Table of Contents

Part I. A Framework for the Teaching of Spoken Language: 1. Intelligibility, comprehensibility and spoken language; 2. Setting priorities: what teachers and researchers say; Part II. Word-Based Errors and Intelligibility: 3. Segmentals and intelligibility; 4. Consonant clusters and intelligibility; 5. Word stress and intelligibility; Part III. Discourse-Based Errors and Intelligibility: 6. Rhythm and intelligibility; 7. Intonation and intelligibility: the roles of prominence and tune; Part IV. Teaching and Research Approaches to Intelligibility: 8. Teaching for intelligibility: guidelines for setting priorities; 9. The intelligibility-based classroom; 10. What should and should not be taught – an intelligibility-based approach.

Promotional Information

An intelligibility-based approach to teaching that presents pronunciation as critical, yet neglected, in communicative language teaching.

About the Author

John M. Levis is Professor of TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and Applied Linguistics at Iowa State University. He is co-editor of Social Dynamics in Second Language Accent (2014), The Handbook of English Pronunciation (2015), and Pronunciation: Critical Concepts in Linguistics (2017), and is the founding editor of the Journal of Second Language Pronunciation.

Reviews

'A superb, timely, user-friendly contribution synthesizing knowledge and advancing practical guidelines on the burning question of the linguistic factors to target to promote intelligibility. Highly recommended for all educational practitioners concerned with enhancing learners' spoken English interactions, including as a core resource for teacher training.' Talia Isaacs, University College London