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A Synthesis of Memory Theories and Pedagogy: Teaching Pronunciation in Japanese as a Foreign Language

Eda, Sanae
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1392137535

Abstract Details

1996, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, East Asian Languages and Literatures.
The goal of this study is to provide practical suggestions for (a) improving Japanese language curriculum designs in order to better assist learners to pronounce Japanese sounds accurately and (b) developing instructional materials that will effectively facilitate this process. The scope of the present study is limited to the context of teaching college-level introductory Japanese to native speakers of English in the United States. It examines the learning and teaching of pronunciation in Japanese under the framework identified in Walker and McGinnes (1996). As theoretical support for these suggestions, this thesis presents a preliminary analysis of the acquisition process of new phonemic units in Japanese in terms of a prominent theory of cognitive skill acquisition deriving from the field of cognitive science. The theory makes the prediction that the presence of declarative instructions in the teaching of Japanese pronunciation will influence the rate of acquisition and the probability of successful learning, and that the effect of declarative instructions will be most relevant at the beginning stage of the acquisition process. The availability of instructional feedback on learners' performance is identified as an essential element in this process of acquisition . In this thesis declarative instruction is defined as instructions that will become directly accessible to the learners as conscious recollection and can be brought to mind as a proposition or an image, implying that it is not limited to lectures on the place and manner of articulation required for pronunciation. Based on the analysis, this study attempts to find ways to effectively include the declarative instruction of pronunciation, in the sense defined above, in language courses. This study presents the views that 1) the acquisition of recognition skills should precede the acquisition of production skills, since the former is a prerequisite for the latter and 2) the extensive use of minimal pairs should be avoided. The possible negative effects of the extensive use of minimal pairs as a tool for teaching pronunciation is discussed, and some alternative methods will be proposed. Finally, pedagogical implications and recommendations for further research are discussed.
Mari Noda (Advisor)
Galal Walker (Committee Member)
Richard Lewis (Committee Member)
105 p.
Asian Literature; Language

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Eda, S. (1996). A Synthesis of Memory Theories and Pedagogy: Teaching Pronunciation in Japanese as a Foreign Language [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1392137535

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Eda, Sanae. A Synthesis of Memory Theories and Pedagogy: Teaching Pronunciation in Japanese as a Foreign Language. 1996. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1392137535.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Eda, Sanae. "A Synthesis of Memory Theories and Pedagogy: Teaching Pronunciation in Japanese as a Foreign Language." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 1996. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1392137535

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1392137535
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© 1996, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.