166,391 research outputs found

    Learner Perspective on English Pronunciation Teaching in an EFL Context

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    On the basis of the findings, the learners do not seem to have aspirations to native-like pronunciation, but rather aim at achieving intelligible and fluent speech. Only few reported an accent preference (British or American). The primary level learners expressed satisfaction with the amount of pronunciation teaching, whereas most of the lower and upper secondary level learners claimed that pronunciation teaching was insufficient. Despite their criticisms of their pronunciation teaching, the learners reported that they had learnt English pronunciation at school. In addition, many of the learners described learning pronunciation outside school, e.g. through media and personal encounters

    Good English Pronunciation Users and their Pronunciation Learning Strategies

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    The study investigates pronunciation learning strategies (PLS) deployed by those with good English pronunciation, as well as their beliefs concerning the variables that affect pronunciation competence. In order to collect data for analysis this study surveyed 61 participants who had learned English as a foreign language. They comprised 28 higher education teachers and scholars specialising in English phonetics and phonology, who were defined as good pronunciation users (GPU), and 33 EFL teacher training students, viewed as average pronunciation learners (APL). This cohort responded to a survey on pronunciation learning strategies and expressed their views on several aspects affecting the L2 pronunciation learning process. These aspects were: age of the first contact with L2 (age of onset), motivation, exposure to the target language, the teacher’s pronunciation model, and learning strategies. The study used both open- and close-ended question formats to collect data from both GPU and APL. The analyses of the data helped to create a tentative profile of a successful L2 pronunciation learner

    Exploring the Relationship between Pronunciation Training and Listening Ability

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    This study was an attempt to examine the effect of pronunciation training on students’ listening ability. TOEIC listening scores of students who took a pronunciation training class for one-semester or two-semesters were compared with students who did not take any pronunciation training. In the first data set, one-semester pronunciation training, both the experimental group and the control group TOEIC listening scores decreased. In the second data set, two-semester pronunciation training, both the experimental group and the control group TOEIC listening scores improved somewhat, but the improvement was not statistically significant

    Integrating form and meaning in L2 pronunciation instruction

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    One of the central challenges of ESL teaching is striking the right balance between form and meaning. In pronunciation pedagogy, this challenge is compounded because repetitive practice, which has been shown to enhance phonological acquisition and promote fluency, is widely viewed as being incompatible with communicative principles. This article provides a brief historical background for modern pronunciation pedagogy (from World War II to the present) as part of a backdrop for understanding the current disjuncture between pronunciation and communicative language teaching. A discussion on form-focused instruction, its applicability for pronunciation pedagogy, and challenges in implementation follows with reference to a recent article that presents evidence for the appropriateness of a communicative instructional framework for teaching L2 pronunciation (Trofimovich & Gatbonton, 2006). Finally, a communicative activity that encourages repetitive practice while integrating pronunciation with other components of language use is proposed

    Challenges in Teaching Pronunciation at Tertiary Level in Bangladesh

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    Teaching pronunciation is one the most challenging parts of ELT in Bangladesh. Very few research and least attention on pronunciation teaching has instigated those challenges more. Moreover, setting an ambitious target to achieve native like pronunciation and teaching without considering the Bangladeshi context are more specific reasons for creating those problems. Therefore, this paper concentrates on the discussion of the existing condition of teaching pronunciation in Bangladesh. Consequently, it starts with presenting existing circumstances of pronunciation teaching in Bangladesh, and showing what the achievable and realistic goal should be for this situation. Then, it talks about the challenges that the teachers face while teaching pronunciation in ELT classroom. This discussion provides deep insight into those challenges which are only applicable to Bangladeshi students. Finally, the paper suggests some contextual and practical solutions to those specific problems

    Phonetics Learning Anxiety – Results of a Preliminary Study

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    The Phonetics Learning Anxiety Scale, a 44-item questionnaire based on a 6-point Likert scale, designed for the purpose of the research sheds light on the nature of this peculiar type of apprehension experienced by advanced FL learners in a specific educational context (i.e. a traditional classroom, rather than a language or computer laboratory), in which the major focus is on pronunciation practice. The obtained quantitative data imply that such factors as fear of negative evaluation (represented by general oral performance apprehension and concern over pronunciation mistakes, pronunciation self-image, pronunciation self-efficacy and self-assessment) and beliefs about the nature of FL pronunciation learning are significant sources of PhLA. Anxiety about the transcription test (IPA Test Anxiety) - one of the other hypothetical determinants of PhLA - did not prove to be correlated with the general level of Phonetics Learning Anxiet

    ISO Classical Pronunciation Guide 1992 & 1993

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    Pronunciation guides used by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra staff to insure accurate pronunciation of composer’s and performer’s names as well as those of certain compositions

    AWARENESS AND PHONOLOGICAL WORKING MEMORY IN THE ADULTACQUISITION OF SECOND LANGUAGE PRONUNCIATION: A CASE STUDY

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    As one of the micro skills of speaking ability, the role of pronunciation is quite essentialfor it differentiates one meaning to another. The early childhood acquisition of a secondlanguage pronunciation is found to have fewer constraints than those who learn the second language in their adolescence or adult time. The aim of this study is to answer this inquiry:What is the role of awareness and phonological working memory in the adult acquisition ofsecond language?(2) How are awareness and phonological working memory taken into accountin teaching pronunciation for adult? The data collected is in the form of autonomousacquisition cases (depicted in the life story of two postgraduate students of Sanata DharmaUniversity who possess native-like speaking performance: Marschall Eirence Metekohy andDita Anissa Johar) as well as guided acquisition (portrayed in the result of the implementationof Oral Diary as a teaching pronunciation technique for EFL students of grade XI SMA N 2 Bantul). The participants of this study had completed an awareness information questionnaire,and a learning outcomes questionnaire. In terms of validity and reliability, triangulationscaffolds the validation using Pearson’s Coefficient Correlation. It employs the journalistic andstatistical analysis. The result shows that awareness is in line with the activation of long-termmemory and thus becomes one salient factor to improve and to robustly strengthen theremembrance of the correct pronunciation. Henceforth, a further research in designing atechnique for teaching pronunciation which stimulates preponderance awareness is ardentlysuggested

    Computational Approaches to Exploring Persian-Accented English

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    Methods involving phonetic speech recognition are discussed for detecting Persian-accented English. These methods offer promise for both the identification and mitigation of L2 pronunciation errors. Pronunciation errors, both segmental and suprasegmental, particular to Persian speakers of English are discussed
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