Abstract
This article considers the continuing debate in pronunciation instruction (PI) about whether segmental or suprasegmental features are more important in teaching English to speakers of other languages. While evidence has accumulated on both sides of the debate, the emergence of the notion of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) further complicates the issue. This article provides a review of current research supporting the different views in the segmental/suprasegmental debate. The review highlights research evidence that examines either the impact of segmental and suprasegmental features on intelligibility or the effectiveness of teaching these features to improve intelligibility. A review of this line of research underlines the context-specific nature of the debate and a third view that blurs the boundary between segmentals and suprasegmentals. Copyright © 2020 The Author(s).
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 194-202 |
Journal | RELC Journal |
Volume | 53 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | Jun 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 01 Apr 2022 |
Citation
Wang, X. (2022). Segmental versus suprasegmental: Which one is more important to teach? RELC Journal, 53(1), 194-202. doi: 10.1177/0033688220925926Keywords
- Segmental/suprasegmental features
- Pronunciation instruction
- English as a Lingua Franca