Perception and Pronunciation of English Phonemes by Young Japanese Children

The present research examined young Japanese children's ability to perceive and pronounce English phonemes, and the relation of that ability to their ability to repeat English words orally. Japanese children (3 to 6 years old) were asked to repeat sound stimuli that had either a CV or a VC structure, comprising the main phonemes of English. The children found it difficult to repeat stimuli composed of particular phonemes. They also found VC stimuli to be more difficult for them than CV ones. In addition, for the 5- and 6-year-olds, correct repetition rates for CV stimuli could explain the correct repetition rates for one-syllable English words with different types of phonological structure. The results suggest that young Japanese children's ability to perceive and pronounce English phonemes may partly account for their difficulty in repeating English words orally.