Tips for ESL teachers and accent coaches to help Japanese speakers speak better English.

1. Helping Japanese Students Overcome Common
Pronunciation Problems Caused by Katakana English
Michael Kistler and Joseph Sandkamp
md_kistler [at] hotmail.com & joesandkamp {at} gmail.com
Asia University (Tokyo, Japan)
Introduction/Rationale
The following five-step lesson is intended for Japanese students studying English as a
foreign language (EFL). The activity is an attempt to raise students' consciousness
regarding Katakana English being used in their English classes and how it differs from
the Standard English that they are learning; it is also intended to improve students
pronunciation of English, particularly the recognition and production of syllables and
sounds that are distinctive from English to Japanese.
Katakana English refers to spoken English -- which may or may not include loanwords --
that applies the phonological sounds of Katakana, which is the phonetic system in the
Japanese language that is generally used for writing words borrowed from other
languages. Although the lexicon of borrowed words in Japanese draws from a number
of languages, English accounts for the majority of them. Since each kana represents a
specific sound or combination of sounds, the pronunciation of each sound often differs
from that of the original English word.
Procedure
Step 1: Word Comparison
Students read the word written in Katakana and write the corresponding word in
English, following the example in the first line. Upon completion, the teacher may check
the students' answers as a whole group.
1. コーヒー 1. coffee
2. レモン 2.
3. サラダ 3.
4. ストロベリー 4.
5. ホテル 5.

2. 6. ハンバーガー 6.
7. テニス 7.
8. ラブレター 8.
9. アスクリム 9.
10.マクドナルド 10.
11.トンネル 11.
12.アース 12.
13.マウス 13.
14.フリー 14.
15.トラック 15.
Step 2: Problem Identification
The teacher introduces three common reasons for pronunciation difficulties using
examples that are easy for students to understand. Note that these three examples
correspond to numbers two, three and four from the list in step 1.
The teacher explains to students the idea of how certain sounds differ from English to
Japanese as well as the absence of certain sounds from one language to the other.
Example A
English to
Japanese
Difference Reason for
difference
lemon-
remon
l sound
changes to r
sound
l sound doesn't
exist in
Japanese
Example B

3. English to
Japanese
Difference Reason for
difference
salad-sarada
(sa/lad --
sa/ra/da)
additional
syllable
Japanese adds
a vowel at the
end of words
Example C
English to
Japanese
Difference Reason for
difference
strawberry-
sutoroberi
additional
vowels
Japanese
doesn't have
two consonants
together
Step 3: Pair Pronunciation Practice
Students practice word pairs from step one that highlight clearly the differences in
pronunciation from Standard English to Katakana English. Students do pair
pronunciation practice in which one student reads a word from column A and his or her
partner reads the corresponding word from column B; afterward, the students switch
roles.
A B
lemon remon
salad sarada
strawberry sutoroberi

4. hotel hoteru
hamburger hambaagaa
tennis tenisu
love letter rabu retaa
ice cream aisu kuriimu
macDonald's makudonarudo
tunnel tonneru
earth a-su
mouth mausu
free furii
truck torakku
Step 4: Syllable Identification
Working in pairs, have students count the number of syllables in each word, comparing
the differences in word length from English to Japanese.
English syllables Japanese syllables

5. coffee 2 ko-hi 2
lemon remon
salad sarada
strawberry sutoroberi
hotel hoteru
hamburger hambaagaa
tennis tenisu
love letter rabu retaa
ice cream aisu kuriimu
McDonald's makudonarudo
tunnel tonneru
earth a-su
mouth mausu

6. free furii
truck torakku
Step 5: Sentence Dictation
Students do sentence dictation in order to compare larger chunks of speech as opposed
to the single words in the previous steps.
Student A reads each of the following sentences first in Katakana and then in English.
Student B listens and writes the sentences that he or she hears.
Student A (Reads):
1. アイ ウェント トゥ マクドナルド アンド ハド ア ハンバンガー アンド
ストロベリー シェイク。
2. マイ ガールフレンド ハド サラダ アンド アイスク リーム フォア デザー
ト。
3. I went to MacDonald's and had a hamburger and a strawberry shake.
4. My girlfriend had salad and ice cream for dessert.
Student B (Listens and writes):
1.
2.
3.
4.
Conclusion
Given the fact that the majority of EFL students in Japan will continue to use Katakana
as a frame of reference for pronunciation, it is important for English language
professionals in Japan to acknowledge this unique aspect and seriously consider
incorporating this type of awareness-building activity into their curriculum. It is especially
valuable given that most students have had either limited or no exposure to this topic
and are largely unaware of the particulars of their own pronunciation. Additionally,

7. native instructors are in a position to offer insight into certain nuances of pronunciation
that wouldn't likely be otherwise addressed.
Having used this activity in Freshman English classes at Asia University, the results
were positive across several groups of students. Overall, the students were receptive to
the lesson concept and participated enthusiastically throughout. It was evident that the
majority of students had never closely considered this aspect of pronunciation, least of
all in relation to their first language. As they had never had the opportunity to try this
type of activity, most of the students were surprised at the profound differences between
Standard English and Katakana English and came away from the activity with a better
appreciation for potential communication difficulties. The activity can easily be modified
to suit individual instructor or student needs and can also be tailored to fit a variety of
English language curriculums. Not only do the students have an opportunity to practice
and improve their pronunciation, but they also gain insight into their native language as
well as the language they are studying.
The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. XIV, No. 1, January 2008
http://iteslj.org/
http://iteslj.org/Lessons/Kistler-Katakana.html