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Foreign Accent: The Phenomenon of Non-Native Speech
To what extent do our accents determine the way we are perceived by others? Is foreign accent inevitably associated with social stigma? Accent is a matter of great public interest given the impact of migration on national and global affairs, but until now, applied linguistics research has treated accent largely as a theoretical puzzle. In this fascinating account, Alene Moyer examines the social, psychological, educational and legal ramifications of sounding 'foreign'. She explores how accent operates contextually through analysis of issues such the neuro-cognitive constraints on phonological acquisition, individual factors that contribute to the 'intractability' of accent, foreign accent as a criterion for workplace discrimination, and the efficacy of instruction for improving pronunciation. This holistic treatment of second language accent is an essential resource for graduate students and researchers interested in applied linguistics, bilingualism and foreign language education.
- GenresLinguistics
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 14, 2013
19 people want to read
About the author
Alene Moyer
8 books2 followersProfessor Moyer received her MA and PhD degrees from the University of Texas at Austin in Germanic Languages and Applied Linguistics (1995). She taught for several years at Georgetown University before coming to the University of Maryland in Fall 1999. Prof. Moyer specializes in second language phonological acquisition, sociolinguistics, instructional methodologies, and the intersections of society and language in German. Her graduate and undergraduate courses focus on contemporary issues of language, identity and diversity.
Prof. Moyer’s first book appeared in 2004 with Multilingual Matters, entitled: Age, Accent and Experience in Second Language Acquisition. An Integrated Approach to Critical Period Inquiry. Her second book, Foreign Accent: The Phenomenon of Non-native Speech, (Cambridge University Press, 2013) explores issues of learner ability, experience, and orientation as relevant for adult phonological acquisition, as well as the social and legal ramifications of speaking with an accent. Her third book, Social Dynamics in Second Language Accent, is a co-edited volume with John Levis of Iowa State University, (DeGruyter Mouton, 2014, Trends in Applied Linguistics series). Prof. Moyer's articles have appeared in Language Teaching, Applied Linguistics, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, The Canadian Modern Language Review, Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, Journal of Multicultural and Multilingual Development, Issues in Applied Linguistics, Foreign Language Annals, and several edited volumes. She is currently writing a book on gifted language learning, to be published by Cambridge University Press.
Prof. Moyer served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Arts and Humanities from 2012-2017, where she oversaw undergraduate and graduate curricular processes and revisions, graduate student fellowships and professional development, the College’s five living-learning programs, and the Learning Outcomes Assessment (LOA) process.
Prof. Moyer’s first book appeared in 2004 with Multilingual Matters, entitled: Age, Accent and Experience in Second Language Acquisition. An Integrated Approach to Critical Period Inquiry. Her second book, Foreign Accent: The Phenomenon of Non-native Speech, (Cambridge University Press, 2013) explores issues of learner ability, experience, and orientation as relevant for adult phonological acquisition, as well as the social and legal ramifications of speaking with an accent. Her third book, Social Dynamics in Second Language Accent, is a co-edited volume with John Levis of Iowa State University, (DeGruyter Mouton, 2014, Trends in Applied Linguistics series). Prof. Moyer's articles have appeared in Language Teaching, Applied Linguistics, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, The Canadian Modern Language Review, Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, Journal of Multicultural and Multilingual Development, Issues in Applied Linguistics, Foreign Language Annals, and several edited volumes. She is currently writing a book on gifted language learning, to be published by Cambridge University Press.
Prof. Moyer served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Arts and Humanities from 2012-2017, where she oversaw undergraduate and graduate curricular processes and revisions, graduate student fellowships and professional development, the College’s five living-learning programs, and the Learning Outcomes Assessment (LOA) process.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 27, 2017
If you are at all involved in - or maybe obsessed with - pronunciation teaching and/or learning, do definitely read this book. Moyer gets it right where so many books really miss the target, sometimes due to misguided notions of political correctness in language teaching.
The writing is, however, dense, and pretty much every sentence is a gem - my copy is now heavily highlighted - so definitely don't try to rush through this one. Better to savor and absorb its rich content slowly and thoughtfully. I really thank Ms. Moyer for her deep, meticulous and articulate work.
The writing is, however, dense, and pretty much every sentence is a gem - my copy is now heavily highlighted - so definitely don't try to rush through this one. Better to savor and absorb its rich content slowly and thoughtfully. I really thank Ms. Moyer for her deep, meticulous and articulate work.
June 3, 2018
Chock full of information I found extremely interesting. Especially with regards to language learning/pronunciation and age. It was also interesting to read about the various cases of accent-based discrimination, and where it held up and where it didn't. This was all new to me, and, while it was a bit technical, I found it very informative and interesting.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews