The present study examines accentedness, comprehensibility, and intelligibility of American English, Moroccan English, Turkmen English, and Chinese English, from the perspectives of three groups of listeners: native s...The present study examines accentedness, comprehensibility, and intelligibility of American English, Moroccan English, Turkmen English, and Chinese English, from the perspectives of three groups of listeners: native speakers of English and Chinese speakers of English with or without international experiences. Of the 145 listeners, 38 had face-to-face interviews. These listener groups were asked to listen to the recordings of the four English varieties and fill in a cloze test.Results indicated that the three listener groups differed significantly in rating comprehensibility of American English, Moroccan English and Chinese English but they did not give Turkmen English statistically different ratings;there were no significant differences in accentedness ratings except for Chinese English;and there were significant differences in the intelligibility scores of the four English varieties. In addition, with respect to seven linguistic variables-speed, clarity, intonation,smoothness and fluency, vocal intensity, pause, vocabulary and grammar, there were significant differences in three listener groups’ rating of six variables in American English except the one of“speed”. By contrast, Chinese English received significantly different ratings only in “proper speed”. No differences were found in the ratings for Moroccan English and Turkmen English.Finally, unlike Chinese listeners without international experiences, native listeners and Chinese listeners with international experiences shared some similarities in correlations between the ratings of accentedness and comprehensibility and those of linguistic variables on Moroccan English,Turkmen English, and Chinese English. However, the results for American English from Chinese listeners without international experiences and native listeners seemed to be more alike. Linguistic variables correlating with accentedness and comprehensibility of American English showed a mixed profile. Qualitative data provided more variant elaborations on the pronunciations and language uses of the speakers.展开更多
随着经济全球化的发展,语言也出现了"全球化"现象,即英语在世界范围内的广泛使用。英语不仅仅是过去课堂上的学习科目,俨然成为各国之间的经济、文化、政治等方面的交流桥梁。在全球化的趋势下,英语的交流实用性逐渐突显,交...随着经济全球化的发展,语言也出现了"全球化"现象,即英语在世界范围内的广泛使用。英语不仅仅是过去课堂上的学习科目,俨然成为各国之间的经济、文化、政治等方面的交流桥梁。在全球化的趋势下,英语的交流实用性逐渐突显,交流过程中的"可理解性"正在取代传统教学中所强调的语言表达"准确性"。ELF(English as lingua franca),即英语通用语,成为近年来国际上语言研究的新热点,并逐渐从一种语言现象发展为新的独立研究领域。本文基于ELF的理论框架,对传统英语教学,即EFL(English as foreign language)理念中认为的"口语石化"现象进行分析研究,并就英语教学方面提出建议。展开更多
文摘The present study examines accentedness, comprehensibility, and intelligibility of American English, Moroccan English, Turkmen English, and Chinese English, from the perspectives of three groups of listeners: native speakers of English and Chinese speakers of English with or without international experiences. Of the 145 listeners, 38 had face-to-face interviews. These listener groups were asked to listen to the recordings of the four English varieties and fill in a cloze test.Results indicated that the three listener groups differed significantly in rating comprehensibility of American English, Moroccan English and Chinese English but they did not give Turkmen English statistically different ratings;there were no significant differences in accentedness ratings except for Chinese English;and there were significant differences in the intelligibility scores of the four English varieties. In addition, with respect to seven linguistic variables-speed, clarity, intonation,smoothness and fluency, vocal intensity, pause, vocabulary and grammar, there were significant differences in three listener groups’ rating of six variables in American English except the one of“speed”. By contrast, Chinese English received significantly different ratings only in “proper speed”. No differences were found in the ratings for Moroccan English and Turkmen English.Finally, unlike Chinese listeners without international experiences, native listeners and Chinese listeners with international experiences shared some similarities in correlations between the ratings of accentedness and comprehensibility and those of linguistic variables on Moroccan English,Turkmen English, and Chinese English. However, the results for American English from Chinese listeners without international experiences and native listeners seemed to be more alike. Linguistic variables correlating with accentedness and comprehensibility of American English showed a mixed profile. Qualitative data provided more variant elaborations on the pronunciations and language uses of the speakers.
文摘随着经济全球化的发展,语言也出现了"全球化"现象,即英语在世界范围内的广泛使用。英语不仅仅是过去课堂上的学习科目,俨然成为各国之间的经济、文化、政治等方面的交流桥梁。在全球化的趋势下,英语的交流实用性逐渐突显,交流过程中的"可理解性"正在取代传统教学中所强调的语言表达"准确性"。ELF(English as lingua franca),即英语通用语,成为近年来国际上语言研究的新热点,并逐渐从一种语言现象发展为新的独立研究领域。本文基于ELF的理论框架,对传统英语教学,即EFL(English as foreign language)理念中认为的"口语石化"现象进行分析研究,并就英语教学方面提出建议。
