This research study investigates and compares the operational criteria of three native English teachers (NETs) and three non-native English teachers (NNETs) when assessing English pronunciation of Thai learners. Supposedly, all six participants had already developed their own criteria of evaluating and grading pronunciation by the time the…

A central issue in language testing is the choice of norms, and the need to reconcile notions of "standard" English with local language norms and features. Data from studies of international intelligibility indicate that some features of "standard" language descriptions, based on native-speaker language use, are not essential…

Investigation of the extent to which recognition of a foreign accent is affected by reducing suprasegmental or segmental information involved the reading of five Dutch sentences by native (N=9) and non-native (N=9) speakers. Results indicated that suprasegmental aspects of speech do play a part in a foreign accent. (CB)