Comparison Between Perception of EFL Oral English Proficiency from Native Speakers and Non-Native Speakers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jhet.202615341

Author(s)

Yueqing Gu*

Affiliation(s)

School of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China *Corresponding Author.

Abstract

This article conducts theoretical and applied analysis on the differences in perception of oral language ability between native English speakers and non-native English speakers among EFL learners. It proposes that there are two paths for the perception of oral language ability: one is the language processing path based on elements such as pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and fluency; the other is the social cognitive path combining accent, identity cognition, and stereotypes. Existing research has confirmed that listeners do not simply equate accent with language proficiency, but the two types of listeners have different emphasis in their evaluations: native speakers are more sensitive to phonological norms and fluency deviations; non-native speakers rely on common experiences in the second language and place more emphasis on communicative effectiveness and familiarity with the accent. The article, referring to the CEFR framework and domestic English proficiency scales, suggests that oral evaluation should abandon the single native language standard and establish a multi-dimensional evaluation system that takes into account dimensions such as comprehensibility and interactivity; at the teaching level, increase the input of diverse accents, optimize pronunciation training and interactive tasks, and improve the training of evaluators, in order to enhance the fairness of oral evaluation.

Keywords

EFL Oral Proficiency; Native Speakers and Non-Native Speakers; Accent Perception; Oral Evaluation; Multilingual Ability

References

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