Development of discursive practices for the intelligibility of Thai English in interaction: Sequence and categories as contextual resources

Abstract

Intelligibility research has substantially advanced our understanding of how second-language (L2) English intelligibility is influenced by characteristics of the L2 speaker's pronunciation and experience and by listener-related variables. Comparatively few studies, however, have investigated the influence of contextual factors on intelligibility. This study aims to address this lack with an analysis of how one Thai learner of L2 English increasingly utilized context for constructing L2 English intelligibility in interactions. The focal participant was a Thai college student attending an eight-week business English course at a Thai university. The data for this study came from a series of one-on-one conversations, alternating among six instructors with diverse first language backgrounds and discussions during regular office hours. Applying the methodology of membership categorization analysis (MCA) and conversation analysis (CA), the analysis revealed that the focal participant increasingly used sequential organization and descriptors in order to proactively construct an intelligible pronunciation of the job referent term that she used. The findings add to our understanding of how context supports the interactive construction of L2 English intelligibility. They also support the use of (M)CA as an innovative methodology for intelligibility research and, further, suggest teaching implications for ensuring L2 English intelligibility in interaction.