Beyond Proficiency: How Speech Attribute Alignment Shapes L2 Listening Comprehension

Simon Moxon; Nantana Sittirak

doi:10.66947/pasaa.v72i1.3112

Authors

Dr Simon Moxon Walailak University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1360-8192
Dr Nantana Sittirak Prince of Songkhla University, Trang Campus, Thailand, 92000 https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9633-7959

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66947/pasaa.v72i1.3112

Keywords:

L2 Listening Comprehension, Thai EFL Learners, Prosodic Alignment

Abstract

This study employed a quantitative observational design to investigate
whether L2 learners' speaking proficiency, temporal-prosodic speech
attributes, and speaker-listener temporal-prosodic alignment are
associated with performance on a L2 listening test. Speaker-listener
temporal-prosodic alignment was operationalized as the degree of
similarity between learners' produced speech and the temporal-prosodic
attributes of the listening test input. This approach assumes that similarity
in timing and pitch patterns may reduce perceptual processing demands
during speech recognition. 91 Thai undergraduates submitted ten weekly
audio journals using ALL-Talk before completing a listening test
structured on the TOEIC listening format. Learner speech and listening
test input were analyzed for temporal-prosodic attributes using PRAAT.
The student speaking proficiency scores were obtained using Microsoft
Azure via the ALL-Talk platform. These attributes were then compared
against student performance in the listening test using three analytical
approaches: 1) one-way ANOVA and bootstrapped Spearman
correlations to examine the relationship between speaking proficiency
and listening comprehension. 2) bootstrapped generalized linear models
to assess the influence of specific temporal-prosodic attributes. 3)
generalized linear mixed-effects models to investigate the role of speakerlistener
temporal-prosodic alignment. While L2 speaking proficiency did
not significantly predict comprehension performance, generalized linear
modelling revealed that Mean Pitch, Syllable Count, and Pause Count
were significant predictors. Contrary to speech alignment expectations,
generalized linear mixed effects modelling showed that greater speakerlistener
divergence in Articulation Rate significantly predicted higher
listening test scores, while shorter learner average pause durations relative
to the input were also associated with improved performance. These
findings complicate similarity-based accounts of speaker-listener
temporal prosody alignment and suggest that the speaking-listening
relationship may be driven more by specific temporal and prosodic
features than by overall proficiency measures or uniform prosodic
similarity.

Author Biographies

Dr Simon Moxon, Walailak University

Dr. Simon Moxon is an EFL lecturer at Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. He holds a first-class honors degree in Applied Computing from Staffordshire University, UK, as well as a master's degree and PhD in Teaching and Technology from Assumption University, Thailand. His research interests include pronunciation and CALL.

BSc(Hons) (SU UK), MEdTT (ABAC), PhDTT (ABAC)

Dr Nantana Sittirak, Prince of Songkhla University, Trang Campus, Thailand, 92000

Dr. Nantana Sittirak is an EFL lecturer at Prince of Songkhla University, Trang, Thailand. She holds a PhD in English Language Studies from Thammasat University, Thailand. Her research interests include English language teaching (ELT), translation, and intercultural communication.

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