Strategies for Accent Comprehension

Academic Level at Time of Presentation

Junior

Major

Psychology

Minor

Spanish

2nd Student Academic Level at Time of Presentation

Senior

2nd Student Major

Psychology

3rd Student Academic Level at Time of Presentation

Junior

3rd Student Major

Psychology

List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)

Esther Malm, PhD

Presentation Format

Poster Presentation

Abstract/Description

Strategies for Accent Comprehension

The purpose of this study is to look at learning strategies that students use to understand their teachers with accents different from their own. This research hopes to provide potential strategies for students to be more successful in their understanding of their professor. Using surveys, researchers collected data from 319 Murray State students during the pre-test portion of the study. Students were asked numerous items, including their exposure to other cultures, and professors’ accents. They were then asked the impact of the professor’s accent on their own understanding of the lecture and their perception of the professor’s intelligence, friendliness, confidence, and sophistication. Next, students were asked what kinds of strategies they could use to promote understanding of their professor, and potential strategies they could employ throughout the semester.

This presentation reports on the pre-test data. Preliminary analyses have shown that there was a significant positive correlation between the strength of a professor’s accents and the lack of understanding of the professor (r= .60, p< .001) and subsequent lack of understanding about the topic (r= .549, p< .001). However, students who reported a greater exposure to other cultures were significantly more likely to report that they would potentially engage in more strategies to better understand their professor as opposed to those who had less exposure to other cultures (r= .13, p= .03). Those who reported greater exposure to other cultures reported gaining significantly more of those exposures through a variety of outlets (r= .42, p<.001) including travel, study abroad, and having professors of other cultures. Other results including perceived professional characteristics will be reported during the presentation.

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Strategies for Accent Comprehension

Strategies for Accent Comprehension

The purpose of this study is to look at learning strategies that students use to understand their teachers with accents different from their own. This research hopes to provide potential strategies for students to be more successful in their understanding of their professor. Using surveys, researchers collected data from 319 Murray State students during the pre-test portion of the study. Students were asked numerous items, including their exposure to other cultures, and professors’ accents. They were then asked the impact of the professor’s accent on their own understanding of the lecture and their perception of the professor’s intelligence, friendliness, confidence, and sophistication. Next, students were asked what kinds of strategies they could use to promote understanding of their professor, and potential strategies they could employ throughout the semester.

This presentation reports on the pre-test data. Preliminary analyses have shown that there was a significant positive correlation between the strength of a professor’s accents and the lack of understanding of the professor (r= .60, p< .001) and subsequent lack of understanding about the topic (r= .549, p< .001). However, students who reported a greater exposure to other cultures were significantly more likely to report that they would potentially engage in more strategies to better understand their professor as opposed to those who had less exposure to other cultures (r= .13, p= .03). Those who reported greater exposure to other cultures reported gaining significantly more of those exposures through a variety of outlets (r= .42, p<.001) including travel, study abroad, and having professors of other cultures. Other results including perceived professional characteristics will be reported during the presentation.