LISTENING TO DIFFERENT SPOKEN VARIETIES

In second language (L2) listening, the role of the speaker's accent is a multi-faceted area of inquiry. Studies have shown mixed results regarding the effect of accent on listening comprehension. It is uncertain how different English accents affect listeners in English as a lingua franca context. It is also largely unknown what speaking features can determine the intelligibility of different varieties of accents. Therefore, this chapter reviews factors that affect listeners’ judgments of accent varieties, including listener background and speaker characteristics. It reviews and discusses research on different spoken varieties in listening and concludes with future directions and implications.