Perception of the Japanese moraic-nasal (/N/) by Korean native speakers: Concerning /N/ followed by vowels

Abstract

This study examines the perception of the Japanese Moraic-Nasals /N/ by Korean native speakers. In the case of the /N/ followed by vowels (/N/ + /a, i, u, e, o/), there is a tendency towards pronunciation as various nasal vowels. The actual sound of each /N/ is, however, prone to change according to the speech style. Korean language has three nasal codas (/m, n, ŋ/). The Korean nasal codas are pronounced [m], [n], [ŋ] respectively, regardless of speech styles. Therefore, if Korean native speakers consider Japanese /N/ from the perspective of the Korean nasal coda, it is possible that they will misjudge Japanese /N/. A perception test was conducted using 6 minimal pairs consisting of “/N/ + vowel (eg. /saNin/)” and “vowel + vowel (eg. /saiin/)”. The test words were recorded in “common,” “emphasized,” and “unclear” speech styles. The results showed that native Japanese speakers recognized /N/ in most cases. On the other hand, Korean speakers with no experience in learning Japanese were unable to recognize the Japanese /N/, and perceived /N/ as vowel. Korean Native speakers with advanced Japanese proficiency had results similar to the native Japanese participants. Interestingly, in some cases they showed more accurate judgement than that of the Japanese. This, therefore, suggests that, as language learning progresses, the Japanese /N/ is acquired. Advanced learners, however, tended to pay greater attention to the /N/ sounds rather than the contextual factors on which Japanese were more likely to rely on.