Pre- and in-service teachers’ beliefs about second language pronunciation teaching, their experience, and speech assessments

Abstract

This study investigated whether and to what degree individual differences in teachers' experience and beliefs are associated with their judgements of second language (L2) speech. Participants included 50 in-service and 50 pre-service teachers who rated 40 audio-recorded speaking performances by Japanese secondary school students, evaluating these students' L2 English comprehensibility, fluency, and accentedness. The teachers also completed online questionnaires targeting their beliefs about L2 pronunciation instruction and recorded their professional and personal experiences related to language teaching and learning. Compared to pre-service teachers, in-service teachers appeared to hold stronger beliefs about L2 pronunciation instruction. Notably, in-service teachers' comprehensibility and fluency ratings were predicted only by their beliefs (importance of pronunciation, who can teach pronunciation), whereas pre-service teachers' accentedness ratings were predicted by a combination of variables, including their beliefs (how to teach pronunciation) and experience (living abroad). These findings demonstrate possible links between teachers’ assessment practices and their professional experiences and beliefs relevant to L2 pronunciation instruction.