Posters

Second Language Learner Autonomy: Learners’ Self-Assessment of Pronunciation and their Perception of its Role in Communication

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Abstract

In search of answers for better pronunciation teaching, misevaluation of their own pronunciation by second language (L2) learners has been pointed out. A study was conducted with 27 non-heritage learners of Korean at a college in North America to see if this claim is supported. Participants answered 6 questions about their self-assessment of Korean pronunciation and their attitudes toward pronunciation in communication. They also read 62 words and 8 sentences that have 18 target consonants and 12 target vowels. The result revealed that lower-level learners evaluated their pronunciation positively more than upper-level learners did even though they made more errors than upper-level learners. Interestingly, perception and production of difficult L2 sounds aligned for participants regardless of their Korean proficiency. The current study suggests that L2 learners are well aware of their target language pronunciation and the positive evaluation is based on their use of L2 sounds through interactions. The study concludes that L2 learners are autonomous, and they choose to learn and use the sounds they need for meaningful communication at their proficiency level.

Keywords: L2 pronunciation, learner autonomy, self-assessment of pronunciation, meaningful communication

How to Cite:

Kim, M-H. & Ha, H. (2024).  Second Language Learner Autonomy: Learners’ Self-Assessment of Pronunciation and Their Awareness of its Role in Communication. In D. J. Olson, J. L. Sturm, O. Dmitrieva, & J. M. Levis (eds), Proceedings of 14th Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference, (pp. 1-14). Purdue University, September 2023. https://doi.org/10.31274/psllt.17581