Conceptualizing pronunciation as part of translingual/transcultural competence: New impulses for SLA research and the L2 classroom

This article aims to reconceptualize pronunciation teaching and learning according to the tenets of the 2007 MLA Report and its call for translingual/transcultural competence. The critical discussion of current teaching and research practices shows that the realm of pronunciation has benefitted little from debates on intercultural language learning. In order to link the teaching of pronunciation with learner needs in intercultural encounters, this article develops the concept of pronunciation‐as‐language. The theoretical exploration of this concept is supported by a narrative analysis of study-abroad learners’ accounts, contrasting learners’ perceptions of teaching practices with the complex role pronunciation plays in second language‐mediated interactions. The results underline the importance of pedagogical approaches that encourage the critical reflection on and creative use of pronunciation beyond structural elements and native‐speaker norms.