An Aptitude for Speech: The Importance of Mimicry Ability in Foreign Language Pronunciation

Abstract

In recent studies into the factors affecting foreign or second language pronunciation, inborn capabilities, such as the musical ear and the ability to mimic, have received relatively little attention compared to that which has been focused on age, length of study or residence, first language and gender. Since Purcell et al. (1980) included mimicry ability in their list of key factors affecting pronunciation, most research has been aimed at downplaying its importance. This paper has been written as part of a project to design a new style of aptitude test; one which would predict not only success in grammar tests, but also potential communicative proficiency. One step in this process is to attempt to establish a test for aptitude for pronunciation. To that end, the paper sets out to examine to what extent the ability to accurately mimic input after minimal exposure is decisive in determining the overall quality of pronunciation of foreign language learners, in part, because this ability is relatively easy to assess and therefore a good candidate for inclusion in a wider test of communicative aptitude. The paper begins with a critical examination of the research which has been done into the factors affecting pronunciation (Piske et al. 2001) and the role of mimicry and the so-called ‘musical ear’ (Slevc and Miyake 2006) in the pronunciation of language learners. This review will highlight the lack of an authoritative answer on the question of mimicry and the need for further investigation. There will follow a description of two experiments carried out by the author in which the ability of Polish college students of English to mimic was compared with the quality of their general English pronunciation, and a discussion of the results achieved.