The phonology of English as an international language: new models, new norms and new goals. :Chapter 4: Intelligibility in interlanguage talk Grace V. Lazo Cynthia Nieves Roberto Rodriguez All quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the book: The phonology of English as an international language. Jenkins, J. (2000). The phonology of English as an international language: new models, new norms and new goals.


What do we mean by intelligibility? :What it is? What is not? What do we mean by intelligibility?


Three-level system :Intelligibility Comprehensibility Interpretability Three-level system


Jenkins’ definition of intelligibility :Jenkins’ definition of intelligibility


Defining intelligibility in interlanguage talk :Few studies have been conducted from the view of L2 listeners or speakers in particular in the area of phonological form. There are very different set of conditions presented between the fluent speaker to the non- fluent speaker (i.e. NBES) communication. When focusing on fluent speakers communication there is a sum of shared knowledge taken for granted. Defining intelligibility in interlanguage talk


The author points out that according to researcher Hymes, fluent speakers can be considered in terms of four parameters. :1. Whether (and to what extent ) something is formally possible. 2. Whether (and to what extent) something is feasible. 3. Whether (and to what extent) something is appropriate (adequate, happy, successful) in relation to a context in which it is used and evaluated. 4. Whether (and to what extent) something is in fact done, actually performed, and what its doing entails. (Hymes 1972:12; emphasis in original) The author points out that according to researcher Hymes, fluent speakers can be considered in terms of four parameters.


The role of sociocultural background :In EFL situations - may be appropriate if there is exposure to different sociocultural backgrounds In EIL situations – “there is no contextual feature of shared sociocultural knowledge.” “In ILT speakers ‘have little in common’ apart from their non-bilingual proficiency in the L2 and the mutual desire to achieve a particular goal in an interaction” Example of the role of shared sociocultural background Author’s conversation with teenage daughter (British) The role of sociocultural background


Other differences between ILT and fluent interaction :Effects of co articulation and assimilatory processes on pronunciation Expression of non comprehension Other differences between ILT and fluent interaction


Difficulties confronted by non fluent speakers :Automaticity and regularity Phonological form Receptive processing problems Phonological L1 transfers International and Intranational contexts Negotiation of intelligibility between speakers Difficulties confronted by non fluent speakers


Bottom-up and top-down processing :Bottom-up speech is built up from the lowest level units like /b/, /ŋ/, /g/ to larger units as utterances. Top-down uses experiences to predict or fill an event. Bottom-up and top-down processing


Miscommunication instances :Miscommunication instances A I didn’t understand the let cars. What do you mean with this? B Let [let] cars? Three red [ɾed] cars (very slowly. A Ah, red. B Red. A Now I understand. I understood car for hire, to let. Ah, red, yeah I see. B And second picture the bottom of the bottom of the picture there’s mm a gley [gleɪ] house, A (frowns) B (registers A’s frown grey [gɹeɪ] and small house, it’s very old? A Yeah, there’s a grey house, yeah. B Mm, okay.


Communication breakdown :Language is a guide to context. Context alone may not illuminate language use. Intelligible pronunciation. Communication breakdown


Something to remember :“It is people, not language codes, that understand one another” Something to remember