The effects of explicit phonetic instruction during a short-term, Spanish-language study abroad program

Abstract

While both Study Abroad (SA) and L2 pronunciation instruction (L2PI) are regarded as promising approaches for enhancing L2 pronunciation, some studies question the extent of their effects on pronunciation, indicating a need for further research. Furthermore, few studies examine the combined effects of SA and L2PI together. Here, we track the pronunciation development of 34 advanced, L1 English-L2 Spanish SA participants, 14 of whom took a Spanish phonetics course based on explicit phonetic instruction during a six-week SA program. Their pronunciation in spontaneous speech was measured at both the global level, using comprehensibility and foreign accent ratings, and at the segmental level, using acoustic measures of stop consonants. The study explores the effects of L2PI on pronunciation development in the context of SA while addressing methodological issues like the use of global assessments versus detailed phonetic measurements.

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