Effects of observing pitch gestures on the perception of English intonation by Japanese learners of English

The effects of observing pitch gestures on non-native English intonation perception among 80 Japanese learners of English were examined to uncover whether pitch gestures boost the perception of intonation patterns in the contexts of congruent, incongruent, and no gestures (CGs, IGs, and NGs, respectively); gestural effects differ from various intonation patterns; and gestural effects are based on the complexity of stimuli. The results showed that identification was most accurate for CGs, followed by NGs and IGs for both word and sentence stimuli. Although gestural effects differed depending on intonation patterns and the target stimuli, observing CGs enhances the perception of intonation patterns, including rising patterns, which are particularly challenging for Japanese learners. Consequently, these findings provide pedagogical implications for incorporating pitch gestures into both the learning and teaching of second-language intonation.