Presentation

nteractive Alignment: Implications for the Teaching and Learning of Second Language Pronunciation

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Abstract

Interactive alignment refers to a phenomenon characterized by interlocutors adopting and re-using each other’s language patterns in the course of authentic interaction. According to the interactive alignment model, originally proposed by Pickering and Garrod (2004), this linguistic coordination in dialogue occurs at the level of the lexicon, grammar, and pronunciation and represents one way in which interlocutors achieve understanding in dialogue. The goal of this paper is to extend this model to second language (L2) pronunciation and to discuss its possible implications for L2 pronunciation teaching. Previous research suggests that repetition of language patterns at different linguistic levels is indeed a commonplace feature of communication among native speakers and can be observed and elicited in L2 learners. Therefore, pronunciation researchers and teachers might find interactive alignment as a useful framework to explain some of the complexities of L2 pronunciation development both from cognitive and sociocultural perspectives, as well as to develop or refine pedagogical activities for use in L2 pronunciation classrooms.

How to Cite:

Trofimovich, P., (2012) “nteractive Alignment: Implications for the Teaching and Learning of Second Language Pronunciation”, Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Proceedings 4(1).