This study builds on Nakayama’s (2021) exploration of auditory input and hiragana in kanji pronunciation learning by investigating the impact of first language (L1) knowledge on the pronunciation acquisition of kanji characters. In a Japanese immersion school setting, thirteen third grade students participated in instructor-led reading activities utilizing reading materials aligned with state curriculum standards. Two reading materials–one with prior knowledge and the other without were chosen for this study. Kanji pronunciation tests administered before and after the interventions revealed a significant improvement in pronunciation for the material with prior knowledge ( p<.05), emphasizing the potential influence of L1 content familiarity. These findings suggest that incorporating prior knowledge of the content into reading materials may enhance the effectiveness of kanji pronunciation learning, emphasizing the importance of aligning materials with curriculum standards in immersion school settings.
Nakayama et al. (Wed,) studied this question.