Familiarization with the phonetic diversity of the English language in the context of teaching students’ perception of authentic spoken language
Authors: Ivchenko M. I. 
Published: May 2024

Importance. Reception plays a significant role in the communication process in a foreign language and is reflected in the key documents that govern standards for foreign language education. As such, with increasing proficiency in a foreign language, the importance of utilizing authentic materials grows, and it becomes necessary for students to become familiar with non-standard (uncommon) varieties of the English language. This is not currently reflected in most educational settings, including language institutions. To address this issue, it is essential to justify the necessity for students to be acquainted with the phonetic variation of the English language and to consider matters related to clarifying the objectives and selection of accent teaching materials (in particular, developing criteria for selection). Additionally, it is important to explore effective methods and techniques as well as resources. The aim of the research is to identify the key invariant features of the accent and to investigate the impact of students’ understanding of phonetic variation on their direct comprehension of oral communication, to define the purpose, specific content, and to consider potential methods for designing such training.

Research Methods. The study employed an analysis of the existing literature on the research topic, comparison, categorization, and generalization.

Results and Discussion. The main characteristics of an accent and the impact of awareness of these characteristics on the perception of native-like foreign language speech are analyzed. The purpose of becoming familiar with phonetic variation is clarified, which involves, on the one hand, developing students' ability to comprehend native oral speech and, on the other, mastering research tools necessary for independent study of accents. Training content is explored, methods and techniques for familiarizing with phonetic variation are identified, and criteria for selecting learning materials are proposed.

Conclusion. Targeted accent training contributes to the development of linguistic competence in general and an improved understanding of oral communication in particular. Due to the presence of multiple accents resulting from intercultural interaction, it is necessary to familiarize students with the basic characteristics of this phenomenon on the one hand and provide them with tools for self-study on the other. This is reflected in the content of training. The choice of methods to familiarize students with accents is limited by the localized nature of these accents. Training should focus on communication and the development of skills to understand authentic spoken language. This can be achieved through methods such as analysis, imitation, and transcription. The reliance on transcription for listening, the use of contrastive analysis, and the gradual increase in level of complexity, as well as the development of an academic community of learners, are all key factors contributing to the achievement of this goal.