Perceptual Distinction of English /l/ and /ɹ/ by Japanese Native Speakers

A Phonetic Study and Analysis

Abstract

The conventional belief of language acquisition studies assumes that language learners must first be able to perceive phonetic differences between sounds before they can produce said sounds distinctly. In particular, second language acquisition theorists typically assume that phonologically distinct sound production in L2 (the second language) cannot happen without its perceptual distinction. However, existing research regarding native Japanese speakers learning English challenges this framework. While we were unable to conduct a full study due to constraints of time and resources, we were interested in investigating sound perception in Japanese speakers with a low level of proficiency in English. In this study, we tested five participants who were native Japanese speakers who had spent between six months to a year in Canada. Their ability to differentiate /l/ and /ɹ/ sounds in minimal pairs were tested and graded, with the results analyzed for patterns or tendencies.