© Journal of Language and Literature, ISSN: 2078-0303, Vol. 4, No. 2. 2013 90 | www.ijar.lit.az/philology.php W. Zuraiq. Training nonnative speakers to attain English prosody. Journal of Language and Literature 2013; 4(2), 90-96. DOI: 10.7813/jll.2013/4-2/12 TRAINING NONNATIVE SPEAKERS TO ATTAIN ENGLISH PROSODY Wael Zuraiq Hashemite University (JORDAN) zuraiq@hu.edu.jo DOI: 10.7813/jll.2013/4-2/12 ABSTRACT The current study examined the role of training in helping nonnative speakers to improve their correct production of primary stress. The study recruited 20 nonnative speakers of English who underwent theoretical and practical training and another 20 native listeners who evaluated the correctness of productions of nonnative speakers before and after training. The hypothesis of the study focused on that adequate training is effective in suprasegmental attainment in L2. Stimuli included 36 real English words; 12 words with different types of suffixes, 12 words with different number of syllables, and 12 words with different grammatical class (verbs vs. nouns). The results indicated total improvement of 19.83% in nonnative assignment of primary stress. The study concluded that prosodic elements are to be given a central importance in L2 teaching learning process concerning since they contribute to intelligibility which is an ultimate target that can be improved by means of good and sufficient training. Key words: Suprasegmental, nonnative speakers, English, phonological attainment, L2 training 1. INTRODUCTION In foreign and second language learning literature, several factors like motivation, age, and type of training (among many other intervening factors) exhibit a fundamental effect on the attainment of foreign language phonology. Yet, Attention invested in effective aspect of adequate training is still very modest. Experiments and research on prosody attainment have been examining the existing status of nonnative learners, and few (Yue Wang et al. 1999) investigated the possibility that progress in attainment of L2 prosodic features may be attributable to other crucial factors such as adequate training and/or the presence of good input. Moreover, Phonetic and phonological transfer from first language (L1) into a second and a foreign language (L2) is confirmed in many studies conducted on second language learning (Flege 2007, Young-Scholten & Archibald 2000, Archibald 1998, Bongaerts et. al 1997, Bohn & Flege 1992, Broselow 1983, Beebe 1980, Tarone 1980). Lado's Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis, CAH, (1957) suggests that first language patterns can inhibit L2 acceptable and intelligible production; and that similar patterns are relatively easier to master. However, there are several factors that can facilitate learning different L2 patterns that are not present in L1 like training. Archibald 1993, 1994, 1997, Pater 1997, Guion, Harada, and Clark 2004, (and woks cited in such studies) provided influential investigations using different methodologies and various theoretical frameworks to understand primary stress patterns in L2. Such studies on primary stress errors indicate that nonnative speakers do mispronounce English words (Teng 2001, Flege and Bohn 1989, Fokes and Bond 1989, Ueyama 2000. L2 primary stress is an observable tactic for identifying foreign pronunciation as it reveals a degree of irregularity in the rhythm of perceived speech. Consequently, It is indispensible for foreign and second language learners to master the word stress patterns of L2. The present study aims to focus on word primary stress concerning the deliberate investigation of the role of comprehensive input and adequate training in learning primary stress and to evaluate such a process by native listeners. The study first rationalizes that regardless of what principles and parameters may govern the linguistic process of primary stress learning, the before-training data and the after-training data may confirm that nonnative speakers of English may progress with primary stress with the presence of both of comprehensive input and adequate training. The study also rationalizes that if native perceivers