Tokyo University of Foreign Studies



Successful Closed Syllable for Japanese Learners

1. Introduction

Peter Avery and Susan Ehrlich have suggested that there is a difference in syllable pattern between English and Japanese (Avery & Ehrlich, 2002: 53-54). English words often contain closed syllables and consonant clusters, while Japanese words only have open syllables and lack consonant clusters. When speaking English, Japanese speakers sometimes insert an extra vowel sound such as /u/ or /o/ between a consonant cluster. For instance, instead of pronouncing /strɔŋ/ (strong), they tend to utter ‘sutorongu.’ By doing so, they try to make the English words conform to the Japanese pattern, with four open syllables (2002: 59). This adjusted form of pronunciation sounds quite strange to English speakers, and effective remedy must be desperately needed to those who cannot make consonant clusters.

Avery and Ehrlich do not forget suggesting solutions to such speakers; for example, the Spanish, who do not use initial clusters, must first say ‘sssssspeak’ instead of just saying a word, ‘speak’ and delete the extra ‘s’ after they are accustomed to the initial cluster (2002: 59). Another example is for the Arabic, who lack initial three consonant clusters. They should speak ‘this treet’ and eliminate the sound of ‘thi’ to pronounce ‘street’ better (2002: 59). However, there are no such suggestions for Japanese learners resolving the open syllable problem except only a few paragraphs of description with cross references (2002: 136-7). It says that it is useful to have the learners “repeat the target word like ‘blue,’ gradually increasing their speed until the inserted vowel disappears” (2002: 103).

The grounds of why Japanese speakers can seldom use closed syllables and the concrete remedies of closed syllables for Japanese speakers can be found out in this paper. In addition, this paper will support the useful teaching procedure of gradual speed-up in saying a word by investigating two examples of Japanese teachers of English trying to make students’ pronunciation correct in their junior high school.

2. Consonant Cluster in Japanese

It is often said that Japanese does not have consonant clusters and that is the very reason why the Japanese cannot make consonant clusters. However, that idea is dubious for me because if there is no consonant cluster in Japanese, there is no pronouncing the word ‘gakkou’ (school). Originally, the word is made from ‘gaku’ and ‘kou’. When they are combined to make the word ‘gakukou,’ the vowel sound ‘u’ in the middle is reduced and disappear to make the pronunciation ‘gakkou.’ Likewise, if Japanese say something like ‘sumou,’ the pronunciation, spoken quickly, would be ‘smou.’ Other than these examples, Japanese learners seem to be able to make s-beginning consonant clusters like “sp” in “Speed” (a name of a Japanese musician group with four cute Okinawa girls), “sk” in “Skylark” (a name of a restaurant), “st” in “Starbucks” (well-known coffee shop all over the world) and so on.

For convenience’s sake, it is desirable to refer to the collection of English consonant clusters on Avery and Ehrlich (2002:55-58). There are two kinds of consonant cluster that Japanese can pronounce almost correctly --- /n/ + other consonant such as “hand,” “tense,” “wrench,” and the combination of /m/ + /p/ in “bump” or /m/ + /b/ in “combine” (this combination is not on Avery & Ehrlich). This may be because these clusters consist of nasal sound which Japanese has. If Japanese are heard to pronounce incorrectly in such words, it is not the problem of consonant cluster but of the /N/ sound itself in Japanese. On the other hand, there certainly are two kinds of consonant cluster concerning stop sounds and /t/ sound that Japanese cannot possibly pronounce. For example, combination of stop sound + other stop sound like /p/ + /t/ in “apt” or “contempt,” or stop + fricative sounds like /k/ + /s/ in “tax,” and /t/ + other consonant in “tree” or “twin” except for /ts/ in “ritz”. Since it is not interesting to me to investigate why Japanese can make the former types of cluster, the main discussion below is on the latter clusters that many Japanese tend to be unable to pronounce.

It is theoretically and empirically clear that the failure of clusters results from Japanese open syllable system. Since the main feature of open syllable is that every consonant must be pronounced with vowel, those whose system is open are thinking that every single alphabet must be pronounced elaborately. In fact, as a teacher of a Japanese clam school (about 50 pupils in Nishi-Tokyo City), I have heard many junior and senior high school pupils pronounce the word “act” as /akuto/, “tax” as /takusu/. Then, I personally told them to speak the words very quickly, and they could achieve the correct consonant clusters in my lesson (Since it is not the official experiment, there is no reference to this). This personal research support that the method of pronouncing quickly is effective to consonant cluster.

Another failure of consonant cluster is concerning /t/ sound. As with /t/ beginning consonant cluster, the situation is different from the ones mentioned so far. For there is no sound in Japanese that represent /tu/, most Japanese replace it for either /tsu/ (tree /tsuriy/) or /to/ (try /toray/). That is why, Japanese pronunciation of such words that include t-sound consonant clusters is often regarded as strange. Actually, my students cannot say “try” without inserting extra “o,” and “twin” without “su.” However, it is not the case in Japan that /ts/ sound is difficult, for the above-mentioned reason that Japanese language already has the consonant cluster in “tsunami” or “tsugaru.” Unlike the former types of consonant cluster, it is not the matter of rhythm; the pronunciation itself, so teachers must correct the students t-sound in daily classes.

3. Example 1 --- Rhythm Box

The “Rhythm Box” is a term that Japanese teachers of English sometimes use to call an electric device which can produce rhythmical beats. It is easier to understand if a metronome is remembered. The “Rhythm Box” contains beating sound from various devices like tape recorder, video, human hands and so on. Teachers use it like back ground music because the beating sound, per se, controls rhythms so that students can utter English sounds rhythmically. Mr. Makita (Mamoru MAKITA, a Japanese teacher of English in Junior High School Attached to Tsukuba University, and also a member of the Institute for Research in Language Teaching) often uses this material in the first year of his junior high school courses to get students used to the English rhythm. And it is reported in his personally recorded VTR that after three years of his courses, his students can speak English obviously more fluently than general students in Japanese. It is known that people are easy to adjust themselves to rhythmical music or sounds. And this is the very point of using the “Rhythm Box” in a classroom.

In addition to the empirical evidence, here is a theory that explains how the rhythm of beating sound works to our pronunciation. It

says that, generally, Japanese have a tendency to make four beats in pronouncing the word ‘strong’ (actually, it seems to me to have five beats with “n” counted as

one beat) as is shown on figure 1 (sic.: Otaka, 1998: 219), but if the four beats are reduced to only one beat like figure 2 (1998: 219), students can pronounce the word without extra vowels (1998: 219). Otaka says that it is important for students to think that the consonants ‘str’ and ‘ng’ are attached to the central vowel ‘o.’ To do so, students are required to pronounce the whole word ‘strong’ with only one beat.

This controlled rhythm being one of the solutions for making a closed syllable, it can be said that a closed syllable is made from an elimination of extra time. This means that when the word ‘strong’ is pronounced four or five times shorter than usual, students will be able to make a closed syllable.

4. Example 2 --- Singing a Song

It is often said that singing an English song at an early stage is quite effective. Mr. Ito (Yuji ITO, a Japanese teacher of English in Junior High School Attached to Tokyo Gakugei University, and also a member of the Institute for Research in Language Teaching) reported in a seminar in Asahikawa that his first year students enjoyed singing the Song of Do Re Me and it was quite effective for them (Ito 2003a). He also says that teachers should take singing a song in their first three weeks of English courses instead of using textbook (Ito 2003b). Songs can be useful for the good opportunity of utterance, the preparation for study, the effective learning and the chance to learn the culture (irlt.1999: 132). There are many other handbooks for English teachers that mention the merit of using English songs in a classroom, but what is in question here is the reason why it is beneficial to sing an English song in English classes. One of the reasons is that singing a song can also give students a sense of rhythm of English. Since the song itself is composed of rhythm, it can take away the time to accurately pronounce a single word from students. That is to say, they need to scamp their words in order to follow a certain rhythm of the song.

5. Conclusion

As seen in this paper, the secret of closed syllable lies under the rhythm or speed of speaking. “Rhythm Box” takes away from students the extra time to spend for inserting unnecessary vowels in-between consonants and singing a song makes them to say words to the rhythm; that is to say, students have to utter words fast so that they can catch up with the song. In addition to these classroom instructions, Japanese ‘u’ in-between two consonants, spoken fast, seems to have a tendency not to be pronounced clearly, resulting in the reduction of ‘u,’ even making consonant clusters. As seen in the consonant cluster beginning with /t/, these examples are not the only ways that teachers should do to have student pronounce consonant clusters successfully in the English courses, but it is useful as basic skills for English teachers.

In conclusion, these facts suggest that those who insert extra vowels in-between two consonants like Japanese can pronounce a word with consonant clusters, if they are made to say it quickly. So, we can add it to the Avery and Ehrlich (Avery & Ehrlich. 2002) that it would be useful to make Japanese students say the word ‘strong’ very quickly so that they can avoid inserting unnecessary vowels.

References

Avery, P. & Ehrlich, S. 2002. Teaching American English Pronunciation: Oxford University Press

Otaka, H. 1998. Basic Theories for Teaching English Phonetics [eigo onseikyouiku notameno kisoriron]: Narumidou, Tokyo, Japan;

Ito, Y. 2003a. Speech. “Chuugakkou sannenkanwo tooshita jugyoukeikakuto eigonoyorujugyouno gutaitekihouhou [Syllabus of English course through whole years of junior high teaching course].” The Institute of Research for Teaching English 80s anniversary Hokkaido seminar. Kamikawa Culture and Education Center. Asahikawa. 6 September. 2003.

Ito, Y. 2003b. ‘Saishono sannkagetuha kyoukashowo tukawazuni [Teaching without Textbook in a first three month],’ Eigokyouku [The English Teachers’ Magazine] Vol. 52, No.1, April 2003: Taishukan shoten, Tokyo, Japan; 22-25

irlt (The Institute for Research in Language Teaching). 1999. eigo shidougijutu saikentou [Re-investigation of English Teaching Methods]: Taishukan shoten, Tokyo, Japan

Post Graduate Papers Top Page

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s u t o r o ng u

♪◡♩ ♪◡♩ ♪◡♩ ♪◡♩

strong

♬◡♩◡♪

Fig. 1 4 Beats (Typical Japanese mistake)

Fig. 2 1 Beat (Correct Form)

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