Title: Asymmetry in Acquisition of ProsodicStructures: Evidence from L2 Japanese by English Speakers
Abstract: This study investigates the influence of L1 prosodic structures on the acquisition of simple and compound nouns in Japanese by L1 English speakers. Japanese simple and compound nouns have different prosody from their English counterparts. Japanese simple nouns can have no position of prominence (pitch fall), whereas English nouns always have prominence (stress). Japanese noun-noun compounds have one position of prominence as a whole, while English noun-noun compounds retain two positions of prominence. Under the assumption that Japanese pitch fall corresponds to feet (Shinohara, 2002), these prosodic differences are attributable to differences in prosodic organization between the two languages. If L2ers transfer L1 prosodic structures, L1 English learners of L2 Japanese should initially have a problem with Japanese simple and compound nouns because their L1 has different structures, as discussed in the following sections.
Publication Year: 2014
Publication Date: 2014-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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