Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching

September 10-11, 2010

Hosted by

TESL/Applied Linguistics
Iowa State University
Ames, IA USA
(Location:  Memorial Union, Gallery Room, Iowa State University)

Invited speaker

Murray Munro
Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada

Intelligibility: Buzzword or buzzworthy?

Intelligibility is a much-touted concept in current research on second-language pronunciation teaching and in discussions of World Englishes. Some recent commentary has even asserted that the term is nothing more than a buzzword or part of a temporary fad. However, interest in this very central aspect of language communication has a long history. Over a century ago, Henry Sweet’s guide to practical language study made numerous references to it, and throughout the 20th century it has been of interest not only to language teachers, but also to a wide range of researchers and practitioners in the speech and communication sciences. Intelligibility is almost always seen as a fundamental requirement in human interaction, while the costs of unintelligibility range from minor inconvenience to matters of life or death. Moreover, a focus on intelligibility has important repercussions for language teaching, social interaction, identity, and even human rights. Yet defining the concept and determining its underpinnings have posed major challenges for researchers, and many aspects of the notion remain poorly understood. This talk surveys some of the key empirical findings on intelligibility and its relation to speech production and perception. It will highlight the difficulties in operationalizing and assessing intelligibility as we strive to establish the most effective ways of achieving it.

This second annual conference will include papers or poster presentations on any aspect of pronunciation research, teaching and learning, especially those related to how issues related to intelligibility and comprehensibility impact the teaching of pronunciation, listening and speaking,as well as presentations related to innovative uses of technology in teaching pronunciation. Papers will be given in English, but papers may address the teaching and learning of pronunciation for other languages. Presenters will be invited to submit their papers for a peer-reviewed, on-line proceedings of the conference.

For further information about the conference, contact us.