Segmental Intelligibility of Pakistani English for International Academia: An Experimental Phonetic Study
Abstract
This experimental phonetic study investigates the segmental intelligibility of Pakistani English (PakE) for international academic audiences. Employing a mixed-methods design, the research analyses the production of twenty Pakistani academics and its perception by thirty listeners from inner-circle, outer-circle and expanding-circle English backgrounds. Data were elicited through a standardised word list, read sentences and spontaneous speech samples, subsequently subjected to acoustic analysis and intelligibility rating tasks. Findings reveal systematic variation in vowel quality, consonant articulation and syllable structure that differentially affects comprehensibility across listener groups. Notably, retroflexion and syllable-timed rhythm emerge as features impeding intelligibility for inner-circle listeners while facilitating comprehension for South Asian listeners. The study contributes empirical evidence to World Englishes scholarship and offers pedagogical recommendations for Pakistani higher education institutions seeking to balance linguistic identity with international communicative demands. Implications for HEC language policy and academic mobility are discussed.
Keywords: Pakistani English, segmental intelligibility, experimental phonetics, World Englishes, academic discourse, lingua franca, HEC policy
Copyright Notice Submission of an article implies that the work described has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher. The Editors reserve the right to edit or otherwise alter all contributions, but authors will receive proofs for approval before publication. Copyrights for articles published in IJSSA journal are retained by the authors, with first publication rights granted to the journal. The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author’s responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.
