Segmental error patterns in Finnish-accented English
-
Camilla Søballe Horslund
and
Parker F. Van Nostrand
Abstract
Research suggests that explicit pronunciation teaching improves second language speech production, but language teachers often lack the relevant knowledge to teach pronunciation. This study examined segmental error patterns in Finnish-accented English and the relationship between segmental errors and foreign accent ratings in two groups differing in amount of second language experience. Our study identified a number of common segmental error patterns in Finnish-accented English, which may guide formal pronunciation instruction. We further found that the sheer number of segmental errors in a sentence affected foreign accent ratings as did the number of vowel errors in a sentence. We speculate that the detrimental effect of vowel errors may be related to the finding that vowel errors resulted in non-English segments more often than consonant errors did. Finally, we found a facilitative effect of second language experience on foreign accent rating that cannot be reduced to number of segmental errors, despite the finding that number of consonant errors was reduced with increased second language experience.
Zusammenfassung
Wissenschaftliche Studien haben gezeigt, dass expliziter Ausspracheunterricht die Zweitsprachproduktion verbessert, Sprachlehrern jedoch oft nicht den erforderlichen Hintergrund zu dessen Umsetzung haben. Die vorliegende Studie untersuchte, welche Fehler Finnische Muttersprachler auf Segmentebene im Englischen vorweisen, sowie die Relation zwischen Fehleranzahl und Bewertung des Sprecherakzents. Dies wurde untersucht anhand von zwei Gruppen, die sich im Niveau ihrer Zweitsprachkenntnisse unterschieden. Unsere Studie konnte häufig vorkommende segmentale Fehler im Finnischen Englisch identifizieren, welche zur Ausarbeitung von Aussprachetrainings beitragen können. Des Weiteren fanden wir, dass die Anzahl der Segmentfehler sowie der Vokalfehler pro Satz einen starken Einfluss hatte auf die Akzentbewertung. Vermutlich ist der nachteilige Einfluss von Vokalfehlern zurückzuführen auf die Tatsache, dass diese häufiger als Konsonantfehler in Segmenten resultierten, die im Englischen nicht bestehen. Zudem fanden wir einen positiven Effekt von Zweitsprachkenntnis auf die Akzentbewertung, der unabhängig von der Anzahl der Segmentfehler ist, obwohl unsere Studie auch zeigte, dass die Anzahl der Konsonantfehler sich mit wachsender Zweitsprachkenntnis reduziert.
Resumen
Las investigaciones sugieren que la enseñanza de la pronunciación explícita mejora la producción del habla en una segunda lengua, pero los profesores de idiomas suelen carecer de los conocimientos necesarios para enseñar la pronunciación. Este estudio examinó los patrones de error segmentales en inglés con acento finlandés y la relación entre los errores segmentales y las calificaciones del acento extranjero en dos grupos que difieren en la cantidad de experiencia con un segundo idioma. Nuestro estudio identificó una serie de patrones de error segmentales comunes en el inglés con acento finlandés, que pueden seguir de guía para la instrucción formal de la pronunciación. Además, descubrimos que la gran cantidad de errores segmentales en una oración afectaba las calificaciones de acento extranjero del mismo modo que el número de errores vocálicos en una oración. Especulamos que el efecto perjudicial de los errores vocálicos pueden estar relacionado con el hecho de que los errores vocálicos resultan en segmentos erróneos en inglés con más frecuencia que los errores consonánticos. Finalmente, encontramos un efecto facilitador de la experiencia en un segundo idioma en la calificación del acento extranjero, lo cual no se puede atribuir al número de errores segmentarios, a pesar de que se evidenció que el número de errores consonánticos se redujo en función de una mayor experiencia en un segundo idioma.
Resumé
Forskning tyder på at eksplicit undervisning i udtale forbedrer fremmedsprogsudtale, men sproglærere mangler ofte den relevante viden til at kunne undervise i udtale. Dette studie undersøgte mønstre i segmentalle udtalefejl i engelsk med finsk accent samt forholdet mellem segmentelle udtalefejl og vurderinger af fremmed accent hos to grupper med forskellige grader af fremmedsprogseerfaring. Vores studie identificerede en række almindelige mønstre i segmentelle udtalefejl i engelsk med finsk accent, hvilket kan vejlede sproglærere i deres undervisning i udtale. Vores studie viste ydermere at antallet af segmentelle udtalefejl i en sætning påvirkede vurderingen af fremmed accent, hvilket antallet af vokalfejl også gjorde. Vi spekulerer i om den skadelige effekt af vokalfejl kan hænge sammen med at vokalfejl resulterede i ikke-engelske segmenter oftere end konsonantfejl gjorde. Endelig, viste studiet at øget fremmedsprogserfaring resulterede i bedre vurderinger af fremmed accent, samt at denne effekt ikke kan resulterede til antallet af segmentelle fejl selvom antallet af konsonantfejl faldt med øget fremmedsprogserfaring.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Frontmatter
- New migrants, new challenges? – Activating multilingual resources for understanding mathematics: institutional and interactional factors
- Professional intercultural communicative competence and labour market integration among highly-educated refugees in the Netherlands
- Learning in and through classroom interaction: On the convergence of language and content learning opportunities in subject-matter learning
- “Bear in mind that”: Enhancing lecture comprehension through signaling importance markers
- Segmental error patterns in Finnish-accented English
- Syntactic complexity in Finnish-background EFL learners’ writing at CEFR levels A1–B2
- Struggling with historical significance: Reasoning, reading, and writing processes
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Frontmatter
- New migrants, new challenges? – Activating multilingual resources for understanding mathematics: institutional and interactional factors
- Professional intercultural communicative competence and labour market integration among highly-educated refugees in the Netherlands
- Learning in and through classroom interaction: On the convergence of language and content learning opportunities in subject-matter learning
- “Bear in mind that”: Enhancing lecture comprehension through signaling importance markers
- Segmental error patterns in Finnish-accented English
- Syntactic complexity in Finnish-background EFL learners’ writing at CEFR levels A1–B2
- Struggling with historical significance: Reasoning, reading, and writing processes
