1887
Volume 6, Issue 3
  • ISSN 2215-1931
  • E-ISSN: 2215-194X
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

Levis (2005) named two conflicting approaches to pronunciation teaching, the Nativeness Principle and the Intelligibility Principle. This paper revisits those two principles to argue for the superiority of the Intelligibility Principle in regard to where pronunciation fits within the wider field of language teaching, in how it effectively addresses teaching goals, in how it best addresses all contexts of L2 pronunciation learning, and in how it recognizes the reality of social consequences of pronunciation differences. In contrast, the Nativeness Principle, despite its long pedigree and many defenders, falls short by advocating native pronunciation for L2 learners, which is both unlikely to be achieved and unnecessary for effective communication in the L2.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/jslp.20050.lev
2020-10-29
2023-06-02
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Adank, P. , Evans, B. G. , Stuart-Smith, J. , & Scott, S. K.
    (2009) Comprehension of familiar and unfamiliar native accents under adverse listening conditions. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 35(2), 520–529.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Agudo, J. D. D. M.
    (Ed.) (2017) Native and non-native teachers in English language classrooms: Professional challenges and teacher education. Walter de Gruyter. 10.1515/9781501504143
    https://doi.org/10.1515/9781501504143 [Google Scholar]
  3. Baese-Berk, M. M. , Bradlow, A. R. , & Wright, B. A.
    (2013) Accent-independent adaptation to foreign accented speech. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 133(3), EL174–EL180. 10.1121/1.4789864
    https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4789864 [Google Scholar]
  4. Bird, S.
    (2020) Pronunciation among adult Indigenous language learners: The case of SENĆOŦEN /t’/. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation. 10.1075/jslp.17042.bir
    https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.17042.bir [Google Scholar]
  5. Bradlow, A. R. , & Bent, T.
    (2008) Perceptual adaptation to non-native speech. Cognition, 106(2), 707–729. 10.1016/j.cognition.2007.04.005
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2007.04.005 [Google Scholar]
  6. Brown, A.
    (1988) Functional load and the teaching of pronunciation. TESOL Quarterly, 22(4), 593–606. 10.2307/3587258
    https://doi.org/10.2307/3587258 [Google Scholar]
  7. Bohn, O. , & Munro, M.
    (2007) Language experience in second language speech learning. In honor of James Emil Flege. John Benjamins. 10.1075/lllt.17
    https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.17 [Google Scholar]
  8. Buckingham, L.
    (2015) Shades of cosmopolitanism: EFL teachers’ perspectives on English accents and pronunciation teaching in the Gulf. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 36(6), 638–653. 10.1080/01434632.2014.994638
    https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2014.994638 [Google Scholar]
  9. Cerreta, S. , & Trofimovich, P.
    (2018) Engaging the senses: A sensory-based approach to L2 pronunciation instruction for actors. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 4(1), 46–72. 10.1075/jslp.00003.cer
    https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.00003.cer [Google Scholar]
  10. Chomsky, N.
    (1965) Aspects of the theory of syntax. MIT Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Clarke, C. M. , & Garrett, M. F.
    (2004) Rapid adaptation to foreign-accented English. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 116(6), 3647–3658. 10.1121/1.1815131
    https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1815131 [Google Scholar]
  12. Cook, V.
    (1999) Going beyond the native speaker in language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 33(2), 185–209. 10.2307/3587717
    https://doi.org/10.2307/3587717 [Google Scholar]
  13. Coppieters, R.
    (1987) Competence differences between native and near-native speakers. Language, 63(3), 544–573. 10.2307/415005
    https://doi.org/10.2307/415005 [Google Scholar]
  14. Cutler, A.
    (1986) Forbear is a homophone: Lexical prosody does not constrain lexical access. Language and Speech, 29(3), 201–220. 10.1177/002383098602900302
    https://doi.org/10.1177/002383098602900302 [Google Scholar]
  15. Derwing, T. M.
    (2003) What do ESL students say about their accents?Canadian Modern Language Review, 59(4), 547–567. 10.3138/cmlr.59.4.547
    https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.59.4.547 [Google Scholar]
  16. Derwing, T. M. & Munro, M. J.
    (2009) Putting accent in its place: Rethinking obstacles to communication. Language Teaching and Research, 42 (4), 476–490. 10.1017/S026144480800551X
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S026144480800551X [Google Scholar]
  17. Derwing, T. M. , & Munro, M. J.
    (2015) Pronunciation fundamentals. Evidence-based perspectives for L2 teaching and research. John Benjamins. 10.1075/lllt.42
    https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.42 [Google Scholar]
  18. Deterding, D.
    (2012) Pronunciation in World Englishes. The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. Retrieved from. doi:  10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0967
    https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0967 [Google Scholar]
  19. Dragojevic, M. , Mastro, D. , Giles, H. , & Sink, A.
    (2016) Silencing nonstandard speakers: A content analysis of accent portrayals on American primetime television. Language in Society, 45(1), 59–85. 10.1017/S0047404515000743
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404515000743 [Google Scholar]
  20. Flege, J. E. , Munro, M. J. , & MacKay, I. R.
    (1995) Factors affecting strength of perceived foreign accent in a second language. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 97(5), 3125–3134. 10.1121/1.413041
    https://doi.org/10.1121/1.413041 [Google Scholar]
  21. Gatbonton, E. , Trofimovich, P. , & Magid, M.
    (2005) Learners’ ethnic group affiliation and L2 pronunciation accuracy: A sociolinguistic investigation. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 489–511. 10.2307/3588491
    https://doi.org/10.2307/3588491 [Google Scholar]
  22. Giles, H. , Wilson, P. , & Conway, A.
    (1981) Accent and lexical diversity as determinants of impression formation and perceived employment suitability. Language Sciences, 3(1), 91–103. 10.1016/S0388‑0001(81)80015‑0
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S0388-0001(81)80015-0 [Google Scholar]
  23. Gluszek, A. , & Dovidio, J. F.
    (2010) Speaking with a nonnative accent: Perceptions of bias, communication difficulties, and belonging in the United States. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 29(2), 224–234. 10.1177/0261927X09359590
    https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X09359590 [Google Scholar]
  24. Hahn, L. D.
    (2004) Primary stress and intelligibility: Research to motivate the teaching of suprasegmentals. TESOL Quarterly, 38(2), 201–223. 10.2307/3588378
    https://doi.org/10.2307/3588378 [Google Scholar]
  25. Harrison, G.
    (2013) “Oh, you’ve got such a strong accent”: Language identity intersecting with professional identity in the human services in Australia. International Migration, 51(5), 192–204. 10.1111/imig.12005
    https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.12005 [Google Scholar]
  26. Harrison, G.
    (2014) 12 Accent and ‘Othering’ in the workplace. In J. Levis & A. Moyer (Eds.), Social dynamics in second language accent (pp.255–272). DeGruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9781614511762.255
    https://doi.org/10.1515/9781614511762.255 [Google Scholar]
  27. Jenkins, J.
    (2000) The phonology of English as an international language. Oxford University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. Kachru, B. B.
    (Ed.) (1992) The other tongue: English across cultures. University of Illinois Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Kang, O. , Thomson, R. I. , & Moran, M.
    (2018) Empirical approaches to measuring the intelligibility of different varieties of English in predicting listener comprehension. Language Learning, 68(1), 115–146. 10.1111/lang.12270
    https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12270 [Google Scholar]
  30. Kartushina, N. , & Frauenfelder, U. H.
    (2014) On the effects of L2 perception and of individual differences in L1 production on L2 pronunciation. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1246–1262. 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01246
    https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01246 [Google Scholar]
  31. LeVelle, K. , & Levis, J.
    (2014) Understanding the impact of social factors on L2 pronunciation: Insights from learners. In J. Levis & A. Moyer (Eds.), Social dynamics in second language accent (pp.97–118). DeGruyter Mouton. 10.1515/9781614511762.97
    https://doi.org/10.1515/9781614511762.97 [Google Scholar]
  32. Levis, J. M.
    (1999) The intonation and meaning of normal yes/no questions. World Englishes, 18(3), 373–380. 10.1111/1467‑971X.00150
    https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-971X.00150 [Google Scholar]
  33. (2005) Changing contexts and shifting paradigms in pronunciation teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 369–377. 10.2307/3588485
    https://doi.org/10.2307/3588485 [Google Scholar]
  34. (2006) Pronunciation and the assessment of spoken language. In R. Hughes (Ed.), Spoken English, TESOL and applied linguistics (pp.245–270). Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1057/9780230584587_11
    https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230584587_11 [Google Scholar]
  35. (2018) Intelligibility, oral communication, and the teaching of pronunciation. Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/9781108241564
    https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108241564 [Google Scholar]
  36. Levis, J. M. , & Sonsaat, S.
    (2017) Pronunciation teaching in the early CLT era. In O. Kang , R. Thomson & J. Murphy (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of English pronunciation, (pp.267–283). Routledge.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Levis, J. M. , Sonsaat, S. , Link, S. , & Barriuso, T. A.
    (2016) Native and nonnative teachers of L2 pronunciation: Effects on learner performance. TESOL Quarterly, 50(4), 894–931. 10.1002/tesq.272
    https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.272 [Google Scholar]
  38. Lippi-Green, R.
    (2012) English with an accent: Language, ideology and discrimination in the United States. Psychology Press. 10.4324/9780203348802
    https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203348802 [Google Scholar]
  39. Mahboob, A. , & Golden, R.
    (2013) Looking for native speakers of English: Discrimination in English language teaching job advertisements. Age, 3(18), 21.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Major, R. C. , Fitzmaurice, S. F. , Bunta, F. , & Balasubramanian, C.
    (2002) The effects of nonnative accents on listening comprehension: Implications for ESL assessment. TESOL Quarterly, 36(2), 173–190. 10.2307/3588329
    https://doi.org/10.2307/3588329 [Google Scholar]
  41. McCrocklin, S. , & Link, S.
    (2016) Accent, identity, and a fear of loss? ESL students’ perspectives. Canadian Modern Language Review, 72(1), 122–148. 10.3138/cmlr.2582
    https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.2582 [Google Scholar]
  42. McCullough, E. A. , Clopper, C. G. , & Wagner, L.
    (2019) Regional dialect perception across the lifespan: Identification and discrimination. Language and Speech, 62(1), 115–136. 10.1177/0023830917743277
    https://doi.org/10.1177/0023830917743277 [Google Scholar]
  43. Medgyes, P.
    (1992) Native or non-native: who’s worth more?ELT Journal, 46(4), 340–349. 10.1093/elt/46.4.340
    https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/46.4.340 [Google Scholar]
  44. Moussu, L. , & Llurda, E.
    (2008) Non-native English-speaking English language teachers: History and research. Language Teaching, 41(3), 315–348. 10.1017/S0261444808005028
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444808005028 [Google Scholar]
  45. Moyer, A.
    (2014) Exceptional outcomes in L2 phonology: The critical factors of learner engagement and self-regulation. Applied Linguistics, 35(4), 418–440. 10.1093/applin/amu012
    https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amu012 [Google Scholar]
  46. Mugglestone, L.
    (1995) Talking proper: The rise of accent as social symbol. Oxford University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Munro, M. J. , & Derwing, T. M.
    (1995) Foreign accent, comprehensibility, and intelligibility in the speech of second language learners. Language Learning, 45(1), 73–97. 10.1111/j.1467‑1770.1995.tb00963.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1995.tb00963.x [Google Scholar]
  48. (2006) The functional load principle in ESL pronunciation instruction: An exploratory study. System, 34(4), 520–531. 10.1016/j.system.2006.09.004
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2006.09.004 [Google Scholar]
  49. Munro, M. J. , Derwing, T. M. , & Sato, K.
    (2006) Salient accents, covert attitudes: Consciousness-raising for pre-service second language teachers. Prospect, 21, 67–79.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Ockey, G. J. , & French, R.
    (2016) From one to multiple accents on a test of L2 listening comprehension. Applied Linguistics, 37(5), 693–715. 10.1093/applin/amu060
    https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amu060 [Google Scholar]
  51. Pennington, M. C. , & Rogerson-Revell, P.
    (2019) English pronunciation teaching and research. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1057/978‑1‑137‑47677‑7
    https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-47677-7 [Google Scholar]
  52. Piske, T. , MacKay, I. R. , & Flege, J. E.
    (2001) Factors affecting degree of foreign accent in an L2: A review. Journal of Phonetics, 29(2), 191–215. 10.1006/jpho.2001.0134
    https://doi.org/10.1006/jpho.2001.0134 [Google Scholar]
  53. Rubin, D. L.
    (1992) Nonlanguage factors affecting undergraduates’ judgments of nonnative English-speaking teaching assistants. Research in Higher Education, 33(4), 511–531. 10.1007/BF00973770
    https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00973770 [Google Scholar]
  54. Saito, K. , Trofimovich, P. , & Isaacs, T.
    (2016) Second language speech production: Investigating linguistic correlates of comprehensibility and accentedness for learners at different ability levels. Applied Psycholinguistics, 37(2), 217–240. 10.1017/S0142716414000502
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716414000502 [Google Scholar]
  55. (2017) Using listener judgments to investigate linguistic influences on L2 comprehensibility and accentedness: A validation and generalization study. Applied Linguistics, 38(4), 439–462.
    [Google Scholar]
  56. Sakai, M.
    (2018) Moving towards a bilingual baseline in second language phonetic research. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 4(1), 11–45. 10.1075/jslp.00002.sak
    https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.00002.sak [Google Scholar]
  57. Scharenborg, O.
    (2007) Reaching over the gap: A review of efforts to link human and automatic speech recognition research. Speech Communication, 49(5), 336–347. 10.1016/j.specom.2007.01.009
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.specom.2007.01.009 [Google Scholar]
  58. Smith, L. E. , & Rafiqzad, K.
    (1979) English for cross-cultural communication: The question of intelligibility. TESOL Quarterly, 371–380. 10.2307/3585884
    https://doi.org/10.2307/3585884 [Google Scholar]
  59. Sorace, A.
    (1993) Incomplete vs. divergent representations of unaccusativity in non-native grammars of Italian. Second Language Research, 9(1), 22–47. 10.1177/026765839300900102
    https://doi.org/10.1177/026765839300900102 [Google Scholar]
  60. (2003) Near-nativeness. In C. Doughty & M. Long (Eds.), The handbook of second language acquisition (pp.130–151). Wiley Blackwell. 10.1002/9780470756492.ch6
    https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470756492.ch6 [Google Scholar]
  61. Subtirelu, N. C.
    (2015) “She does have an accent but…”: Race and language ideology in students’ evaluations of mathematics instructors on RateMyProfessors.com. Language in Society, 44(1), 35–62. 10.1017/S0047404514000736
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404514000736 [Google Scholar]
  62. Suzukida, Y. , & Saito, K.
    (2019) Which segmental features matter for successful L2 comprehensibility? Revisiting and generalizing the pedagogical value of the functional load principle. Language Teaching Research, 1362168819858246. 10.1177/1362168819858246
    https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168819858246 [Google Scholar]
  63. Tan, A.
    (2020) Transfer of suprasegmental improvements to novel sentences and segmental accuracy using real time audiovisual pitch training. Master’s thesis, Iowa State University. 10.31274/etd‑20200624‑143
    https://doi.org/10.31274/etd-20200624-143
  64. Thomson, R.
    (2014) Accent reduction and pronunciation instruction are the same thing. In L. Grant (Ed.), Pronunciation myths: Applying second language research to classroom teaching (pp.160–187). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  65. Weatherhead, D. , White, K. S. , & Friedman, O.
    (2016) Where are you from? Preschoolers infer background from accent. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 143, 171–178.
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1075/jslp.20050.lev
Loading
/content/journals/10.1075/jslp.20050.lev
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error