Volume 107 in the Second Language Acquisition.

The pdf and epub versions of this book are freely available to download at https://zenodo.org/record/165465. This book is open access under a CC BY licence.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"This book spans the areas of assessment, second language acquisition (SLA) and pronunciation and examines topical issues and challenges that relate to formal and informal assessments of second language (L2) speech in classroom, research and real-world contexts. It showcases insights from assessing other skills (e.g. listening and writing) and highlights perspectives from research in speech sciences, SLA, psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics, including lingua franca communication, with concrete implications for pronunciation assessment. This collection will help to establish commonalities across research areas and facilitate greater consensus about key issues, terminology and best practice in L2 pronunciation research and assessment. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, this book will appeal to a mixed audience of researchers, graduate students, teacher-educators and exam board staff with varying levels of expertise in pronunciation and assessment and wide-ranging interests in applied linguistics." (Book Jacket)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1 - Key Themes, Constructs and Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Second Language Pronunciation Assessment / Talia Isaacs and Pavel Trofimovich
Assessment of Second Language Pronunciation: Where We Are Now
Bringing Together Different Research Strands
Structure of the Book
Key Concepts and Definitions

Chapter 2 - What Do Raters Need in a Pronunciation Scale? The User’s View / Luke Harding Introduction
Background
Aim and Research Questions
Methodology
Findings
Discussion

PART 2: INSIGHTS FROM ASSESSING OTHER LANGUAGE SKILLS AND COMPONENTS

Chapter 3 - Pronunciation and Intelligibility in Assessing Spoken Fluency / Kevin Browne and Glenn Fulcher
Introduction
The Fluency Construct
Methodology
Findings and Discussion
Conclusion

Chapter 4 - What Can Pronunciation Researchers Learn From Research into Second Language Writing? / Ute Knoch
Introduction
Rating Scale Development and Validation
Rater Effects and Training
Task Effects
Classroom-based Assessment
Implications and Conclusion

Chapter 5 - The Role of Pronunciation in the Assessment of Second Language Listening Ability / Elvis Wagner and Paul D. Toth
Introduction
Review of the Literature
The Current Study
Methodology
Results
Discussion
Implications and Conclusion
Appendix: Post-test Questionnaire

PART 3: PERSPECTIVES ON PRONUNCIATION ASSESSMENT FROM PSYCHOLINGUISTICS AND SPEECH SCIENCES

Chapter 6: The Relationship Between Cognitive Control and Pronunciation in a Second Language / Joan C. Mora and Isabelle Darcy
Introduction
Background
The Present Study
Methodology
Results
Discussion and Conclusion
Implications
Appendix: Results of a Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis Using Attention and PSTM as Predictors of Pronunciation Accuracy Scores

Chapter 7 - Students’ Attitudes Towards English Teachers’ Accents: The Interplay of Accent Familiarity, Comprehensibility, Intelligibility, Perceived Native Speaker Status, and Acceptability as a Teacher / Laura Ballard and Paula Winke
Introduction
Background
The Current Study
Methodology
Procedure
Results
Discussion
Implications
Conclusion

Chapter 8 - Re-examining Phonological and Lexical Correlates of Second Language Comprehensibility: The Role of Rater Experience / Kazuya Saito, Pavel Trofimovich, Talia Isaacs and Stuart Webb
Introduction
Pronunciation Aspects of Comprehensibility
Lexical Aspects of Comprehensibility
Discussion
Implications for Second Language Assessment
Limitations
Conclusion
Appendix: Training Materials and Onscreen Labels for Comprehensibility Judgement

Chapter 9 - Assessing Second Language Pronunciation: Distinguishing Features of Rhythm in Learner Speech at Different Proficiency Levels / Evelina Galaczi, Brechtje Post, Aike Li, Fiona Barker and Elaine Schmidt
Introduction
Role of Rhythm in English Speech
Rhythm Metrics
Prosody, Rhythm and Second Language English Learners
Study Aim and Research Questions
Methodology
Results
Discussion
Implications

Future Research and Conclusion

PART 4: SOCIOLINGUISTIC, CROSS-CULTURAL AND LINGUA FRANCA PERSPECTIVES IN PRONUNCIATION ASSESSMENT

Chapter 10 - Commentary on the Native Speaker Status in Pronunciation Research / Alan Davies

Chapter 11 - Variation or ‘Error’? Perception of Pronunciation Variation and Implications for Assessment / Stephanie Lindemann Introduction
Variation and Perception of Variation in Native English
Pronunciation and Perception of ‘Nonnative’ English Variation
Bias Against Nonnative Speakers
Implications for Assessment
Conclusion

Chapter 12 - Teacher-Raters’ Assessment of French Lingua Franca Pronunciation / Sara Kennedy, Josée Blanchet and Danielle Guénette
Introduction
French as a Lingua Franca
Assessment of French Pronunciation
Rater Reports as Evidence of Rater Decision Making
The Current Study
Methodology
Results
Discussion
Limitations and Conclusion
Implications for Assessment, Teaching and Research
Appendix: Empirical Codes, Examples and Frequencies of Coded Categories Used to Analyze Teacher-raters’ Transcribed Verbatim Comments

Chapter 13 - Pronunciation Assessment in Asia’s World City: Implications of a Lingua Franca Approach in Hong Kong / Andrew Sewell
Introduction
Pronunciation Assessment in Hong Kong: Room for Improvement?
Implications of a Lingua Franca Approach

PART 5: CONCLUDING REMARKS

Chapter 14 - Second Language Pronunciation Assessment: A Look at the Present and the Future / Pavel Trofimovich and Talia Isaacs
Introduction
Current Trends
Future Directions

Index