Does accent matter? Investigating the relationship between accent and identity in English as a lingua franca communication
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
System
Publication Date
8-2016
Volume
60
First Page
55
Last Page
65
Publisher
Pergamon Press
Keywords
Accent, Identity, Hong Kong, Second language, Pronunciation instruction, English as a lingua franca
Abstract
This paper reports on a qualitative inquiry into the under-researched relationship between accent and identity in English as a lingua franca (ELF) communication from the perspectives of second language (L2) speakers/learners of English. Using data collected via in-depth interviews with a group of students at a Hong Kong university on their ELF communication experiences, the paper reveals that participants’ perceptions of the relationship between accent and identity in ELF communication are highly complex and that their accent preferences appear to be driven by a range of identity-related and practical reasons. In terms of identity-related reasons, participants’ desire to speak English with a native-like accent was found to be related to their wish to express their identities as competent L2 speakers of English, whereas participants who indicated a preference to speak English with a local accent tended to emphasize the need to project their lingua-cultural identities and avoid native speaker associations. Further, participants’ concerns about intelligibility in ELF communication were found to be among the main pragmatic considerations in their accent preferences. The findings demonstrate the role of L2 speakers’ accent preferences in shaping their pursuit of desired identities in ELF communication and have important implications for pronunciation instruction in ELT.
DOI
10.1016/j.system.2016.06.002
Print ISSN
0346251X
E-ISSN
18793282
Funding Information
The study reported in this paper was supported in part by a research grant (102226) awarded by Lingnan University, Hong Kong. {102226}
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Sung, C. C. M. (2016). Does accent matter? Investigating the relationship between accent and identity in English as a lingua franca communication. System, 60, 55-65. doi: 10.1016/j.system.2016.06.002