First Advisor

Mary Gordon-Brannan

Term of Graduation

Spring 1999

Date of Publication

6-2-1999

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech Communication: Speech and Hearing Sciences

Department

Speech Communication

Language

English

Subjects

English language -- Intonation -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers, English language -- Pronunciation by foreign speakers, English language -- Accents and accentuation

DOI

10.15760/etd.4154

Physical Description

1 online resource (vii, 85 pages)

Abstract

Accent reduction is a program to assist foreign speakers in developing a level of oral English proficiency that is more similar to native English speakers. This study examined whether an accent reduction program, focusing on intonation and articulation, would improve the oral English proficiency and understandability of 2 Vietnamese speakers.

The research questions this study sought to answer were: (a) Does a foreign speaker's oral English proficiency as measured by the Proficiency of Oral English Communication (POEC) subtest scores improve immediately after completion of an accent reduction program?, (b) Does a foreign speaker's POEC subtest scores 4 weeks after termination of an accent reduction program change as compared to baseline scores on this same measure?, (c) Is the understandability of a foreign speaker rated differently by naive, native listeners in a comparison of speech samples collected before treatment, immediately after completion of an accent reduction program, and 4 weeks after termination of an accent reduction program?, (d) How will listeners rank the understandability of speech samples collected before treatment, after completion of an accent reduction program, and 4 weeks after termination of an accent reduction program?, and (e) What speech characteristics are perceived as affecting the nonnative speakers' understandability as judged by naive, native listeners?

Using the POEC subtest scores, both subjects improved oral English proficiency after completion of an accent intervention program. However, after a 4 week delay, Subject 1's oral English proficiency level declined, whereas Subject 2's oral English proficiency maintained and improved. The rating and ranking data suggest an accent reduction program may have no effect or a negative influence on foreign speakers' understandability. Naive, native listeners judged articulation and rhythm as the speech characteristics most influential on nonnative speakers understandability. Overall, this study found an accent reduction program focusing on intonation and articulation improved oral English proficiency, but may have negatively influenced understandability.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44704

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