• Home
  • Blog
  • Publications
  • Presentations
  • Awards & Grants
  • Professional Service
Picture

Random Friday Thoughts on Dialects, Accents, English Varieties and L2 Learning

6/27/2014

0 Comments

 
In the last few months I've done quite a bit of work in the area of accents and English varieties, particularly in a pronunciation teaching context. I've also compiled a literature review on phonological approaches to literacy instruction in public schools. In the process I've come across research that investigated whether teacher dialects have an effect on pupils' literacy development (e.g. Terry et al, 2012), which I find extremely fascinating. If this were indeed the case, imagine all the implications! How about English pronunciation instruction? Studies have revealed that (even heavily) accented English speakers can be comprehensible and intelligible (e.g. Munro & Derwing, 1995; Murphy, 2014), but I doubt the corporate world agrees with this when it comes to hiring practices (see Munro, 2003, for an interesting discussion). Another intriguing aspect of dialects, accents and non-native varieties of English is that they are not only indicators of someone’s speech community but, more importantly, they are an intricate part of a speaker's identity. Reflecting on these random thoughts, I wonder whether second language teachers are doing enough justice to their L2 learners' accents or if many of them continue to aim for unrealistic goals for their students such as attaining native-speaker pronunciation.....with this thought I call it a week!!

References:
Munro, M. J. (2003). A primer on accent discrimination in the Canadian context. TESL Canada Journal, 20(2), 38-51.

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.

Murphy, J. (2014). Intelligible, comprehensible, non-native models in ESL/EFL pronunciation teaching. System, 42(0), 258-269.

Terry, N. P., Connor, C. M., Petscher, Y., & Conlin, C. R. (2012). Dialect variation and reading: Is change in nonmainstream American English use related to reading achievement in first and second grades? Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research, 55(1), 55-69.

0 Comments

    Author

    I am a Lecturer in TESOL at the University of Wollongong in Australia. I blog about L2 learning, L2 teaching, L2 teacher education, and research.


    Follow @michaelburri
    Tweets by @michaelburri

    Flag Counter

    Archives

    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    April 2017
    September 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    November 2012

Powered by
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Publications
  • Presentations
  • Awards & Grants
  • Professional Service
✕