Biomechanical approaches to language learning investigating the impact of kinesthetic activities on Japanese pronunciation and fluency
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of biomechanics-based kinesthetic activities on Japanese pronunciation accuracy and speech fluency among intermediate learners. A quasi-experimental design was employed, with 50 participants randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 25) that engaged in biomechanical interventions or a control group (n = 25) receiving traditional language instruction. The experimental group participated in a 10-week program, incorporating articulation exercises, respiratory training, rhythmic gestures, and posture alignment aimed at optimizing speech production. Pronunciation accuracy and fluency were assessed before and after the intervention using standardized scoring rubrics and speech analysis software. The results indicate significant improvements in both pronunciation accuracy and fluency in the experimental group compared to the control group. Specifically, the experimental group showed a marked increase in pronunciation scores (from 2.8 to 4.1) and a higher speech rate (from 120 to 150 words per min) with fewer pauses (from 8 to 4 per min). Statistical analysis, including independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA, confirmed the effectiveness of the kinesthetic interventions, with post-hoc Tukey HSD tests revealing significant differences between the groups. The findings suggest that integrating biomechanics-based kinesthetic activities into language instruction can significantly enhance learners’ pronunciation and fluency, providing a more holistic approach to language acquisition. Future research should explore the long-term impact of these interventions and their applicability to other languages.
References
1. Ivanović I. Pronunciation Obstacle Course. Theory and Practice in Language Studies. 2019;9(4). DOI:10.17507/TPLS.0904.04
2. Odisho E. The weight of phonological vs. phonetic accent in teaching pronunciation. 2017.
3. Burri M. Making the Case for Brain-friendly Pronunciation Instruction. RELC Journal. 2021;52(3). DOI:10.1177/00336882211035519
4. Jahara SF, Abdelrady AH. Pronunciation Problems Encountered by EFL Learners: An Empirical Study. Arab World English Journal. 2021;12(4). DOI:10.24093/awej/vol12no4.14
5. D’Acierno Canonici MR. The Role of Phonetics and Prosody during a Second Language Learning Plan. Athens Journal of Philology. 2022;9(1). DOI:10.30958/ajp.9-1-2
6. Bliss H, Bird S, Burton S, Gick B. Seeing Speech: A Pronunciation Toolkit for Indigenous Language Teaching and Learning. Journal of Language Documentation & Conservation. 2017.
7. Guevara-Rukoz A, Martin A, Yamauchi Y, Minematsu N. Prototyping a web-based phonetic training game to improve /r/-/l/ identification by Japanese learners of English. Proceedings of SLaTE. 2019. DOI:10.21437/slate.2019-5
8. Scivoletto G. Raising self-consciousness: phonetic education as embodied language learning. Glottodidactica. 2022;49(1). DOI:10.14746/gl.2022.49.1.11
9. Sulukiyyah AA, Ms. M. Exploiting Phonetic Exercise to Improve Students’ Pronunciation Ability. Proceedings of SOSHEC. 2018. DOI:10.2991/SOSHEC-18.2018.72
10. Purnama S. Improving Students’ Pronunciation Competence through the Implementation of Lesson Study. Prokaluni. 2019. DOI:10.30998/prokaluni.v2i0.151
11. Ischenko V, Horbuniova S, Kononenko O. Ways of Training English Pronunciation through Tongue Twisters. Poltava University Journal. 2023. DOI:10.33989/2075-146x.2023.31.283327
12. Galante A, Piccardo E. Teaching Pronunciation: Toward Intelligibility and Comprehensibility. ELT Journal. 2021. DOI:10.1093/elt/ccab060
13. Sulukiyyah AA, Istiqomah D. Recognition of English Sounds through Spelling Exercises. Edulangue Journal. 2021. DOI:10.20414/edulangue.v4i2.4150
14. Levis JM. Intelligibility, Oral Communication, and the Teaching of Pronunciation. Cambridge University Press. 2018. DOI:10.1017/9781108241564
15. Smith AB, Johnson CD, Lee EF, et al. Enhancing pronunciation in second language learners through kinesthetic activities. J Lang Teach. 2020;45(3):123-135.
16. Lee Y, Park S. Respiratory training and its impact on speech fluency in language learning. Int J Biomech. 2019;34(2):89-102.
17. Nakamura H, Yamamoto T. The role of physical exercises in language acquisition: A biomechanical perspective. Lang Biomech Rev. 2021;12(1):45-60.
18. Chen L, Wang M, Li Q. Integrating biomechanics into language education: Effects on pronunciation and fluency. Educ Biomech J. 2022;5(4):201-215.
19. Uğraş H, Uğraş M, Papadakis S, Kalogiannakis M. ChatGPT-Supported Education in Primary Schools: The Potential of ChatGPT for Sustainable Practices. Sustainability. 2024;16(22):9855.
20. Aravantinos S, Lavidas K, Voulgari I, Papadakis S, Karalis T, Komis V. Educational Approaches with AI in Primary School Settings: A Systematic Review of the Literature Available in Scopus. Education Sciences. 2024;14(7):744.
Copyright (c) 2024 Junchao Luo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright on all articles published in this journal is retained by the author(s), while the author(s) grant the publisher as the original publisher to publish the article.
Articles published in this journal are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, which means they can be shared, adapted and distributed provided that the original published version is cited.
Submit a Paper
