Pronunciation Learning Strategies, Word Stress and Vowel Reduction: An Intelligibility-Based Case Study in the Hungarian Secondary School Context

Abstract

This case study is concerned with the use of pronunciation learning strategies by learners of English as a foreign language and their effectiveness in terms of word stress placement and vowel reduction. The work aims to achieve four research goals: (1) to identify the intelligibility-inhibiting features of English spoken with a Hungarian accent, (2) to explore the recurring pronunciation errors of a target group of 12 secondary school students, (3) to examine the use of various pronunciation learning strategies in language acquisition, and (4) to determine strategies that prove effective for the target group.

The first objective could be approached by comparing research on intelligibility-based pronun-ciation learning with the literature on English spoken with a Hungarian accent, which resulted in a nine-point list identifying the features of Hungarian-accented English that impair intelligibility.

To examine the second aim, three production tests were administered and analysed. The results showed that, regarding both word stress placement and vowel reduction, the highest number of errors occurred in words with prefixes that carry the initial stress, particularly those with the prefixes “con-” and “com-”.

The third research question was addressed using a questionnaire. The results indicate that cognitive strategies are the most popular among the study group, followed by social strategies. These findings are consistent with the relevant literature.

The results showed significant improvement in vowel reduction, suggesting the effective role of social strategies. Correlation analysis revealed a strong relationship between the use of social strategies and scores measuring the placement of unstressed syllables shifted to the right in words where the stress is not on the first syllable.