3 research outputs found
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Enhancing L2 learners’ perception and production of the Arabic emphatic sounds
This study examined the Arabic L2 learners’ ability
to perceive and produce the emphatic sounds /sˤ/, /ðˤ/,
/dˤ/, and /tˤ/. Specifically, the study explored the
effects of traditional-based and technology-based
instruction in enhancing learners’ perception and
production of these sounds. Data were collected from
forced-choice identification tasks and audio
recordings taken during pre- and post-test conditions.
The results revealed that the emphatic sounds posed a
considerable amount of perception and production
difficulties to L2 learners of Arabic. Additionally,
there were significant improvements among all
participants after the traditional and technological
training courses and that the difference in the
outcome between the two teaching methods was not
significant
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Investigating the perception and production of the Arabic pharyngealised sounds by L2 learners of Arabic
Pronunciation has received relatively little attention within the field of Arabic
second language teaching and learning, particularly with respect to the more prominent
areas of morphology, syntax, psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics. In the field of
phonetics and phonology, it has been argued that Arabic pharyngealised sounds are
distinctive and unique to Arabic and they are considered the most difficult sounds to
acquire by L2 learners of Arabic. This research included two experiments that focused
on examining the ability of a group of Arabic L2 learners from different L1
backgrounds to perceive and produce the fricative sounds /z/, /θ/, /f/, /ʃ/, /ħ/, /h/, /χ/, /ɣ/,
/ʕ/, /sˤ/, /ðˤ/, /s/, /ð/, and the emphatic sounds /sˤ/, /ðˤ/, /dˤ/, and /tˤ/ in contrast with nonpharyngealised variants /s/, /ð/, /d/ and /t/. The aims were to investigate which aspects
of acquisition were difficult and to examine the effects of technology-based instruction
and traditional-based instruction to find an appropriate pronunciation teaching method
to facilitate the perception and production of fricatives and emphatics.
The technology-based method used in this study was adapted from Olson (2014)
and Offerman and Olson (2016) to investigate the extent to which using speech analysis
technology (Praat) can help in visualising the difference between pharyngealised and
non-pharyngealised sounds in order to aid production and perception learning. The
traditional-based method used in this study included repetition, practicing minimal
pairs, and reading aloud techniques. Data were collected from forced-choice
identification tasks and recordings taken during pre- and post-test conditions.
The results revealed that the some of the fricatives and all the emphatic sounds
posed perception and production difficulty to some L2 learners of Arabic, which is
likely to be due to the absence of these sounds from the learners’ L1s. The results also showed significant improvements among all participants after the traditional and
technology training courses. However, no significant difference was observed between
L2 learners who received the traditional-based method and those who received the
technology-based method. Both methods have increased students’ awareness and
understanding of the features of the sounds under investigation.
The contribution of the current study is to show how Arabic fricative and
emphatic sounds can be effectively taught using form-focused instruction involving
different traditional and technological techniques. This research has implications for the
implementation of both techniques for language teachers and researchers as it shows
how both approaches can be used to enhance students’ perceptive and productive skills