DEVELOPMENT OF SPEECH PERCEPTION AND PRODUCTION SKILLS OF /R/ AND /L/ IN JAPANESE LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

Abstract

Perception and production of /r/ and /l/ by Japanese learners of English have been extensively investigated. Some studies have found that production can exceed perception (Goto, 1971, Sheldon & Strange, 1982), while others have demonstrated that perception and production develop interdependently (Bradlow et al. 1995; de Jonge 1995). However since the previous studies used different experimental tasks and since learners from different proficiency levels were tested crosssectionally, it is difficult to make a direct comparison between perception and production skills.  The current longitudinal study explores development of perception and production skills of Japanese learners of English over a study period of six months.  The following questions are addressed: 1) how do Japanese learners of English develop their skills in perceiving and producing /r/ and /l/ over time? and 2) how does phonological environment (the position of /r/ and /l/ in a word) affect perception and production for Japanese learners of English?  Five native Japanese adults learning English in the United States participated in the study.  The results indicate that perception and production skills of Japanese learners of English can develop at different rates.  In addition, the position of /r/ and /l/ in a word had a large effect on successful production and perception of these sounds over the study period of six months.