Going Beyond Standard Accents in L2: a Layered Model of accents for speech production

Abstract

With the aim of going beyond standard accents of second language (L2) textbooks, this study presents a Layered Model for L2-accent learning. A wide review of literature was conducted combining knowledge from several fields, such as second language learning, Speech-language pathology, anthropology as well as theories in first and second language acquisition and singing pedagogy. The resulting model was then developed and is composed of nine layers. Each layer refers to isolated elements of the accent's aesthetic that can be worked separately during L2-accent learning. The first three layers refer to vocal aspects of accents, which includes vocal tract setting, voice tone and vocal biomechanical articulation. Layers number four, five and six refer to how to connect the vocal abilities from the previous layers into language, which involves practice of speech sounds, consonant clusters and words in general. Layer number seven explores the relations between sounds and letters while layer number eight focuses on adjustments in connected speech, the latter includes the phonological processes. Finally, the ninth layer refers to the skill of breaking down accents into layers in order to enable the learner to develop a panoramic perspective of accents' aesthetic features to learn other accents as well. In order to demonstrate how to apply the Layered Model, English was established as the target L2. Thus, possible segments, clusters and phonological processes present in English were organized into three training-stages, each divided into two minor groups, totaling six groups altogether. Each group displays the English phonetics and phonological elements into smaller feasible components with the aim to guide the L2-accent learning throughout the Layered Model. Different from traditional textbooks, the Layered Model has non-standard accents as the ultimate goal in L2-accent learning.