Premium
Being ‘neutral’? English pronunciation among Norwegian learners
Author(s) -
RINDAL ULRIKKE,
PIERCY CAROLINE
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
world englishes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.6
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1467-971X
pISSN - 0883-2919
DOI - 10.1111/weng.12020
Subject(s) - pronunciation , norwegian , linguistics , varieties of english , stress (linguistics) , first language , american english , context (archaeology) , variety (cybernetics) , psychology , world englishes , pitch accent , computer science , history , artificial intelligence , prosody , philosophy , archaeology
This study investigates the pronunciation of English among Norwegian adolescents by applying sociolinguistic methods in a second language context. Results from an auditory analysis of seven phonological variables show a blended use of linguistic features from American English and British English, with some additional pronunciations, forming a hybrid and variable L2 accent. The participants’ pronunciation aligns with their self‐expressed target accents. However, American English is the dominant pronunciation, suggesting influence from imported American media. Although the majority of learners aim towards a native accent, a large minority report a wish to avoid native accents and use a neutral variety of English. The variability in the local appropriation of English reflects the transitional status of English in Norway, and contributes to the increasing diversity in the development of English as a global language. The results have implications for English language educators, who must meet the needs of proficient learners in transitional second language environments.