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Articles

Vol. 28 No. 3 (2025): Second language pronunciation: Current issues and developments

Speak clearly, connect globally: The integration of pronunciation and intercultural communicative competence in L2 learning

DOI
https://doi.org/10.37213/cjal.2025.35683
Submitted
August 27, 2025
Published
2025-12-15

Abstract

This classroom-based study examines how student teachers of English perceive pronunciation constructs: comprehensibility, intelligibility, accentedness, and intercultural communicative competence (ICC), after completing a research-led pronunciation task. While pronunciation teaching has shifted toward listener-based approaches, ICC’s role in pronunciation perceptions remains underexplored. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates survey data and qualitative reflections to analyze how student teachers process accented speech and conceptualize their pronunciation learning. Findings indicate improved understanding of comprehensibility and accentedness, while perceptions of ICC varied, some linked pronunciation to intercultural adaptability, others prioritized phonetic accuracy. Results emphasize the value of explicit exposure to diverse speech models, reinforcing research on accent familiarity and listening flexibility. This study highlights the need for explicit training in suprasegmental features (stress, rhythm, intonation) and ICC, ensuring that future educators develop pronunciation awareness suited to multilingual communication. These findings inform pronunciation pedagogy and teacher education.

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