The Effects of Differential Timing in the Introduction of Japanese Syllabaries on Early Second Language Development in Japanese

Author: Hatasa, Yukiko Abe¹

Source: The Modern Language Journal, Volume 86, Number 3, September 2002 , pp. 349-367(19)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

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Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a time lag in the introduction of Japanese syllabaries makes a difference in the early second language acquisition of Japanese. Two groups of native speakers of English, an experimental (lag) group and a control (nonlag) group, participated in this study. The difference between these groups was the amount of time (8 weeks) that elapsed before syllabaries were introduced into their respective Japanese curricula. The 2 groups were equivalent in terms of demographic characteristics, and the instructors, instructional materials, and methods were identical. The results of 2 posttests showed no significant differences between the experimental and control groups. Thus, the timing of the introduction of syllabaries may not be as significant an issue as has been previously thought.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/1540-4781.00154

Affiliations: 1: University of Iowa

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