating that Japanese learning experience alters listeners' perception of Japanese pitch accent. CN are more sensitive to stimuli with gradual decreases in pitch, and tend to identify them as high-low accent. On the other hand, CJ are not sensitive to such stimuli, and tend to identify them as low-high accent.

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The present study investigated the effect of living in the target language country and that of the age factor on the acquisition of English by Japanese learners. Three subject groups participated in this study: Native speakers of American English, Japanese returnees who had lived in the U.S., and college students who had never lived overseas. For measuring listening and reading abilities, we employed official TOEIC^® scores. We also examined two factors of durational control: ISI durations and stressed vowel shortening. The results showed significant differences in all parameters examined between the returnees and general college students. We also observed that the age factor had an effect on the different degrees of attainment of the production proficiency and on listening ability of the returnees, but not on their reading ability.

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The present study reports native speakers' impressions of JFL learners' utterances before and after shadowing/repeating training. Evaluation was also done for prosodically modified synthesized stimuli in order to examine the crucial prosodic cues. The results suggest that both durational patterns and pitch patterns are important for the utterances to be heard as natural Japanese, but durational patterns may be more important. Moreover, shadowing training appears to improve mora-timed rhythm. The results of the present study could provide useful suggestions for developing pronunciation training for Japanese pronunciation and speech education.

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We created a device for measuring the strength of puffs near the mouth which are generated during speaking, and then compared the strength among Japanese, English and Chinese languages. Subjects were 14 or 15 male university-students for each group of the three languages. They read aloud texts (about 3-minute length) from a Murakami Haruki's novel in their native languages with a funnel held by hand before the mouth. The wind pressure (stagnation pressure) produced at the bottom of the funnel, which reflects the initial velocity of the puff, was transformed to electrical signals through a differential pressure transducer. The signals converted from analogue to digital data at 10-millisecond intervals were recorded on a personal computer. Then all of the pressure data with 15 pascals or higher were summed up for each reading, and the sum was designated as "Strong Puff Total, SPT". It was found that there was no significant difference in the SPT medians between English and Chinese groups, but the medians of the two groups were more than 3 times greater than that of the Japanese group; it quantitatively confirmed that the strength of puffs from the mouth in Japanese speaking is weak.

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Tongue movement of healthy young adults who feel clumsy articulating alveolar sounds in daily conversation was measured using the WAVE speech research system. Tongue blade movements of these speakers during repetitive production of Japanese /ra/ showed reduction of speed and movement range compared with those who feel no clumsiness, despite the absence of any organic or neurological abnormalities. Such differences may suggest underlying differences of fine and rapid motor controls required for smooth speech production which may be related to their awareness of clumsiness in articulation.

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