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Article published In: Journal of Second Language Pronunciation
Vol. 11:1 (2025) ► pp.4–25

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Production of prominence by Mandarin‑speaking EFL learners

The role of prominence position, focus type and proficiency

ORCiD logo with link | City University of Macau
Published online: 22 November 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.24010.hua
Abstract
This study investigated Mandarin-speaking English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners’ prominence production in relation to prominence position, focus type, and proficiency. Eighty Mandarin-speaking EFL learners and 20 native English speakers read 12 question-answer pairs in English, with the questions eliciting different prominence patterns (end vs. non-end) for different focus types (broad vs. narrow). The results revealed that the phonological aspect (prominence assignment) was influenced by prominence position, focus type, and proficiency, but the phonetic aspect (phonetic realization of prominence) was affected only by prominence position. Phonologically, the learners achieved more native-like performance on end than non-end prominence, on broad than narrow focus, and their performance improved with proficiency. Phonetically, they achieved more native-like performance on end than non-end prominence and produced native-like F0 and intensity, but not duration. Drawing on these patterns, in teaching priorities should be given to prominence assignment over phonetic realization, non-end over end prominence, and narrow over broad focus.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1Prominence in English
    • 2.2Production of L2 English prominence
  • 3.Research method
    • 3.1Participants
    • 3.2Raters
    • 3.3Stimuli and instrument
    • 3.4Procedures
    • 3.5Data analysis
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Prominence assignment
    • 4.2Phonetic realization of prominence
      • 4.2.1Duration
      • 4.2.2F
      • 4.2.3Intensity
  • 5.Discussion
    • 5.1Prominence assignment
    • 5.2Phonetic realization of prominence
    • 5.3Pedagogical implications
  • 6.Conclusion
  • References
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