Work

Combating linguicide through pronunciation and voice reclamation: shadowing as an identity practice

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study investigates voice reclamation as a countermeasure to linguicidal processes that erode speakers’ confidence in their phonological identity. Using a mixed-methods quasi-experimental design, we examined how a shadowing-based intervention, embedded in sociophonetic awareness workshops, shaped the interplay between pronunciation, identity, and agency among 120 undergraduate English majors in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Quantitative data included a Voice Confidence Scale (VCS) and acoustic analysis of speech rate, pitch range, and pausing patterns; qualitative evidence was drawn from reflective voice diaries and semi-structured interviews. Voice confidence increased significantly in both cohorts (a mean gain of approximately 30%), accompanied by modest, non-significant prosodic shifts that participants framed as more intentional pausing and individualized pitch adjustment. The findings suggest that shadowing, when reframed within a Voice Reclamation Framework rather than a native-speaker imitation paradigm, can reposition the learner’s voice as a site of self-recognition and cultural negotiation. The study contributes to applied linguistics, sociophonetics, and World Englishes research by showing how embodied voice practices may support identity ownership and contest deficit-based narratives in global English, while acknowledging that acoustic change over a four-week intervention remained limited.

Source: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

DOI: 10.1057/s41599-026-09337-8

Authors: Dina Zanaty, Bunder Alshammari, Khaled Alfraidi, Khaled Karam

Institutions: Delta University for Science and Technology, University of Ha'il, Suez University

Language: English

Topic: EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning

Subfield: Language and Linguistics

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,890