Reaching Near-Native Levels of Foreign Language Proficiency: The Importance of Pronunciation
Currently, I am in Indonesia, working with advanced language students. Here, I have noticed as elsewhere, whether in one of 25 countries where I have assisted with language education or in the USA, working with hundreds of very advanced students, that what holds them back, more than morphology, syntax, or lexicon, is pronunciation -- both sounds and intonation. Phonemic differences are not realized, let alone allophonic differences. Most adults do not have an "ear" for foreign sounds and intonation. They need to be taught -- and old-fashioned language labs, yes, believe it or not, with a skilled teacher or often the very best resources for correcting pronunciation. Short of that...come close with whatever resources you do have! --- Have you published a book recently (2022-2023) on a topic related to achieving near-native foreign language proficiency? Send it to the Journal for Distinguished Language Proficiency . JDLS is looking for books to review in JLDS 9 (2023-2024). -