Research project Intelligibility in Swedish as a second language
This project aims to help set priorities for pronunciation teaching in Swedish as a second language. By identifying the pronunciation features that have the greatest impact on intelligibility and emphasizing them in instruction, learners can become understandable more quickly.
Project description
Clear pronunciation is essential for being understood in Swedish, both in social and professional settings. Swedish includes specific pronunciation features that can be difficult to master, and incorrect stress or articulation may lead to misunderstandings. By identifying the most crucial aspects of pronunciation, teaching can focus on what makes the biggest difference, helping learners develop their spoken language skills more effectively and feel more confident when communicating.
The aim of this project is therefore to investigate which aspects of pronunciation instruction in Swedish as a second language should be prioritized. Using laboratory methods and acoustic analyses, we examine which pronunciation features are most important for making Swedish easier to understand.
Our results already indicate that it is important for intelligibility that learners of Swedish use the length distinction (quantity contrast) found in stressed syllables. We will also examine other factors, such as vowel length, word stress, and pitch accent.
Project members
Project managers
Mara Haslam
Senior lecturer
Members
Elisabeth Zetterholm
Associate professor
