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[Journal of Second Language Pronunciation 6:1] 2020
► pp. 96–121

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Best Doctoral Student Paper Award

Rating L2 speaker comprehensibility on monologic vs. interactive tasks

What is the effect of speaking task type?

ORCiD logo with link | University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Published online: 13 February 2020
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.19019.cro
Abstract
Second language (L2) scholars generally agree that pronunciation development should prioritize understandable over nativelike speech. However, which linguistic features enable understanding lacks clarity. While monologic research indicates a combined effect of segmental and suprasegmental measures, interactive research has emphasized a segmental focus. The current study takes a step in addressing this divide by applying a monologic methodology to interactive speech. 20 L2 English learners completed one interactive and three monologic tasks. 36 native listeners rated each speaker per task for comprehensibility. I additionally coded all utterances for a series of phonological and fluency measures. Surprisingly, segmental and suprasegmental measures had minimal impact on listerners’ ratings. Instead, ratings for the two more linguistically-constrained monologic tasks demonstrated stronger associations with fluency measures than the less-constrained monologic and interactive tasks. This finding is likely an effect of (a) increased cognitive task demands placed on speakers, and (b) listener familiarity with L2 English speech.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Global perception of second language speech
    • 1.2From monologues to interaction
    • 1.3Phonological sources of communicative breakdowns
    • 1.4Methodological concerns
    • 1.5The current study
  • 2.Methodology
    • 2.1Participants
      • 2.1.1Speakers
      • 2.1.2Listeners
    • 2.2Speaking tasks
      • 2.2.1Task comparisons
    • 2.3Procedure – Speech elicitation
      • 2.3.1Monologic session
      • 2.3.2Interactive session
    • 2.4Procedure – Speech rating
      • 2.4.1Monologic
      • 2.4.2Interactive
      • 2.4.3Speech rating
      • 2.4.4Linguistic coding
    • 2.5Data analysis
      • 2.5.1Reliability
      • 2.5.2Linguistic coding
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1Comprehensibility between task comparisons
    • 3.2Spearman correlations
  • 4.Discussion
    • 4.1Exploring task differences
      • 4.1.1Task complexity
    • 4.2Variation in linguistic associations
      • 4.2.1Proficiency
      • 4.2.2Listeners
        • Limitations and future directions
      • 4.2.3Monologic bias
      • 4.2.4Interactive task complexity and interlocutor relationships
      • 4.2.5Linguistic coding
  • 5.Conclusion & implications
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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