Effectiveness of Two Different Approaches to Accent Modification Services for Non-Native English Speakers of Korean Background

Abstract

This study evaluated effectiveness of two different approaches to accent modification for non-native English speakers. Eight native Korean speakers of English participated. English labio-dental fricatives, liquids, and front vowels were targeted. Half of the participants received accent modification services with a focus on individual sound drills (segmental approach) while the other half received services using minimal pairs (contrastive approach). The percentage of correct pronunciation was measured for each consonant and vowel category during each session. The results of this study revealed that both groups of Korean speakers showed a similar percentage of correct pronunciation for consonant production. However, those who received the contrastive approach demonstrated higher accuracy in vowel production than those who received the segmental approach. The results of this study suggest that contrastive approaches may be useful for non-native English speakers of Korean background, especially for vowel production.