This editorial provides an overview of how language use has been measured in second language acquisition (SLA) research and how it can be implemented in studies on pronunciation. The use of surveys and questionnaires, self-reports, and other methods is discussed along with the limitations of these current methods and recommendations. Measuring language use reliably can be challenging, but implementing and adapting current methods can help make it easier.
{"title":"Measuring language use for pronunciation research","authors":"Zoe Zawadzki, John M. Levis","doi":"10.1075/jslp.24016.zaw","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.24016.zaw","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This editorial provides an overview of how language use has been measured in second language acquisition (SLA)\u0000 research and how it can be implemented in studies on pronunciation. The use of surveys and questionnaires, self-reports, and other\u0000 methods is discussed along with the limitations of these current methods and recommendations. Measuring language use reliably can\u0000 be challenging, but implementing and adapting current methods can help make it easier.","PeriodicalId":91766,"journal":{"name":"Journal of second language pronunciation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141380820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Review of Walker & Archer (2024): Teaching English Pronunciation for a Global World","authors":"Donna M. Brinton","doi":"10.1075/jslp.24021.bri","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.24021.bri","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":91766,"journal":{"name":"Journal of second language pronunciation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141380713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carol Johnson, Walcir Cardoso, Beau Zuercher, Kathleen Brannen, Suzanne Springer
Language institutions need efficient and reliable placement tests to ensure students are placed in appropriate classes. This can be achieved by automating the scoring of pronunciation tests via the use of speech recognition, as its reliability has been shown to be comparable to that of human raters. However, this technology can be costly as it requires development and maintenance, placing it beyond the means of many institutions. This study investigates the feasibility of assessing English second language pronunciation in placement tests through the use of a free automatic speech recognition tool, Google Voice Typing (GVT). We compared human-rated and GVT-rated scores of 56 pronunciation placement tests. Our results indicate a strong correlation between scores for the final rating and for each criterion on the rubric used by human raters. We conclude that leveraging this free speech technology could increase the test usefulness of language placement tests.
{"title":"Assessing pronunciation using dictation tools","authors":"Carol Johnson, Walcir Cardoso, Beau Zuercher, Kathleen Brannen, Suzanne Springer","doi":"10.1075/jslp.23033.joh","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.23033.joh","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Language institutions need efficient and reliable placement tests to ensure students are placed in appropriate classes.\u0000 This can be achieved by automating the scoring of pronunciation tests via the use of speech recognition, as its reliability has been shown\u0000 to be comparable to that of human raters. However, this technology can be costly as it requires development and maintenance, placing it\u0000 beyond the means of many institutions. This study investigates the feasibility of assessing English second language pronunciation in\u0000 placement tests through the use of a free automatic speech recognition tool, Google Voice Typing (GVT). We compared human-rated and\u0000 GVT-rated scores of 56 pronunciation placement tests. Our results indicate a strong correlation between scores for the final rating and for\u0000 each criterion on the rubric used by human raters. We conclude that leveraging this free speech technology could increase the test\u0000 usefulness of language placement tests.","PeriodicalId":91766,"journal":{"name":"Journal of second language pronunciation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141380645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study investigated the impact of listeners’ dialectal variations within the same L1 on perceptions of L2 speech comprehensibility and accentedness. Thirty untrained British and American English-L1 raters assessed recorded L2 speech samples from 29 Finnish learners of English and provided scalar judgments for their comprehensibility and accentedness. Four linguistically trained graduate students evaluated the samples for segmental accuracy, speech rate, word stress and intonation. Results of linear mixed models indicated no significant effect of raters’ L1 variety on global comprehensibility and accentedness ratings. While American and British raters relied on same pronunciation features in their comprehensibility judgments, they placed different levels of importance on pronunciation features when making accentedness judgments. Particularly, both groups primarily exhibited sensitivity towards segmental errors in their assessments of accentedness, whereas American raters demonstrated an additional sensitivity to intonation. The findings underscore the complexity of accent perception based on the L1 variety of listeners.
{"title":"Effects of listeners’ dialectal variation on comprehensibility and accentedness judgements of second language\u0000 speech","authors":"Payam Ghaffarvand-Mokari","doi":"10.1075/jslp.23018.gha","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.23018.gha","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This study investigated the impact of listeners’ dialectal variations within the same L1 on perceptions of L2\u0000 speech comprehensibility and accentedness. Thirty untrained British and American English-L1 raters assessed recorded L2 speech\u0000 samples from 29 Finnish learners of English and provided scalar judgments for their comprehensibility and accentedness. Four\u0000 linguistically trained graduate students evaluated the samples for segmental accuracy, speech rate, word stress and intonation.\u0000 Results of linear mixed models indicated no significant effect of raters’ L1 variety on global comprehensibility and accentedness\u0000 ratings. While American and British raters relied on same pronunciation features in their comprehensibility judgments, they placed\u0000 different levels of importance on pronunciation features when making accentedness judgments. Particularly, both groups primarily\u0000 exhibited sensitivity towards segmental errors in their assessments of accentedness, whereas American raters demonstrated an\u0000 additional sensitivity to intonation. The findings underscore the complexity of accent perception based on the L1 variety of\u0000 listeners.","PeriodicalId":91766,"journal":{"name":"Journal of second language pronunciation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141104290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Addressing the lack of research examining the use of discourse-level speech input in beginning L2 learners’ Mandarin tone production in spontaneous speech, this study compares the effects of authentic videos and textbook audios as shadowing materials on beginners’ multisyllabic tone production in spontaneous speech and learner attitudes. Fourteen college students, randomly divided into the “authentic” and “textbook” groups, shadowed for four weeks. From the pretest to the posttest, both groups significantly improved tone accuracy in sentence-level spontaneous speech with no significant differences between groups. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of learners’ responses show that (1) both groups had positive attitudes toward the materials, (2) authentic materials generated greater interest, and learners appreciated shadowing authentic conversations or conversations that mimic natural discourse, and (3) the learners primarily cared about whether the materials were comprehensible, interesting, and accessible. The findings shed light on using authentic materials to teach L2 pronunciation.
{"title":"Shadowing textbook and authentic materials in beginning L2 learners’ acquisition of Mandarin Chinese tones in spontaneous speech","authors":"Ai-Ling Lu, Danjie Su","doi":"10.1075/jslp.22033.lu","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.22033.lu","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Addressing the lack of research examining the use of discourse-level speech input in beginning L2 learners’ Mandarin tone production in spontaneous speech, this study compares the effects of authentic videos and textbook audios as shadowing materials on beginners’ multisyllabic tone production in spontaneous speech and learner attitudes. Fourteen college students, randomly divided into the “authentic” and “textbook” groups, shadowed for four weeks. From the pretest to the posttest, both groups significantly improved tone accuracy in sentence-level spontaneous speech with no significant differences between groups. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of learners’ responses show that (1) both groups had positive attitudes toward the materials, (2) authentic materials generated greater interest, and learners appreciated shadowing authentic conversations or conversations that mimic natural discourse, and (3) the learners primarily cared about whether the materials were comprehensible, interesting, and accessible. The findings shed light on using authentic materials to teach L2 pronunciation.","PeriodicalId":91766,"journal":{"name":"Journal of second language pronunciation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141107246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Antti Saloranta, Katja Haapanen, Kimmo U. Peltola, Henna Tamminen, Paavo Alku, Lannie Uwu-khaeb, Maija S. Peltola
Listen-and-repeat training has previously been successfully used to train the perception and production of non-native vowel quality and duration contrasts. This study used a one-day listen-and-repeat training paradigm for the production of a non-native vowel duration contrast, /tite – tiːte/ with no feedback or other instructions. Learning results were assessed by acoustic analysis of the produced durations, and identification of the productions by listeners with quantity contrasts in their native Finnish language. Training participants were 18 Namibian speakers of various Bantu and Khoe languages. The results showed that the majority of the speakers did not produce a consistent acoustic duration contrast between the target words. In the identification task, the listeners’ performance was at essentially chance level for almost all of the speakers. The results are discussed in terms of earlier results using the same stimuli, training design and language background.
{"title":"One-day listen-and-repeat training of a non-native vowel duration contrast for speakers of Namibian\u0000 languages","authors":"Antti Saloranta, Katja Haapanen, Kimmo U. Peltola, Henna Tamminen, Paavo Alku, Lannie Uwu-khaeb, Maija S. Peltola","doi":"10.1075/jslp.23021.sal","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.23021.sal","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Listen-and-repeat training has previously been successfully used to train the perception and production of\u0000 non-native vowel quality and duration contrasts. This study used a one-day listen-and-repeat training paradigm for the production\u0000 of a non-native vowel duration contrast, /tite – tiːte/ with no feedback or other instructions. Learning results were assessed by\u0000 acoustic analysis of the produced durations, and identification of the productions by listeners with quantity contrasts in their\u0000 native Finnish language. Training participants were 18 Namibian speakers of various Bantu and Khoe languages. The results showed\u0000 that the majority of the speakers did not produce a consistent acoustic duration contrast between the target words. In the\u0000 identification task, the listeners’ performance was at essentially chance level for almost all of the speakers. The results are\u0000 discussed in terms of earlier results using the same stimuli, training design and language background.","PeriodicalId":91766,"journal":{"name":"Journal of second language pronunciation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141104391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Review of Liu, Jones & Reed (2022): Phonetics in Language Teaching","authors":"Ingrid Mora-Plaza","doi":"10.1075/jslp.24001.mor","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.24001.mor","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":91766,"journal":{"name":"Journal of second language pronunciation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140254470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper reports on the decisions made in the development and delivery of the training outlined in Maczuga, O’Brien and Knaus (2017). Framed within a Processing Instruction framework, this contribution considers previous input-based training research, which has primarily focused on the training of second language segments. In addition to providing a brief summary of the results, the paper also includes relevant recent research and provides a discussion of the limitations and recommendations for future work in the area.
{"title":"A principled approach to teaching German lexical stress assignment","authors":"Paulina Maczuga, Johannes Knaus, M. O’Brien","doi":"10.1075/jslp.23048.mac","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.23048.mac","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This paper reports on the decisions made in the development and delivery of the training outlined in Maczuga, O’Brien and Knaus (2017). Framed within a Processing Instruction framework,\u0000 this contribution considers previous input-based training research, which has primarily focused on the training of second language\u0000 segments. In addition to providing a brief summary of the results, the paper also includes relevant recent research and provides a\u0000 discussion of the limitations and recommendations for future work in the area.","PeriodicalId":91766,"journal":{"name":"Journal of second language pronunciation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139800110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The present study examined the perception of two regional variants of Spanish (theta /Ɵ/ and zheísmo/sheísmo [ʒ, ʃ]) by nonnative speakers of Spanish with and without study abroad experience. The study’s goals were to determine whether learners who study abroad accept regional variants more frequently than at-home learners, and whether this effect is limited to cues participants are exposed to while abroad. Participants were L1 English speakers asked to determine whether they considered real and nonce word pairs with matching and mismatching regional variants to be instances of the same word. The findings reveal higher acceptance rates of mismatching variants by L2 learners who had studied abroad than of classroom learners but results for specific location of study abroad that suggest learners likely build perceptual resilience while abroad that goes beyond the specific cues they are exposed to.
{"title":"Dialect-specificity and learners’ L2 perceptual resilience after study abroad","authors":"Elena Schoonmaker-Gates","doi":"10.1075/jslp.23004.sch","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.23004.sch","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The present study examined the perception of two regional variants of Spanish (theta /Ɵ/ and\u0000 zheísmo/sheísmo [ʒ, ʃ]) by nonnative speakers of Spanish with and without study abroad experience. The\u0000 study’s goals were to determine whether learners who study abroad accept regional variants more frequently than at-home learners,\u0000 and whether this effect is limited to cues participants are exposed to while abroad. Participants were L1 English speakers asked\u0000 to determine whether they considered real and nonce word pairs with matching and mismatching regional variants to be instances of\u0000 the same word. The findings reveal higher acceptance rates of mismatching variants by L2 learners who had studied abroad than of\u0000 classroom learners but results for specific location of study abroad that suggest learners likely build perceptual resilience\u0000 while abroad that goes beyond the specific cues they are exposed to.","PeriodicalId":91766,"journal":{"name":"Journal of second language pronunciation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139801621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The present study examined the perception of two regional variants of Spanish (theta /Ɵ/ and zheísmo/sheísmo [ʒ, ʃ]) by nonnative speakers of Spanish with and without study abroad experience. The study’s goals were to determine whether learners who study abroad accept regional variants more frequently than at-home learners, and whether this effect is limited to cues participants are exposed to while abroad. Participants were L1 English speakers asked to determine whether they considered real and nonce word pairs with matching and mismatching regional variants to be instances of the same word. The findings reveal higher acceptance rates of mismatching variants by L2 learners who had studied abroad than of classroom learners but results for specific location of study abroad that suggest learners likely build perceptual resilience while abroad that goes beyond the specific cues they are exposed to.
{"title":"Dialect-specificity and learners’ L2 perceptual resilience after study abroad","authors":"Elena Schoonmaker-Gates","doi":"10.1075/jslp.23004.sch","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.23004.sch","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The present study examined the perception of two regional variants of Spanish (theta /Ɵ/ and\u0000 zheísmo/sheísmo [ʒ, ʃ]) by nonnative speakers of Spanish with and without study abroad experience. The\u0000 study’s goals were to determine whether learners who study abroad accept regional variants more frequently than at-home learners,\u0000 and whether this effect is limited to cues participants are exposed to while abroad. Participants were L1 English speakers asked\u0000 to determine whether they considered real and nonce word pairs with matching and mismatching regional variants to be instances of\u0000 the same word. The findings reveal higher acceptance rates of mismatching variants by L2 learners who had studied abroad than of\u0000 classroom learners but results for specific location of study abroad that suggest learners likely build perceptual resilience\u0000 while abroad that goes beyond the specific cues they are exposed to.","PeriodicalId":91766,"journal":{"name":"Journal of second language pronunciation","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139861340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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