The assessment of foreign accent and its communicative effects by naïve native judges vs. experienced non-native judges

  1. Francisco Gallardo del Puerto 1
  2. Maria Luisa Garcia Lecumberri 2
  3. Esther Gómez Lacabex 2
  1. 1 Universidad de Cantabria
    info

    Universidad de Cantabria

    Santander, España

    ROR https://ror.org/046ffzj20

  2. 2 Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea
    info

    Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

    Lejona, España

    ROR https://ror.org/000xsnr85

Journal:
ITL International Journal of Applied Linguistics

ISSN: 0019-0810,  1783-1490

Year of publication: 2015

Volume: 166

Issue: 2

Pages: 202-224

Type: Article

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More publications in: ITL International Journal of Applied Linguistics

Abstract

The capacity of non-native evaluators to perform foreign accent (FA) judgments has been questioned. This study explores differences between linguistically trained non-native judges (NNJs) who are teachers of English familiar with the students’ L1s and naïve native judges (NJs) who do not speak the students’ L1s. Both groups were compared in their global evaluation of FA and its potential communicative effects (comprehensibility and irritation) in two groups of language learners (more and less experienced). Results show striking similarities between the two groups of judges. NNJs were as able as NJs to assess FA despite finding it more comprehensible than the NJs did. It is suggested that NNJs’ linguistic training promotes a more analytic approach to FA evaluation, which can compensate for the lack of native intuitions.

Data source: Dialnet