The relationships among L2 fluency, intelligibility, comprehensibility, and accentedness: A meta-analysis

IF 4.9 1区文学 Q1 LINGUISTICS Studies in Second Language Acquisition Pub Date : 2025-02-06 DOI:10.1017/s0272263125000014

Tuc Chau, Amanda Huensch

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Abstract

Fluency, intelligibility, comprehensibility, and accentedness are important dimensions of second language (L2) pronunciation proficiency representing global, listener-based intuitions. This study meta-analyzed 49 reports from 1995 to 2023, examining 141 effect sizes (Pearson r) to understand their relationships and possible moderators. Three-level meta-analysis models showed weighted mean correlations of .82, .75, .62, .57, and .32 for fluency/comprehensibility, comprehensibility/accentedness, fluency/accentedness, intelligibility/comprehensibility, and intelligibility/accentedness, respectively. Task types moderated correlations for fluency/accentedness, intelligibility/comprehensibility, and intelligibility/accentedness, with controlled tasks leading to higher correlations. Ratings of multiple dimensions by the same listeners tended to result in weaker correlations for fluency/comprehensibility and comprehensibility/accentedness. The findings imply that having an accent does not mean being unintelligible and support prioritizing intelligible and comprehensible speech over accent reduction. The study also highlights an over-reliance on first language speaker norms in L2 pronunciation research and advocates for more transparent reporting.

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二语流畅性、可理解性、可理解性和重音性之间的关系：一项元分析

流利性、可理解性、可理解性和重音性是第二语言（L2）发音熟练程度的重要维度，代表着全球的、以听者为基础的直觉。本研究荟萃分析了1995年至2023年的49份报告，检查了141个效应量（Pearson r），以了解它们之间的关系和可能的调节因素。三水平元分析模型显示，流利性/可理解性、可理解性/重音性、流利性/重音性、可理解性/可理解性和可理解性/重音性的加权平均相关性分别为0.82、0.75、0.62、0.57和0.32。任务类型调节了流利性/重音性、可理解性/可理解性和可理解性/重音性的相关性，而受控任务导致更高的相关性。同一听者的多个维度评分往往导致流利性/可理解性和可理解性/重音性的相关性较弱。研究结果表明，有口音并不意味着听不懂，并支持优先考虑可理解和可理解的讲话，而不是减少口音。该研究还强调了在二语发音研究中过度依赖母语者的规范，并倡导更透明的报告。

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来源期刊

Studies in Second Language Acquisition LINGUISTICS-

CiteScore

8.00

自引率

9.80%

发文量

期刊介绍： Studies in Second Language Acquisition is a refereed journal of international scope devoted to the scientific discussion of acquisition or use of non-native and heritage languages. Each volume (five issues) contains research articles of either a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods nature in addition to essays on current theoretical matters. Other rubrics include shorter articles such as Replication Studies, Critical Commentaries, and Research Reports.