成年人日语发音习得的可能性——学习成功者和语言习得临界期假说

The Possibilities for Adult Learners to Acquire Foreign Language Pronunciation——Successful Learners and the Critical Period Hypothesis of Language Acquisition

本研究通过实证性方法,旨在验证日语语音习得临界期假说,并探讨成年人日语学习者达到母语者发音水平的可能性。本研究针对日语学习者和日语母语者进行了语音实验。实验数据显示:(1)发音习得水平与年龄因素之间存在相关关系,越早开始学习日语,发音习得水平越高;(2)被试中有7名日语学习者虽学习起始年龄都已过语言习得临界期,但其发音习得水平仍达到了日语母语者水平。本研究结果否定了"超过一定年龄才开始学习外语的学习者几乎不可能达到完全习得"这一严格的语言习得临界期假说,同时也证明了即使成年人学习外语,发音也有可能达到母语者发音水平的可能性。

This paper discusses the role played by age of introduction in acquiring the phonology of Japanese and investigates the possibility of attaining native speaker levels of pronunciation. One hundred paid volunteers participated in this study： 84 Japanese learners with a variety of language backgrounds, and 16 Japanese native speakers. This study found a negative correlation between age of introduction and the level of phonological acquisition, which supports the idea that ＂the earlier the better＂ is the best approach for acquiring pronunciation in foreign languages. This study also found that several learners who started studying Japanese after puberty were able to attain native speaker levels of pronunciation. Moreover, their language backgrounds were not limited to one particular language or dialect. The results of this study suggests that learning even after the critical period can also produce exemplary language skills.