Intelligibility and comprehensibility in Spanish L2 pronunciation

Abstract

This research provides an in-depth analysis of the two fundamental dimensions of pronunciation, intelligibility and comprehensibility, which have received little attention in the field of L2 Spanish. The study stems, therefore, from the need to expand knowledge about these dimensions, highlight their importance, and underline the implications of research findings for the teaching and assessment of Spanish pronunciation. To this end, the article is divided into three sections. The first two are devoted respectively to the analysis of intelligibility and comprehensibility, with special reference to L2 Spanish. The study describes here the characteristics of these dimensions and discusses closely related issues, such as the variability that may occur in the perception of the signal depending on the type of listener, research on mutual intelligibility in lingua franca or functional load theory. Finally, the study concludes with a third section devoted to the analysis of the main lines of research that remain open in the field of L2 Spanish regarding these dimensions.

Keywords: Intelligibility; Comprehensibility; Pronunciation; Assessment; Spanish L2