This post is also available in Dutch.
Learning a foreign language is a challenge
Learning a foreign language is a challenging endeavor, especially its pronunciation. Joseph Conrad (a native speaker of Polish) mastered English and became one of the most celebrated novelists. But despite his command over the vocabulary/grammar, he still spoke with a strong Polish accent. This paradox, referred to as the “Joseph Conrad Phenomenon,” exemplifies how challenging it is to master a foreign language’s accent.
Why is Pronunciation in a foreign language so difficult?
Research indicates that learning a new language’s pronunciation is the hardest, compared to the other aspects of language, like syntax or vocabulary. As the brain develops, biological factors such as changes in learning strategies and reduced ability of the brain to re-organize itself (plasticity) make it difficult to learn the pronunciation of a new language.Did you know that before you were 6 months old, you could perceive different sounds from all the languages? After 6 months of age, a baby’s hearing gets attuned to perceive only the differences in sounds of the native language. As a result, most of them can no longer differentiate subtle differences between similar sounds from other languages. If one cannot percieve a sound, likely, they would not be able to pronounce it correctly. Since the neural connections for perceiving and producing sounds are established early, acquiring new sounds in a foreign language becomes challenging later in life. Hence, people often apply the sounds of their native language to pronounce the sounds of the new language, resulting in a foreign accent.
Variability in Pronunciation Abilities
Indeed, not everyone is equally bad at pronunciation, some are better than others. Research indicates that a better ability to perceive sound differences, musical abilities, and personality factors may contribute to this variability.
But what about those who are exceptional? Those who somehow seem to defy all the biological factors working against them and manage to acquire native-like accents. What sets them apart? Dr.Kristin Lemhofer and I are working on understanding the neuro-cognitive basis of exceptional pronunciation abilities. They refer to these talented individuals as “Super-pronouncers,” a designation that applies to only about 5% of the population. They hypothesize that not only do these individuals retain their ability to percieve differences in speech sounds of a foreign language, but they also possess exceptional memory for sounds, allowing them to “replay” these memories with remarkable accuracy. This ability could enable them to pronounce words perfectly as if they echo the sounds they’ve heard. Additionally, there may be structural and functional differences in their brains that contribute to their standout.
You ar invited to participate in a study at the Lemhöfer Language Lab to understand the talent of pronunciation! If you’re a native Dutch speaker who gets compliments on your accent in foreign language(s) or excels at foreign language pronunciation, consider joining us to explore this unique skill. If you know anyone who fits this description, please share this opportunity with them. More details about the study and participation can be found here. Your involvement could shed light on what underlies these extraordinary skills, potentially transforming how we approach language learning and pronunciation training in the future.
Credits
Author: Sweekriti Narayanan Buddy: Elena Markantonakis Editor: Siddharth Chaturvedi Translation: Maartje Koot Editor translation: Dirk-Jan Melssen
