A Study on how Students’ Self-perceived Accent Reflects on their Grammar Competence.

Abstract

The current study seeks to investigate students’ self-perceived accent and how it influences their grammar competence. This study targets first-year EFL students at Abdelhafid Boussouf Mila University Centre. It aims to determine how the English accent is perceived by learners, in addition to investigating whether the way in which an accent is perceived affects learners’ grammar competence. Accordingly, three research questions are raised. The first question is how EFL students at the University Center of Mila perceive their accent. The second question inquires if the way students perceive their accent influences their grammar competence. The final question looks at the reasons behind students’ preference to focus on accent rather than grammar in EFL learning, and the implications of this choice on English language acquisition. In response to these questions, a descriptive method is opted for. Hence, a questionnaire was administered to seventy first year EFL students at the Department of Foreign Languages at the University Centre of Mila to obtain the necessary data. The findings reveal that the majority of first year students negatively perceive their accents which leads them to prioritize the acquirement of a native-like accent, and accidentally neglecting the importance of mastering grammar in EFL learning. Eventually, the research study provides a variety of recommendations for future research to add further insights to the present study.