Difficulties understanding L2 speech due to discourse- versus word-level elements

In this article, the constructs of intelligibility, comprehensibility, and discourse-level understanding in second language (L2) speech are analyzed for their conceptual and methodological characteristics. The analysis is complemented by a case study of listeners’ understanding of two matched L2 English speakers, who completed three speaking tasks over 17 weeks. One listening task focused on word/phrase recognition and one focused on semantic and pragmatic understanding. Results showed two different profiles for the two speakers. When listeners had difficulty understanding, for one speaker it was often due to word/phrase recognition problems, while for the other speaker it was often due to ambiguity in the pragmatic or functional meaning of the speech. Implications are discussed for the ways in which L2 speech is elicited, evaluated, and taught.

Individual variation in acquisition of voicing contrasts by classroom learners of French

The present study examines the production of voicing by English-speaking learners of French in a traditional classroom environment, focusing on the juxtaposition between group patterns and individual tendencies. Thirty-one intermediate-level learners completed word-reading production tasks in French and English, and voice onset time was measured in word-initial bilabial stops. At the group level, results demonstrated strong interference from English in participants’ French, especially in the production of voiceless stops. In contrast, voiced stops overall were more target-like, revealing an asymmetry in the acquisition of the two members of the phonological distinction. At the individual level, much variability was observed both in the relative attainment of pronunciation targets and in the alignment between participants first and second language pronunciation patterns, ultimately highlighting the need for future research to consider individual trends in order to understand L2 speech acquisition in a more comprehensive manner.

Phonological features that predict accentedness, comprehensibility, and perceived teaching suitability in Arizona K-12 teachers

Motivated by a proposed administrative practice that would have discriminated against non-native English speaking (NNES) teachers, this study described an extensive phonological analysis on speech samples from ten certified Arizona teachers to investigate linguistic features that differentiate native English speaking (NES) teachers from NNES teachers. In addition, educational stakeholders (n = 141) impressionistically evaluated the speech samples for comprehensibility, accentedness, and perceived teaching suitability. Phonological features were used to predict listeners’ ratings on these three constructs. Multiple phonological features were found to predict comprehensibility, accentedness, and perceived teaching suitability, but each construct was predicted by a unique set of features. Lastly, stakeholders’ evaluations of NES and NNES teachers were analyzed. Despite individual variability in many of the features of NNES and NES teachers’ speech, educational stakeholders rated NNES teachers as more accented, less comprehensible, and less suited to teach.

L2 pronunciation research and teaching

Research on L2 pronunciation needs to occur in a much wider range of languages in order to ensure that findings are not just applicable to dominant languages. This paper argues that research on a wider variety of languages will be valuable for understanding different contexts of learning/instruction, different types and combinations of phonological features, and different instructional approaches. The field especially needs two parallel and interrelated threads of research and teaching-oriented publications. The first is descriptions of and materials for teaching pronunciation in particular languages. The second is research that is built around questions of practical interest and theoretically-motivated models of L2 speech perception and production.

Assessing the state of the art in longitudinal L2 pronunciation research

Longitudinal research methods often call to mind studies of various lengths. However, longitudinal research involves complex decisions related to study length, number of sessions, and session spacing, and these longitudinal choices must be coordinated with other aspects of research methodology. In this synthesis, I analyze 39 longitudinal L2 pronunciation studies that were published between 2006 and 2021 and did not include a pronunciation-specific intervention. I examine longitudinal design choices in light of participant sample characteristics such as age and context of learning, and measurement framework characteristics, which include choices related to target structures and tasks. Among other findings, results point to a lack of longer-term, multiwave studies dealing with pronunciation development. I offer suggestions for future work that can enhance the scope of L2 pronunciation research as well as recommendations for conducting and reporting longitudinal research.

Task engagement and comprehensibility in interaction

This exploratory study examined the relationship between second language (L2) English speakers’ comprehensibility and their interactional behaviors as they engaged in a conversation with fellow L2 speakers. Thirty-six pairs of L2 English university students completed a 10-minute academic discussion task and subsequently rated each other’s comprehensibility. Transcripts of their conversation were coded for eight measures of task engagement, including cognitive/behavioral engagement (idea units, language-related episodes), social engagement (encouragement, responsiveness, task and time management, backchanneling, nodding), and emotional engagement (positive affect). Speakers who showed more encouragement and nodding were perceived as easier to understand, whereas those who produced more frequent language-focused episodes and demonstrated more responsiveness were rated as harder to understand. These findings provide initial evidence for an association between L2 speakers’ interactional behaviors and peer-ratings of comprehensibility, highlighting L2 comprehensibility as a multifaceted and interaction-driven construct.

The interplay of proficiency and study abroad experience on the prosody of L2 speech acts

Adopting Brazil’s (1997) prosodic framework, this study examined whether proficiency and study abroad experience impact second language (L2) English learners’ spoken production of speech acts. Twenty-four native English speakers and 64 Japanese learners of L2 English participated in the study. The L2 learner group was divided into three sub-groups: (1) high proficiency learners with study abroad (SA) experience (2) low proficiency learners with no SA experience, and (3) high proficiency learners without SA experience. Participants completed an oral discourse completion task that assessed their ability to produce two speech acts (requests and opinions) in high- and low-imposition situations. Prosodic features including intonation, pitch range, and sentence prominence were analyzed via PRAAT. The findings revealed a complex interplay between proficiency and SA experience on pragma-prosodic production. Implications suggest that SA may have the added benefit of providing the backdrop for authentic contextual functions of prosody in high- and low- imposition situations.

COVID silver linings

The global pandemic caused a storm of cancellations of professional conferences and professional travel, but the storm has also had technological silver linings in opportunities for professional development including greater numbers of webinars, virtual conferences, and new uses of videoconferencing. We expect that many of these new expansions of professional development will continue in the field of L2 pronunciation.