Effects on the Listening Comprehension of Different Non-native English Accents of Chinese Learners of English

Abstract

Purpose: This study assessed the effects on the Listening Comprehension of Different Non-native English Accents on Chinese Learners of English. The study aimed to determine, first of all, the reaction of Chinese learners of English to different non-native English accents. Second, it sought to investigate the differences in the difficulties that Chinese learners of English face while listening to English spoken with accents native (Chinese English accent) or non-native. Third, the study attempted to find out the relationship between English spoken with the native Chinese accent and/or non-native English accents and listening comprehension. Methodology/Approach/Design: The sample included 16 participants majoring in International Education of Chinese Language. They were selected randomly for the study. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed to collect and analyze data. Results: The findings revealed that non-native English accent plays a more important role than the native English accents in listening and comprehension. The findings also revealed a listening comprehension advantage for test-takers who are familiar with accents, in this case, the Chinese non-native English accent. Practical Implications: For a better understanding of the teaching and learning process of English as a foreign language, learners or listeners need to assess the influence of non-native accents on their listening comprehension to find better ways in improving their listening skills. This study contributes significantly to this field. Originality/Value: This study employed multi non-native accent including African English accents. It attempted to contribute significant value in this field as most of the teachers who teach English globally are non-native English Speakers and they, in essence, have considerable influence on the learners’ listening comprehension.

Barriers to English Listening Comprehension for Indonesian University Students: Implications for Listening Curriculum Development

“…This finding is in line with the study conducted by Jidong et al, (2021) reporting that students will understand better if they listen to an accent they are used to listening to, when learning to listen to a different accent, it will become a new challenge in listening comprehension.…”

Indonesian Efl Postgraduate Students' Perception Toward Accent in Listening Comprehension

“…Furthermore, (Bazhouni, 2020;Fitria et al, 2022) agreed that unfamiliar accent could be the major cause of learners' low listening comprehension due to the fact that accent indeed affected the learners' understanding. Furthermore, Fadhly et al, (2021);Jidong et al, (2021) also unveiled that the participants within that conducted study stated that different English accent in listening comprehension did have an immense influence toward EFL learners understanding in comprehending the speaker within the audio. On the other ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Irfan et al, (2020) perceived that anxiety and self-confidence were some of the major obstacles in listening comprehension, especially in real-life context in which the L2 felt discomfort, even panic, when they had to listen to or communicate in a foreign language.…”

The role of accents in College EFL classes in Mexico

“…This is because students are not familiarized with the accentnative or non-native-, and they might not understand the audio or video presented in an activity even though they have the ability to do so. To support this idea, Jidong et al (2021) state that "research studies [...] have provided evidence that 'accent' can affect listening comprehension" (p. 81), proving that accents really have an impact on students' listening comprehension. Furthermore, Büyükahiska and Uyar (2019) support the statement regarding the complexity of understanding non-native accents by claiming that "it is evidently clear that people from different nationalities may tend to pronounce some words differently.…”

“…Attitudes might shape the outcome of an activity that, in this case, is focused on measuring students' listening comprehension. For example, Jidong et al (2021) assure that "different accents attract different reactions from different listeners, and these reactions one way or the other may, in turn, influence the listener's comprehensibility" (p. 81).…”