The Effect of Linking on Japanese EFL University Studentsʼ Listening Comprehension

Abstract

The presence of phonologically connected speech negatively affects input-intake for Japanese students (Ito, 2014). The purpose of this study is to assess whether or not students make more errors in listening comprehension when writing down six dictated sentences with consonant vowel links, where a word ends in a consonant and is connected to another word beginning with a vowel, compared with six sentences that do not have consonant vowel links. Students attending a private womenʼs university in Fukuoka City, Kyushu, Japan, studying English as a Foreign Language (EFL), were invited to participate in the study. Materials, sent through ʻGoogle classroom,ʼ consisted of a consent form, three questions, a pre-recorded dictation of 12 sentences, and a document for responses and comments. Included in this study are 39 students. English language proficiency ranges from Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) scores between 295-690, the average score being 574. The longest stay in an English-speaking country reported was three months. In all ability groups, the connected consonant vowel sentence condition resulted in a larger number of errors (p<0.001). Japanese university students found it more difficult to correctly interpret sentences with consonant vowel links versus those which do not have consonant vowel links. The findings carry wider significance for lecturers and examiners teaching Japanese university students. This study builds on current evidence regarding phonologically connected speech and adds to the literature that such sentences are difficult to process. Future research should focus on the kind of errors made when comprehending connective sentences from dictation.