A Guide to Research Methods in Second Language Pronunciation

Book excerpt: This book offers a comprehensive resource on the state-of-the-art in L2 pronunciation, surveying the most up-to-date theoretical and methodological developments to highlight the multidimensional nature of pronunciation scholarship and directions for future research. The volume examines both speech perception and production, including the perception-production link. The book explores production from a range of perspectives, including acoustic analysis of specific features and listener-based ratings of global dimensions of pronunciation. Each chapter spotlights a different dimension of pronunciation through a consistent structure, including a summary of the latest research, a critical appraisal of methods, and an overview of data analysis procedures with recommendations for practical implementation. The innovative interconnected structure allows readers to build on their knowledge with each successive chapter while also allowing the flexibility to use chapters as standalone units depending on individual interests. A concluding chapter outlines a research agenda for future scholarship, spotlighting the methods and approaches that are most likely to advance the field. This book is an invaluable resource for graduate students and researchers, at all stages of their careers, looking to expand their knowledge base in SLA and L2 pronunciation and related fields such as phonetics and phonology.