Interlanguage phonology : acquisition of timing control and perceptual categorization of durational contrast in Japanese

Abstract

The timing organization of phonological durational contrast is known to be one of the most challenging areas in the acquisition of Japanese phonology (Sugito 1989; Muraki and Nakaoka 1990; Han 1992; Toda 1994). This study examines the acquisition of timing control and perceptual categorization of the durational contrast in Japanese, and aims to contribute to second language acquisition theory from the viewpoint of interlanguage phonology. Acoustic techniques were used to investigate the mechanisms of learners' speech perception and production. In order to capture the acquisition processes and the developmental factors in the formation of interlanguage phonology, both crosssectional and longitudinal experiments are conducted with different groups of learners at various proficiency levels, and the results were compared with those of native . speakers. The processes such as first language transfer, overexaggeration and phonetic approximation are observed in the learners' speech production. The acoustic observation revealed what has been claimed as genetically innate Universal Grammar (Chomsky and Halle 1968) pertaining to voice onset time, which is clearly observed in Japanese native speakers speech, is not operative in beginning learners' speech production. On the other hand, it is operative in advanced learners' speech which shares similarities with that of native speakers. The experimental results reported in this dissertation reveal crucial theoretical insufficiency concerning the "universal principle". This supposedly universal theory concerning voice onset time, should not be restricted to a specific language, runs into difficulties in explaining the reasons why this property does not show up with learners' speech production during the initial stages, but does show up later at more advanced stages (i.e. it is developmental, but not universal). Show more