Transfer, similarity or lack of awareness? inconsistencies of German learners in the pronunciation of lot, thought, strut, palm and bath

The current study presents acoustic analyses of non-high back vowels and low central vowels in the lexical sets LOT, THOUGHT, STRUT, PALM and BATH as pronounced by German learners of English. The main objective is to show that learners of English at university level are highly inconsistent in approximating the vowels of their self-chosen target accents British English (BrE) and American English (AmE). To that end, the acoustic qualities of the English vowels of learners are compared to their native German vowels and to the vowels of native speakers of BrE and AmE. In order to facilitate statements about the effect of increased experience, the study differentiates between students in their first year at university and in their third year or later. The results obtained are highly variable: In some cases the learners transfer their L1 vowels to English, other cases show clear approximations to the target vowels, while other cases again document the production of new vowels neither found in German nor in English. However, close approximation to the target vowels only sometimes correlates with higher proficiency. This might be an indicator of a low level of awareness of systematic differences between the BrE and AmE vowel systems. But the data also indicate that the more advanced learners produce more distinct AmE BATH vowels and BrE THOUGHT vowels than the less advanced learners, which points to a partial increase of awareness resulting from increased experience. All in all it seems that raising the awareness of differences between target accents in L2 instruction is necessary if the envisage goal is for learners to reach near-native pronunciation

Exploring L1 Transfer in German Learners of English: High Front Vowels, High Back Vowels and the BED/BAD Distinction

Since the vowel systems of German and English are similar to some extent, German learners of English can be expected to transfer a considerable part of their German vowels to their L2 English. This paper traces the extent and source of positive and negative L1 transfer in two groups of university students from different German L1 backgrounds. To this end, acoustical analyses of three areas of vowel space are provided: high front vowels, high back vowels and mid/low front vowels. While positive transfer widely persists with high front vowels, learners refrain from consistently transferring high back vowels, probably owing to variability both in L1 German and in L2 English. In the case of mid/low front vowels negative transfer is reduced due to exposure to native English, and even more so due to formal instruction, which appears to accelerate the acquisition proces

The English pronunciation teaching in Europe survey: selected results

The results of EPTiES reveal interesting phenomena across Europe, despite shortcomings in terms of construction and distribution. For example, most respondents are non-native speakers of English and the majority of them rate their own mastery of English pronunciation favourably. However, most feel they had little or no training in how to teach pronunciation, which begs the question of how teachers are coping with this key aspect of language teaching. In relation to target models, RP remains the variety of English which teachers claim to use, whilst recognizing that General American might be preferred by some students. Differences between countries are explored, especially via replies to open-ended questions, allowing a more nuanced picture to emerge for each country. Other survey research is also referred to, in order to contextualise the analyses and implications for teaching English and for training English teacher

'Pragmatics and discourse analysis' [Review]

Review of work in 201

Towards an integrated approach to postcolonial and non-postcolonial Englishes

The categories 'ESL' and 'EFL' should not be seen as discrete as traditionally assumed but as located on a continuum. Since the traditional categorization as either foreign or second-language English strongly depends on the historical and sociopolitical development of a territory, with postcolonial speech communities normally ascribed ESL status and non-postcolonial speech communities being treated as EFL, recent research has made first attempts for an integrative analysis of such Englishes. Based on the framework of Schneider's Dynamic Model, the paper at hand introduces the model of Extra-and Intra-territorial Forces (EIF model) to meet the aim of a joint approach to those Englishes which have so far mostly been treated independently of each other. Its practical application is demonstrated in reference to the development of English in Namibia

Ethnic Variation in the Phonology of Namibian English: A First Approach to Baster English.

Schröder A, Zähres F, Kautzsch A. Ethnic Variation in the Phonology of Namibian English: A First Approach to Baster English. English World-Wide. 2020;41(2):193-224.Studies on the pronunciation of Namibian English (NamE) have shown strong evidence for ethnically conditioned variation within the NamE vowel system. Thus, NamE should not be seen as a monolithic entity but rather as a group of ethnically and/or socially conditioned varieties. In this paper, we undertake a first approach to Baster English, a potential ethnic variety of NamE. The Rehoboth Basters constitute a unique ethnically mixed Afrikaans-speaking group from South Africa, who settled in Namibia in the 19th century and are known for their strong sense of a separate local and ethnic identity. Triangulating the results of a quantitative questionnaire on language attitudes and acoustic analyses of vocalic features in informants’ pronunciation, we demonstrate how the Basters’ unique identity translates into linguistic practice in a multi-ethnic and multilingual environment

The phonetics of Namibian English: Investigating vowels as local features in a global context

Schröder A, Zähres F, Kautzsch A. The phonetics of Namibian English: Investigating vowels as local features in a global context. In: Schröder A, ed. The Dynamics of English in Namibia: Perspectives on an Emerging Variety. Amsterdam/ Philadelphia: Benjamins; 2021: 111–133

English in Namibia. Multilingualism and Ethnic Variation in the Extra- and Intra-territorial Forces Model

Schröder A, Zähres F. English in Namibia. Multilingualism and Ethnic Variation in the Extra- and Intra-territorial Forces Model. In: Buschfeld S, Kautzsch A, eds. Modelling World Englishes. A Joint Approach towards Postcolonial and Non-Postcolonial Varieties. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press; 2020: 38-62