Finnish listeners’ perceptions of other non-native English speakers’ accents

Abstract

As the role of English language broadens in the world, it is important to note how different users of English perceive their language peers in second language settings, and to understand what factors go into those ratings. While much research has focused on native speakers rating non-native speakers, an increasing amount of research is being directed toward non-native listeners’ assessments of non-native speech. This thesis examines how Finnish listeners assess the English language use of their peers from a variety of different language backgrounds, and tries to identify possible factors that contribute to how Finns perceive a “good” accent in English. A survey looking at comprehensibility and accentedness ratings in relation to valence is the basis of this work, which comprises both qualitative and quantitative questions. The study finds that there are some moderate effects for both accentedness and comprehensibility in relation to valence, with no strong patterns for native language background. Additionally, the study finds that Finnish listeners give better ratings in valence to Finnish speakers than to other European speakers.