Masaryk University Faculty of Arts

6.4Summary

The theoretical discussion focused on three aspects of the issue of non-native accents – English varieties in the world and the concept of ELF, models for pronunciation and language standards, and the issues connected to accent and identity. There were several arguments presented in the discussion which have implications on the English language teaching. The presentation of the language as a complex phenomenon, the emergence of new varieties, and its lingua franca role in the world should be part of the language instruction to make learners aware of the multicultural aspect of the language and its different roles in various settings. To promote mutual understanding in those settings, learners need to develop a tolerance to different accents. Adopting a more tolerant view of their own variety and setting a more achievable pronunciation model will increase learners’ confidence and contribute to better communicative competence.

A research has been conducted among EFL learners and users to determine their attitudes towards selected accents and their views of non-native accents in general. Several conclusions can be made based on the results of this research.

The first finding was related to the learners’ use of English. The research has confirmed that most of the communication in English takes place among non-native speakers, and EFL learners in the Czech Republic generally use English as lingua franca. A discussion regarding a shift of focus from traditional standard language ideology towards a more flexible approach promoting multiculturalism and diversity is in place. A large number of the learners aspire towards native-like pronunciation, however, a majority don’t find it very important, and some even expressed their preference for ‘comfortable intelligibility’ over an ‘ideal’ pronunciation for pragmatic reasons.

The learners’ evaluation of the NNS accents revealed that they associate pleasantness of the accent with credibility of the speaker. The native-speaker accent is also often connected with the notion of professionalism and prestige, however, some non-native accents were rated higher than ‘non-standard’ native speaker’s accents. A higher tolerance was expressed towards those speakers whose accent was more familiar to the learners. They were generally assigned a higher rating in terms of understandability, trustworthiness, and pleasantness, than those which were unfamiliar, such as the Vietnamese accent. However, to make further generalization, a larger-scale research would have to be conducted incorporating more audio recording to eliminate the variables, such as age, gender, tempo, pitch, loudness, etc. These variables would need to be accounted for in order to find which factors generate increased comprehensibility and tolerance of the accents.

Another notable point which the research has brought is that there is a visible more tolerant attitude towards the introduction of multiple accents, including NNS accents in the classroom practice from the learners aged 20-29, who are more likely to be aware of their communicative needs and the diversity of the language, based on their experience and their use of English for wide range of purposes. This finding would then confirm that raising the learners’ awareness could lead to a greater tolerance of the diversity of accents.

The research also revealed that a majority of the learners feel sometimes or often insecure or ashamed because of their accent, but they feel slightly more comfortable when speaking with another non-native speakers. It can be therefore concluded that the proposed orientation towards ELF and the methods suggested by the researchers in the field would be beneficial in the ELT setting in the Czech Republic. Although a large number of learners expressed a preference for NS models, the results of the questionnaire generally indicate a changing attitude. The reliance on NS models usually relates to the learners’ assumption that they will not be understood if speaking with a foreign accent. In order to communicate effectively, the learners need to overcome their insecurity and develop a higher tolerance towards variation.

Some commentaries expressed by the learners imply a positive attitude towards variety and the expression of one’s L1 identity in international communication. These are valuable signs of the learners’ acknowledgment of the nature of English functioning as lingua franca in the Czech Republic.

The findings presented in the thesis aimed to contribute to the procedure of putting the English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) theory into practice in the Czech Republic. Introducing the EFL learners to some of the issues discussed above would enable them to make their own decisions about what their pronunciation targets should be. It is our responsibility as English teachers to work towards ensuring that the learners can explore the diverse options the knowledge of the English language offers.