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The role of listener affiliated socio-cultural factors in perceiving native accented versus foreign accented speech

Cheong, Sung Hui
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1180456503

Abstract Details

2007, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Teaching and Learning.
The present study is a correlational study to determine if listeners’ perception of (1) accentedness and (2) comprehensibility can be predicted from listener affiliated socio-cultural factors (referred to as listener factors). The listener participants were 60 Native Speakers of American English (referred to as Native Listeners, NL) who were undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a large mid-western University. The listeners were divided into (1) the audio group who listened to four audio clips and (2) the video group who watched four video clips recorded from the same speakers. The speakers consisted of three Non-Native Speakers (NNS) with three ordinal categories of accents (e.g., Moderate Accent, Low Accent, Foreign Non Accent), and one NS with Native Non Accent. The audio group did not receive each speaker’s Socio-Cultural Information (SCI) while the video group received SCI of each speaker. With respect to the between-group differences, the video group perceived the speakers’ accentedness and nativeness more positively than the audio group. However, the video group perceived the speakers’ comprehensibility more negatively compared to the audio group. The length of time in the program made the largest contribution to predict speakers’ degree of accentedness. Listeners’ frequency of interaction with accented speakers made the largest contribution to predict listeners’ perception of comprehensibility. Among listener factors, SCI of the speakers, interaction, and exposure primarily contributed to predict whether the speakers sounded like native or non-native. From the listeners’ point of view, the findings showed that SCI and the disclosure of speakers’ identity were used positively in the listeners’ perception of accentedness and nativeness. The findings of the study challenge the NNS principle in the sense that nativeness is not equal to non-accentedness. This study contributes to empowering NNS identities and helps them to be involved in speech communities as legitimate participants. Even though this study presents some implications and key issues concerning how to use listener factors and why the NS-NNS dichotomy and the NS principle should be challenged, further research is suggested to find factors of facilitating NS-NNS communication in order to help educate NS toward embracing the sociocultural differences of NNS.
Keiko Samimy (Advisor)
259 p.
Native Fallacy,; Non-native Identity Empowerment,; Socio-cultulral Factors in Teaching English,; Teaching English as an International Language; Native versus Non-native Dichotomy

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Cheong, S. H. (2007). The role of listener affiliated socio-cultural factors in perceiving native accented versus foreign accented speech [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1180456503

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Cheong, Sung Hui. The role of listener affiliated socio-cultural factors in perceiving native accented versus foreign accented speech. 2007. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1180456503.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Cheong, Sung Hui. "The role of listener affiliated socio-cultural factors in perceiving native accented versus foreign accented speech." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1180456503

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.