Improving Intelligibility and Comprehensibility of Segmental and Suprasegmental Speech Patterns among Saudi Beginning-Level EFL Learners

Abstract

In the last two decades, second language (L2) pronunciation education and research have emphasised the need for intelligibility and comprehensibility over the traditional goal of achieving native-like fluency. However, it remains unclear what instructors should focus on to promote intelligibility and comprehensibility (e.g., segmentals vs. suprasegmentals) among beginning-level learners in the Saudi EFL context. Another uncertainty is how long their pronunciation gains might last after instruction. Although motivation has been significantly related to L2 pronunciation development, it is unclear how this factor is related to developing speech intelligibility and comprehensibility among beginning-level EFL learners. Learners' perspectives about pronunciation instruction have also been largely neglected, and studies have not elicited in-depth comments from native English-speaking raters about these learners' difficulties. The present study recruited 45 participants from a beginning-level EFL classroom at a Saudi university to complete a battery of pre-, immediate post-, and delayed post-tests. Participants were divided into three groups. The first experimental group (the segmental group) of 15 participants received explicit pronunciation instruction on segmentals. The second experimental group (the suprasegmental group) of 15 participants received explicit pronunciation instruction on suprasegmentals. The control group of 15 participants was given non-explicit pronunciation instruction. A series of mixed-effects models was fit in R to predict significant differences within and between the groups across tests. The segmental group's results for the immediate post-test revealed that intelligibility and comprehensibility improved significantly over the pre-test and control group, with the exception of the segment /ch/. However, the group failed to attain intelligibility and comprehensibility improvement over time, except for segment /v/. Regarding the suprasegmental group, the immediate post-test showed significant improvement in intelligibility and comprehensibility over the pre-test and control group. In addition, the suprasegmental group showed improvement over time, with the exception of rhythmic patterns in terms of intelligibility and stress in terms of comprehensibility. The suprasegmental group was more motivated than the segmental and control groups in the "intended efforts" and "ideal L2 self" dimensions, while participants in the control group were more motivated to learn English than the two experimental groups in the "ought-to L2 self" dimension. In addition, the suprasegmental group showed more positive attitudes toward learning English than the segmental and control groups. Finally, the experimental groups found the intervention helpful, despite it being relatively short. Taken together, this study contributes to the L2 pronunciation field by demonstrating that pronunciation instruction could be successfully incorporated into a beginning-level Saudi EFL classroom, according to the segmental and suprasegmental results. The delayed post-test results for the suprasegmental group suggested the effect of pronunciation instruction could be sustained over time. In addition, the findings showed L2 motivation to be significantly related to greater improvement in pronunciation. Based on these empirical results, the study provides a pedagogical description of how to improve pronunciation teaching for beginning-level learners in a Saudi EFL context.