Communication between native and non-native speakers

Abstract

For decades, research in speech communication has ask how an individual perceives and produces speech. However, most prior research has used an idealized, monolingual speaker-listener as its model, which is not the norm in our globalizing world. Real-world situation of communication between native and non-native speakers can result in challenges for successful communication. However, the sources of those miscommunications are not well-understood. While many studies have directly examined how a learner acquires a second language, only in the last decade has research expanded rapidly on how a native listener might improve their ability to understand non-native speech. An understanding of the communication between native and non-native speakers is required to truly understand the processes that underlying speech communication, broadly. In this talk, I address issues of communication between native and non-native speakers in their capacities as speakers and listeners. Specifically, I describe the current state of knowledge about how non-native speakers understand and produce speech in their second (or third) language, how native speakers understand non-native speech, and how both parties can improve their abilities at these tasks. This line of inquiry has implications for both practical goals of improving communication outcomes and theoretical understanding of speech perception and production.