LAMBACHER, Stephen G.    Department   Aoyama Gakuin University  Department of Social Informatics, School of Social Informatics    Position   Professor
Language	English
Publication Date	2009
Type	Bulletin of Universities and Institutes
Title	Computer speech visualization for English Pronunciation training
Contribution Type	Single
Journal	青山学院大学紀要「青山社会情報研究」
Volume, Issue, Page	pp.43-54
Details	One offshoot of computer technology that has received a great deal of attention in recent years is the use of a computer speech visualization display showing acoustic patterns for second language pronunciation training. Visualization software enables learners to view their own production of segmentals (consonants and vowels) and suprasegmentals (lexical and postlexical prosody, and intonation), and to compare them with those produced by native speakers of the target language. A visualization display (or visual feedback) can provide an objective measurement by which both students and teachers can evaluate and assess students' mistakes and progress. The purpose of the present paper is to explain how visual feedback is used to assist native speakers of Japanese in reducing their Japanese-flavored accent of difficult English sound features. In explaining the application of visual feedback training, an attempt is made to give preference to both segmental and suprasegmental features, since both aspects of pronunciation are equally important. Possible reasons for the effectiveness of the visual feedback software for improving pronunciation are also discussed.