Abstract
In Japanese language education, phonetic components of kanji have not received as much attention as semantic components. Kanji, which are logographic characters adopted into Japanese orthography, consist of both semantic and phonetic elements, with approximately 80% of all kanji formed in this way. To improve reading comprehension in Japanese, it is essential to effectively combine information from both types of components.
If learners struggle to process the phonology of kanji, it can hinder their vocabulary recognition and impact their working memory. While phonetic components can assist learners in predicting the readings of new kanji, inconsistencies exist; not all kanji sharing the same phonetic component have the same reading, and the saliency of these components can vary.
This presentation explores the role of phonetic component saliency in kanji and vocabulary learning and examines the characteristics of phonological processing when L2 Japanese language learners encounter unfamiliar kanji.