Second language comprehensibility and accentedness across oral proficiency levels: A comparison of two L1s

Second language comprehensibility and accentedness are highly complex phenomena, numerous studies have been conducted to better understand these constructs. However, research has seldom addressed L2 in relation speakers' proficiency the target language. This study explores English across three levels. The speakers were 60 teenaged Finns, half of them speaking Finnish as their L1 Finland-Swedish L1. Using 20-s speech samples, rated by 34 English-speaking teenagers on a 9-point scale. Comparisons made regarding between speakers, data also analysed for possible relationship ratings overall oral English. results revealed surprising difference groups at levels B1–B2: Despite an equal assessment, more comprehensible less accented than speakers. Overall, found correlate with speakers’ proficiency, but correlations rather weak steps from one level another often had only small effects accentedness.