Reassessing the Determinants of English Pronunciation: Musical Aptitude vs. L1
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This study compared the effects of musical aptitude (MA) and native language (L1) on second language (L2) English segmental pronunciation proficiency. The uniqueness lies in the cross-linguistic analysis between native Russian, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese EFL learners. Musical aptitude of the participants was assessed through Seashore Musical Aptitude Test, while the Pronunciation Test involved the Elicited Imitation Task with emphasis on segmental pronunciation performance, where the most problematic phonemes for the native speakers of each three language groups were included. Contrary to some prior research, results revealed a non significant to weak relationship between MA and pronunciation accuracy. Instead, L1 background was the dominant predictor, with a clear performance hierarchy (Russian > Chinese > Japanese) emerging regardless of MA scores. The findings suggest that the influence of MA is not universal but is augmented by musical training or the specific phonological relationship between the L1 and L2. A concurrent indication is that innate musical aptitude alone is insufficient for mastering L2 phonemes, underscoring the primacy of L1 transfer and the potential need for targeted pedagogical intervention over reliance on innate auditory talent.
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