Cenerentola entra a palazzo: il nuovo ruolo della pronuncia nell’insegnamento linguistico

This article provides an overview of the current status of L2 pronunciation teaching and shows that there is a greater appreciation for L2 pronunciation teaching today than there was in the past. The article starts by reviewing the main theoretical approaches in pronunciation teaching of the past 70 years and introduces today’s approach focusing on ‘speech intelligibility’ rather than on the achievement of native-like pronunciation. It then addresses the following issues: what we mean by foreign accent and speech intelligibility; how foreign accent can affect communication and speakers’ integration in society; what challenges present-day L2 pronunciation teachers; how technology can help.