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Article published In: Journal of Second Language Pronunciation
Vol. 11:3 (2025) ► pp.338–362

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Explicit pronunciation instruction in the second language classroom

An acoustic and impressionistic analysis of German fricatives

ORCiD logo with link | Pennsylvania State University
Published online: 15 September 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.24020.str
Abstract
The present study investigates the effects of explicit and implicit pronunciation instruction on the production and perceived accentedness of three German fricatives — [ç], [ʃ], [x] — by English-speaking learners of German. Speech samples, collected following a pre-test/post-test/delayed-post-test design, were analyzed through acoustic analysis and listener-based accentedness ratings. Center of gravity was used to assess place of articulation, and perceived accentedness was rated on a nine-point Likert scale. Results indicate that learners who received explicit instruction produced fricatives with spectral characteristics more closely aligned with target articulations and were rated as less accented compared to learners who received implicit instruction. Findings also highlight how English orthography and learners’ first-language phonetic inventory can interfere with L2 pronunciation.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Pronunciation instruction
    • 1.2German dorsal fricative assimilation
    • 1.3Acoustic correlates
    • 1.4Research questions
  • 2.Methodology
    • 2.1Participants
    • 2.2Procedure
    • 2.3Stimuli
    • 2.4Data analysis
    • 2.5Intervention
      • 2.5.1Explicit instruction
      • 2.5.2Implicit instruction
  • 3.Results
    • 3.1Statistical modeling
    • 3.2Acoustic analysis
      • 3.2.1Articulation of fricatives
      • 3.2.2Dorsal fricative assimilation
    • 3.3Impressionistic ratings
  • 4.Discussion
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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