Learner-related factors in L2 Japanese pronunciation performance in the digital era

Ueyama, Motoko (author)

This study examines how learner-related factors and the use of digital resources relate to L2 Japanese pronunciation. Thirty-three Italian university students of Japanese completed a questionnaire on motivation, cultural interest, perceived pronunciation difficulty, pronunciation-learning engagement, and digital resource use. They also provided speech samples evaluated by native speakers for fluency, comprehensibility, nativelikeness, and accuracy. Motivation was the only factor directly associated with pronunciation performance. Quantitative analyses showed that motivation, cultural interest, engagement in pronunciation learning, and the use of digital resources formed an interconnected system supporting long-term pronunciation development. The findings highlight the role of motivational and behavioral factors in instructed JFL pronunciation learning and offer pedagogical implications.

• Language: English
• Keywords: L2 Japanese, Italian learners of Japanese, pronunciation learning, learner-related factors, digital tools
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 113-135
• Numbering: Vol. 16, no. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-190491
• ISSN on article: 2232-3317
• DOI: 10.4312/ala.16.2.113-135
• Publication date in RUL: 04.11.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta linguistica asiatica
• Publisher: Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 2232-3317
• COBISS.SI-ID: 255902464

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Vpliv značilnosti učencev na uspešnost izgovorjave japonščine kot drugega jezika v digitalni dobi

Abstract

Študija preučuje povezavo med dejavniki, povezanimi s študenti, uporabo digitalnih virov in izgovorjavo japonščine kot drugega jezika. Triintrideset italijanskih študentov japonščine je izpolnilo vprašalnik o motivaciji, zanimanju za japonsko kulturo, zaznani težavnosti izgovorjave, angažiranosti pri učenju izgovorjave in uporabi digitalnih virov. Posneli so tudi govorne vzorce, ki so jih naravni govorci ocenili glede na razumljivost, podobnost izgovorjave maternim govorcem in pravilnost. Motivacija je bila edini dejavnik, neposredno povezan z uspešnostjo izgovorjave. Analize so pokazale, da motivacija, zanimanje za kulturo, angažiranost pri učenju izgovorjave in uporaba digitalnih virov skupaj podpirajo dolgoročni razvoj izgovorjave ter imajo pomembne pedagoške implikacije za učenje japonščine kot tujega jezika.

• Keywords: japonščina kot drugi jezik, italijanski učenci japonščine, učenje izgovorjave, z učenci povezani dejavniki, digitalna orodja