Teaching Pronunciation to Avoid Cultural Collisions

Where people of different language backgrounds intersect along the crossroads of culture, suprasegmental pronunciation differences can often lead to misperceptions- not only of meaning, but also of attitude, emotion, intention, personality, and even character. Find out how a recent study investigating the degree of difference between native American English speakers’ and native German speakers’ interpretations of degrees of sincerity in American English speech can practically impact the way you approach pronunciation. This study reveals the degree to which sincerity-oriented suprasegmental pronunciation and cultural training improved German speakers’ interpretation abilities, and it might change the way you teach and design materials.