Familiarization with the phonetic diversity of the English language in the context of teaching students’ perception of authentic spoken language

Importance. Reception plays a significant role in the communication process in a foreign language and is reflected in the key documents that govern standards for foreign language education. As such, with increasing proficiency in a foreign language, the importance of utilizing authentic materials grows, and it becomes necessary for students to become familiar with non-standard (uncommon) varieties of the English language. This is not currently reflected in most educational settings, including language institutions. To address this issue, it is essential to justify the necessity for students to be acquainted with the phonetic variation of the English language and to consider matters related to clarifying the objectives and selection of accent teaching materials (in particular, developing criteria for selection). Additionally, it is important to explore effective methods and techniques as well as resources. The aim of the research is to identify the key invariant features of the accent and to investigate the impact of students’ understanding of phonetic variation on their direct comprehension of oral communication, to define the purpose, specific content, and to consider potential methods for designing such training.

Research Methods. The study employed an analysis of the existing literature on the research topic, comparison, categorization, and generalization.

Results and Discussion. The main characteristics of an accent and the impact of awareness of these characteristics on the perception of native-like foreign language speech are analyzed. The purpose of becoming familiar with phonetic variation is clarified, which involves, on the one hand, developing students' ability to comprehend native oral speech and, on the other, mastering research tools necessary for independent study of accents. Training content is explored, methods and techniques for familiarizing with phonetic variation are identified, and criteria for selecting learning materials are proposed.

Conclusion. Targeted accent training contributes to the development of linguistic competence in general and an improved understanding of oral communication in particular. Due to the presence of multiple accents resulting from intercultural interaction, it is necessary to familiarize students with the basic characteristics of this phenomenon on the one hand and provide them with tools for self-study on the other. This is reflected in the content of training. The choice of methods to familiarize students with accents is limited by the localized nature of these accents. Training should focus on communication and the development of skills to understand authentic spoken language. This can be achieved through methods such as analysis, imitation, and transcription. The reliance on transcription for listening, the use of contrastive analysis, and the gradual increase in level of complexity, as well as the development of an academic community of learners, are all key factors contributing to the achievement of this goal.

1. North B., Piccardo E., Goodier T. (2020). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment – Companion Volume. Strasbourg, Council of Europe Publ., 275 p.

2. Hayati A.M. (2009). The impact of cultural knowledge on listening comprehension of EFL learners. English Language Teaching, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 144-152. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v2n3p144

3. Murunov S.S., Medvedev N.V., Shul’ts O.E. (2022). Using Internet resources for problematization of teaching foreign languages. Vestnik Tambovskogo universiteta. Seriya: Gumanitarnye nauki = Tambov University Review: Series Humanities, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 911-922. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.20310/1810-0201-2022-27-4-911-922, https://elibrary.ru/mahtcx

4. Zamkovaya A.V. (2023). Didactic-methodic and psychological features of the use of video materials in teaching a foreign language. Vestnik Tambovskogo universiteta. Seriya: Gumanitarnye nauki = Tambov University Review: Series Humanities, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 89-102. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.20310/1810-0201-2023-28-1-89-102, https://elibrary.ru/oeddql

5. Major R.C., Fitzmaurice S.F., Bunta F., Balasubramanian C. (2005). Testing the effects of regional, ethnic, and international dialects of English on listening comprehension. Language Learning, vol. 55, issue 1, pp. 37-69. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0023-8333.2005.00289.x

6. Flowerdew J. (1995). Research of relevance to second language lecture comprehension – an overview. Academic Listening: Research perspectives. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, pp. 7-30. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524612.004

7. Aristova E.A. (2011). Problema vospriyatiya dialektov i aktsentov angliiskogo yazyka studentami yazykovykh spetsial’nostei [The problem of perception of dialects and accents of the English language by students of non-linguistic specialties]. Vestnik Permskogo gosudarstvennogo tekhnicheskogo universiteta. Problemyyazykoznaniya i pedagogiki = PNRPU Linguistics and Pedagogy Bulletin, no. 5, pp. 114-117. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/ojcecd

8. Major R.C., Fitzmaurice S.F., Bunta F., Balasubramanian C. (2002). The effects of nonnative accents on listening comprehension: implications for ESL assessment. TESOL Quarterly, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 173-190. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588329

9. Adank P., Janse E. (2010). Comprehension of a novel accent by young and older listeners. Psychology and Aging, vol. 25, issue 3, pp. 736-740. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0020054

10. Harding L. (2011). Accent and Listening Assessment. A Validation Study of the Use of Speakers with L2 Accents on an Academic English Listening Test. Frankfurt am Main, Peter Lang Publ., 294 p.

11. Clarke C.M., Garrett M.F. (2004). Rapid adaptation to foreign-accented English. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, vol. 116, issue 6, pp. 3647-3658. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1815131

12. Smith L.E., Bisazza J.A. (1982). The comprehensibility of three varieties of English for college students in seven countries. Language Learning, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 259-269. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1467-1770.1982.TB00971.X

13. Ortmeyer C., Boyle J.P. (1985). The effect of accent differences on comprehension. RELC Journal, vol. 16, issue 2, pp. 48-53. https://doi.org/10.1177/003368828501600208

14. Tauroza S., Luk J. (1997). Accent and second language listening comprehension. RELC Journal, vol. 28, issue 1, pp. 54-71. https://doi.org/10.1177/003368829702800104

15. Kondakova N.N., Zimina E.I. (2023). Development of linguocultural competence as an integral component of the foreign language teacher professional training process. Vestnik Tambovskogo universiteta. Seriya: Gumanitarnye nauki = Tambov University Review: Series Humanities, vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 1477-1487. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.20310/1810-0201-2023-28-6-1477-1487, https://elibrary.ru/dxzimi

16. Nunan D. (1997). Approaches to teaching listening in the language classroom. Proceedings of the 1997 Korea TESOL Conference “Technology in Education: Communicating Beyond Traditional Networks”. Kyoung-ju, pp. 1-10.

17. Kulikov V.G. (2005). National and Territorial Varieties of the English Language (English in the USA). Tambov, Derzhavin Tambov State University Publ., 170 p. (In Russ.) https://elibrary.ru/ujsqdd

18. Eisenstein M., Berkowitz D. (1981). The effect of phonological variation on adult learner comprehension. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, vol. 4, issue 1, pp. 75-80. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263100004307

19. Ekong P. (1982). On the use of an indigenous model for teaching English in Nigeria. World Englishes, vol. 1, issue 3, pp. 87-92. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-971X.1982.tb00474.x

20. Bilbow G.T. (1989). Towards an understanding of overseas students’ difficulties in lectures: a phenomenographic approach. Journal of Further and Higher Education, vol. 13/3, pp. 85-99. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877890130308

21. Ockey G.J., French R. (2016). From one to multiple accents on a test of L2 listening comprehension. Applied Linguistics, vol. 37, no. 5, pp. 693-715. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amu060

22. Olsen W.O. (1998). Average speech levels and spectra in various speaking/listening conditions. American Journal of Audiology, vol. 7, pp. 21-25. https://doi.org/10.1044/1059-0889(1998/012)