We still know little about what makes pronunciation learning succeed after the critical phase. For empirical substantiation, the results of six interviews on pronunciation learning strategies with successful post-critical period pronunciation learners will be discussed.
Pronunciation training is still only a sporadic part of teaching, which is also due to the fact that pronunciation teaching competences are too rarely taught in teacher training (cf. Settinieri 2010: 1002). In order to train teachers in this field, research that can be used directly for teaching is necessary (cf. Hirschfeld/ Trouvain 2007: 185 f.). On the one hand, this involves research into pronunciation mediation methods and, on the other hand, factors that contribute to successful acquisition of pronunciation. While Naiman et al. (1978) in "The Good Language Learner" show which factors promote successful foreign language learning, a good 40 years later we still know little about what makes pronunciation learning succeed after the critical phase. In order to empirically substantiate this field, which is still little worked on, interviews were conducted with six persons who only learned the German language in adolescence or adulthood and who have (almost) a pronunciation in conformity with the target language. The interviews provide information about the pronunciation strategies of these successful pronouncers and how they are assessed and evaluated by the interviewees themselves. The interview results are compared with factors contributing to good pronunciation acquisition and pronunciation mediation (see Wild 2015). Hirschfeld, Ursula/Trouvain, Jürgen (2007): "Teaching prosody in German as a foreign language". In: Trouvain, Jürgen/Gut, Ulrike (ed.): Non-native prosody. Phonetic description and teaching practice. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter: 171-187. Naimann, Neil/Fröhlich, Maria/Stern, Hans Heinrich/Todesco Angela (1978): The Good Language Learner. Research in Education Series No. 7. Toronto: The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Settinieri, Julia (2010): "Ausspracheerwerb und Aussprachevermittlung". In: Krumm, Hans-Jürgen et al. (ed.): Deutsch als Fremd- und Zweitsprache. Ein internationales Handbuch. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter: 999–1008. Wild, Kathrin (2015): Aussprache und Musik. Eine empirische Längsschnittstudie zum Wortakzenterwerb. Baltmannsweiler: Schneider Verlag Hohengehren.
