What statement about prosody and foreign accent perception is supported?

• A. Prosody has no effect on foreign accent perception
• B. Prosody contributes to perception; bad prosody with good grammar affects native-likeness
• C. Grammar alone determines native-likeness
• D. Prosody only affects music perception

Answer: (B)

Prosody—the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech—shapes how listeners judge foreign accents. People rely on these suprasegmental cues to determine how native a speaker sounds, so even if grammar is correct, poor prosody can make the speech seem less native. This is why the statement that prosody contributes to perception, and that bad prosody with good grammar can affect native-likeness, best captures how listeners evaluate accented speech. The other ideas miss this crucial role: prosody does have an effect, grammar alone doesn’t determine nativeness, and prosody isn’t limited to music perception.