Perception of a Japanese long vowel in Taiwanese Japanese Learners

[[abstract]]「kite kudasai」「kiite kusdasai」「kitte kudasai」這三組字各自代表不同的意思，然而許多台灣日語學習者在嘗試發音時，往往無法明確區別這三組字，造成聽者辨識上的困難或產生語意理解上的干擾。筆者認為除了討論發音上的問題外，學習者在聽覺知覺面上的問題亦值得檢討及分析。 本稿之研究目的旨在藉由語音實驗，考察台灣日語學習者(TL)的長音知覺傾向，以母音的持續時間、音調的高低、及調音點的變化作為主要變數，探討日語母語話者(JN)與台灣日語學習者的長音知覺傾向，同時討論不同學習風格對長音知覺的影響。研究結果發現： 1 日語母語話者可明確區分日語中的長音及短音，具有明確的知覺範疇。 2 隨著日語能力的提升，台灣日語學習者的日語長音知覺傾向越接近日語母語話者。 3 在音調高低的影響方面，在其他語音條件相同的情況下，台灣日語學習者容易將尾高型單字臺灣日語學習者判定為長音。 4 在調音點的影響方面，頭高型單字中又以兩唇音對長音知覺的判定上最為困難，其次是齒莖音，三個調音點中軟口蓋音最容易被判定為長音。 5 在學習風格的影響方面，相較於聽覺型學習者（平常習慣透過看日劇或聽日語歌曲的方式接觸日語），語言型學習者（如唱日語歌）的長音知覺能力較佳。[[abstract]]「KiTe kudasai」「KiITe kusdasai」「KitTe kudasai」are three different sentences in Japanese language However many Japanese Learners in Taiwan are not capable of pronouncing each of them properly In order to help these learners improve their pronunciation we should also understand how they perceive different sounds in Japanese Language This study examines how Taiwanese learners of the Japanese language perceive Japanese long vowels In particular this study examines how the vowel duration 2 different types of accents and the different places of articulation influence the distinction between the vowels and the long vowels Forty-two stimuli were presented to both Taiwanese learners of the Japanese language and Japanese native speakers The result of the study indicates as follows: (1) Japanese native speakers identify vowels and long vowels categorically (2) Comparing to Head-high type of accent Final-high type of accent has more influence on the distinction between the vowels and the long vowels (3) As for the influence of different places of articulation palate sounds are most easily identified as long vowels following by the alveolar sounds The bilabial sounds are least easily identified as long vowels (4) As the Japanese ability of these Taiwanese learners of the Japanese language improves the perceptions of Japanese long vowels will gradually categorize (5) Verbal learners tend to perceive Japanese long vowels more categorically than auditory learner