Affiliation:
1. Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract
This study investigated the degree to which Japanese learners of English
accurately perceive English fricatives over time and the extent to which
fricatives were misidentified. To train and measure perception skills, an
online high-variability phonetic training program was used in an English as
a Foreign Language (EFL) class in Japan for eight weeks. The results
indicated that learners’ perception of some of the fricatives improved over
time, while others remained difficult to distinguish from other fricatives.
Implications for EFL pronunciation instruction are considered.
Funder
Japan
Society for the Promotion of Science
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