The relationships among L2 fluency, intelligibility, comprehensibility, and accentedness
A meta-analysis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21506255 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tuc Chau (0000-0002-0961-3239, University of California, Santa Barbara, corresponding author), Amanda Huensch (0000-0001-6229-3521, University of Pittsburgh) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 282-307 |
| Publication date | 2025-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Studies in Second Language Acquisition (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0272-2631 • E-ISSN: 1470-1545 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0272263125000014 |
| OpenAlex | W4407186858 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 58 |
Fluency, intelligibility, comprehensibility, and accentedness are important dimensions of second language (L2) pronunciation proficiency representing global, listener-based intuitions. This study meta-analyzed 49 reports from 1995 to 2023, examining 141 effect sizes (Pearson r ) to understand their relationships and possible moderators. Three-level meta-analysis models showed weighted mean correlations of .82, .75, .62, .57, and .32 for fluency/comprehensibility, comprehensibility/accentedness, fluency/accentedness, intelligibility/comprehensibility, and intelligibility/accentedness, respectively. Task types moderated correlations for fluency/accentedness, intelligibility/comprehensibility, and intelligibility/accentedness, with controlled tasks leading to higher correlations. Ratings of multiple dimensions by the same listeners tended to result in weaker correlations for fluency/comprehensibility and comprehensibility/accentedness. The findings imply that having an accent does not mean being unintelligible and support prioritizing intelligible and comprehensible speech over accent reduction. The study also highlights an over-reliance on first language speaker norms in L2 pronunciation research and advocates for more transparent reporting
Fluency · Linguistics · Mathematics education · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Philosophy · Phonetics and Phonology Research · Psychology · Speech and dialogue systems
Intelligibility
Pronunciation for Less Commonly Taught Languages
Vietnamese students’ beliefs and practices in computer-assisted pronunciation training
The relationship between intelligibility and comprehensibility in second language speech
The L2 Spanish Listener Ratings Dataset (L2SLRD)
Study and instrument quality in perception-based L2 pronunciation research
Post hoc score category collapsing for L2 pronunciation research
Teaching for Intelligibility
Meta‐Analysis
Cognitive Bases of Second Language Fluency
Introduction to Meta‐Analysis
Synthesizing Research on Language Learning and Teaching
Disentangling accent from comprehensibility
Deconstructing Comprehensibility
Accent, Intelligibility, and Comprehensibility
Talker and listener effects on degree of perceived foreign accent
Rater Experience, Rating Scale Length, and Judgments of L2 Pronunciation
A Meta‐Analysis of Reliability Coefficients in Second Language Research
Second language speech production
How Many Studies Do You Need?
Intelligibility, Comprehensibility, and Accentedness of L2 Speech
Bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test
Conducting Meta-Analyses in R with the metafor Package
Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency in Second Language Acquisition
The Effectiveness of Second Language Pronunciation Instruction
Using Listener Judgments to Investigate Linguistic Influences on L2 Comprehensibility and Accentedness
Doing L2 Speech Research Online
Revisiting the moderating effect of speaker proficiency on the relationships among intelligibility, comprehensibility, and accentedness in L2 Spanish
The Relationship Between Utterance and Perceived Fluency
What makes speech sound fluent? The contributions of pauses, speed and repairs
Research Methods in Second Language Acquisition
Domain definition and search techniques in meta-analyses of L2 research (Or why 18 meta-analyses of feedback have different results)
Second language speech comprehensibility
Putting accent in its place
What Characterizes Comprehensible and Native‐like Pronunciation Among English‐as‐a‐Second‐Language Speakers? Meta‐Analyses of Phonological, Rater, and Instructional Factors
Processing Time, Accent, and Comprehensibility in the Perception of Native and Foreign-Accented Speech
Impact of L2 learners' background factors on the perception of L1 Spanish speech
Investigating Fluency in EFL
How Big Is "Big"? Interpreting Effect Sizes in L2 Research
Evidence in Favor of a Broad Framework for Pronunciation Instruction
Effects of Second Language Pronunciation Teaching Revisited
Empirical Approaches to Measuring the Intelligibility of Different Varieties of English in Predicting Listener Comprehension
Foreign Accent, Comprehensibility, and Intelligibility in the Speech of Second Language Learners
Second Language Fluency
The Effect of Speaker Proficiency on Intelligibility, Comprehensibility, and Accentedness in L2 Spanish
| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 8 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |