What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to investigate how second language learners of Japanese acquire the timing of tongue-raising gestures for geminate and singleton /t/ sounds.

May 14, 2026

L2 acquisition of tongue-raising gesture duration for Japanese geminate /t/: Ultrasound data from native speakers of Standard Chinese

Key Points

This research aims to investigate how second language learners of Japanese acquire the timing of tongue-raising gestures for geminate and singleton /t/ sounds.
Examined articulatory timing of Japanese geminate and singleton /t/ using ultrasound imaging.
Participants included native speakers of Standard Chinese with varying levels of Japanese proficiency.
Data were analyzed using the DeepLabCut plug-in.
Lower proficiency learners displayed greater difficulty in achieving stable, native-like gestural timing for geminates.
The study found consistent differences in tongue-raising gesture duration between geminate and singleton /t/.
Acoustic durational correlates were tied to the timing of the tongue tip gesture.

Abstract

Previous articulatory studies on Japanese consonant length contrast suggest that the constriction gesture for geminates takes longer to reach its target than that for singletons. This difference in gestural timing has often been associated with pre-geminate vowel lengthening, which has also been shown to be one of the perceptual cues for gemination in Japanese. The acquisition of this cue may be particularly challenging for learners whose first language exhibits closed-syllable vowel shortening. However, the extent to which this articulatory pattern is acquired by L2 learners of Japanese remains unclear. This study examines the articulatory timing of Japanese geminate and singleton /t/ in native speakers of Standard Chinese learning Japanese at varying levels of proficiency, using ultrasound imaging. Results on tongue-raising gesture, obtained using the DeepLabCut plug-in in AAA Articulate Instruments, 2023, suggest that acquiring stable, native-like gestural timing may be challenging for learners, especially at lower proficiency levels. We discuss the relationship between the tongue tip gesture and acoustic durational correlates, as well as the potential influence of pitch-accent patterns.

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