The Effects of Nonnative The Effects of Nonnative Accents of Listening Accents of Listening

Comprehension: Comprehension: Implications for ESL Implications for ESL

AssessmentAssessment

碩研英語一甲MA0C0205

李燕俞

ThemeThemeTo examine the extent to which

native-English speaking and ESL listeners performed significantly better on a test of listening comprehension in English when the speaker shared their native language.

MotivationMotivation

Accented language may affect the listening comprehension of ESL listeners differently depending on their native languages. But most listening tests do not address the fact that accented English is a normal part of ESL listening. This study examined the extent to which native-English speaking and ESL listeners performed better on a test when the speaker shared their native language.

MethodologyMethodology

a. Participantsb. Listening Comprehension Trial

Testc. Test Administrationd. Data Analysis

a. Participants The participants consisted of four

groups of 100 listeners whose native languages were Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and standard American English.

-300 nonnative-English-speaking listeners, 100 participants each from China, Colombia, and Japan. (selected from potential TOEFL takers residing in their home countries )

-100 native-English-speaking listeners were undergraduate and graduate students at Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University in the United States

b. Listening Comprehension Trial Test

Recorded eight speakers (one male and one

female NS of Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and standard American English)

c. Test AdministrationThe participants took the listening section

of a disclosed form of the paper-and-pencil institutional TOEFL before taking the Listening Comprehension Trial Test.

Each group of 100 participants was divided into two, for a total of eight groups. In the test, which lasted approximately 32 minutes, each group heard an audiotape of all eight speakers and all lectures, but each group heard the lectures delivered by different speakers.

d. Data AnalysisThe test results of the 400

participants by means of a two factor (four-by-four) analysis of variance (ANOVA) with one between subjects factor (four levels) and one within-subjects factor (four levels).

The between-subjects factor was the language of the listener.

The within subjects factor was the language of the speaker.

ResultsResultsThe 96 native-English-speaking listeners

performed better than the 287 nonnative-English-speaking listeners.

Listeners perform significantly better on a listening comprehension test when the speaker shares their native language was not definitely correct but sometimes.

Listening to a lecture spoken by an NS of their language was an advantage for the Spanish-speaking listeners, but it was a disadvantage for the Chinese-speaking listeners.

CommentCommentIf the researcher estimates more

details like the numbers of university instructors from various language backgrounds, the data may will be exacter.