Can the degree of the foreign accent be reduced?

gree of the foreign accent of Albanian speaking students at the South East EuropeanUniversity, Tetovo, Macedonia. The aim of the study is to find out whether the degreeof the foreign accent of these students can be reduced by using different pronunciationimprovement techniques involving segmental and supra-segmental pronunciation training.Among the other aims of the study, an additional purpose is finding out whether the levelof performance/GPA (Grade Point Average) has a correlation with the reduction of theforeign accent. The experiment was carried out with second year BA/English Departmentstudents at the South East European University divided in two groups. Both groups ofstudents (control and experimental) were pre- and post-tested by recording their initialand improved pronunciation at the beginning and the end of the semester respectively.The stress of the study is put on spontaneous speech pronunciation as well as readingpronunciation (paragraphs and tongue twisters). After a semester of accent reductiontraining the outcome of both groups shows significant improvement in the experimentalgroup meanwhile the control group shows unexpected changes. On the other hand, thestudy shows that the GPA (Grade Point Average) had no correlation with the improvementof the pronunciation

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHING PRONUNCIATION THROUGH JAZZ CHANTS METHOD

This study expected to find out the effectiveness of teaching pronunciation through jazz chants and the students’ response toward the implementation of jazz chants method in teaching pronunciation at the eight grade of MTsN Parepare. The result of this research was expected to be useful information in the English teaching and learning process especially in the pronunciation teaching. This research applied pre-experimental method, with two group pre-test and post-test design. The samples of the research were consisted of 27 students from five classes taken from the population at the eight grade students of MTsN Parepare first semester in Academic Year 2018/2019.The result of the data analysis showed that the students’ pronunciation abilitywas improved. It could be showed from the result of the t-obtained value (7.698) was higher than t-table value (1.706). Those indicated that H0 was rejected and Ha was accepted. It meant that the students’ pronunciationwas able increased by using jazz chants method. Besides that, the result of the questionnaire showed that most of the students agree and had a positive response in learning pronunciation by using jazz chants method. It could be showed from the result of the cumulative percentage on the fifteen items of the questionnaire was 89,28 (very strong), while the cumulative score that they got the questionnaire was 1808 (strongly agree). Based on the result of data analysis above, the researcher then concluded that the students’ pronunciation ability was improved and it is effective to teaching pronunciation through jazz chants at the eight grade of MTsN Parepare

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PRACTICE-REHEARSAL PAIRS STRATEGY TO IMPROVE ENGLISH SPEAKING SKILLS AT THE EIGHT GRADE OF MA DDI KABALLANGANG

The purpose of this research was to find out the implementing practice-rehearsal pairs strategy in improving students’ speaking skills at the eight grade of MA DDI Kaballangang. The results of the research are useful for the teachers and the students because they will get a new strategy that is effective to be used in the English learning process especially in improving speaking. The subject of this research was XI IPA class which is consisted of 21 students. The sample was taken by using purposive sampling. The design in this research was pre-experimental with pre-test and post-test design. The researcher gave pre-test and post-test to know whether implementing practice-rehearsal pairs strategy can improve students’ speaking skills or not.  The result of this research was indicated that there was an improvement of the students’ speaking skills. It was indicated by the students’ mean scoreof post-test (65.10) was greater than pre-test (30). Even, for the level significant (p) 5% and df = 21, and the value of the table is 1.725, while the value of t-test is 3.45. It means that the t-test value is greater than t-table (3.45 ≥ 1.725). Thus, it can be concluded that the students’ speaking skills are significantly better after getting the treatment. So, the null hypothesis (H0) is rejected and the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted

Cross-language perception and production of English vowels by Portuguese learners: the effects of perceptual training

Doctoral Dissertation in Language Sciences Specialization in English LinguisticsSeveral studies have demonstrated that second/foreign language (L2/FL) speech learning is a challenge to late learners (i.e., adolescents or adults) in terms of perception and production of certain non-native phonemic and phonetic contrasts (Moyer, 2013). The interaction of different factors might explain learners’ difficulties, namely age of onset of learning (AOL), amount of native (L1) and non-native language (NNL) use over time, quantity and quality of NNL input, and the interference from the L1 phonological system (Piske, 2007). The Speech Learning Model (SLM), proposed by Flege (1995), hypothesizes that difficulties in perceiving and, consequently, in producing non-native contrasts are due to the (dis)similarities between the L1 and the NNL phonological systems. The L1 sound system is likely to hinder the formation of new non-native (L2/FL) phonological categories. However, a considerable number of cross-language studies has revealed that phonological learning is attainable for late learners, and their abilities in perceiving and producing segmental and suprasegmental non-native contrasts can improve, since the mechanisms used in the acquisition of the L1 sound system remain intact over the lifespan and can be applied to L2/FL learning (Flege, 1995). Experimental studies that investigated the effects of perceptual training on non-native speech sound perception and production reported its success not only in the modification of adult learners’ perceptual patterns, but also in the improvement of their pronunciation accuracy, confirming, thereby, the plasticity of L2/FL learners’ mature perceptual system (e.g., Aliaga-Garcia, 2013; Pereira & Hazan, 2013; Wang, 2008; Wang et al., 2003). Difficulties in the perception of non-native vowel contrasts have been widely described as a significant part of the problems learners have in L2/FL phonological acquisition/learning (Strange, 2007). Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of perceptual training on the learning of three English contrasts (/i/-/ɪ/; /ɛ/-/æ/; /u/-/ʊ/) by a group of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners. This set of vowel contrasts was selected due to reported difficulties European Portuguese native speakers have in perceiving and producing them (Flege, 1994, as cited in Flege, 1995; Rato et al., 2013). The English phonological categories /ɪ/, /æ/ and /ʊ/ tend to be assimilated to the Portuguese vowel sounds /i/, /ɛ/ and /u/, respectively, and no distinction between the two vowels of each pair is made, due to their acoustic and articulatory proximity. Specifically, this study investigated (i) whether a high variability perceptual training, which included stimuli with different phonemic contexts produced by multiple native talkers, had a positive effect on the perception of the English target segments; (ii) if transfer of improvement to oral production was observed; (iii) whether perceptual learning generalized to identification of new words produced by novel talkers; and (iv) if long-term training effects remained. The participants’ perception was assessed three times with an identification test designed with natural stimuli: (1) before the auditory training – pretest; (2) immediately after the training was over – posttest; and (3) two months later – delayed posttest. The perceptual training program consisted of five sessions divided into two blocks, which included discrimination tasks and identification sequences followed by immediate feedback. Production was tested simultaneously in the three phases by means of a sentence-reading task with the target vowel segments. The results show that the Portuguese learners’ performance in the identification of the English vowels improved significantly, and perceptual gains were retained two months after completion of the training sessions. Moreover, the results of the generalization test indicate that there was robust learning of the two front vowel pairs. Acoustic analyses of spoken data revealed that phonological learning transferred to production. In sum, these results support the claim that perceptual learning can occur in a formal non-naturalistic environment within a short period of time and corroborate previous findings on the malleability of L2/FL adult learners’ perceptual systems.Vários estudos têm demonstrado que, na aprendizagem de uma língua não materna (LNM), a perceção e a produção de determinados contrastes fonológicos e fonéticos não nativos são um desafio para aprendentes tardios (adolescentes ou adultos) (Moyer, 2013). Diversos fatores podem explicar essas dificuldades, tais como a idade do início da aprendizagem, a frequência de uso, a quantidade e a qualidade de exposição à LNM e a influência do sistema fonológico da língua materna (L1) (Piske, 2007). O Speech Learning Model (SLM), desenvolvido por Flege (1995), explica que as dificuldades percetivas e, consequentemente, produtivas se devem ao facto de o sistema de sons linguísticos da L1 impedir a formação de novas categorias fonológicas para a segunda língua ou língua estrangeira (L2/LE). No entanto, um número considerável de estudos tem revelado que aprendentes tardios podem aprender a perceber e a produzir contrastes segmentais e suprassegmentais não nativos, uma vez que os mecanismos usados para aprender o sistema de sons da L1 são ativados na aprendizagem de uma LNM e permanecem intactos durante toda a vida (Flege, 1995). Estes estudos empíricos, que investigaram os efeitos do treino percetivo na perceção e produção de sons não nativos, reportaram a sua eficácia não somente na modificação de padrões percetivos, mas também na melhoria da capacidade produtiva dos mesmos, confirmando assim a plasticidade do sistema percetivo dos aprendentes de LNMs (por exemplo, Aliaga- Garcia, 2013; Pereira & Hazan, 2013; Wang, 2008; Wang et al., 2003). Os resultados de extensa investigação indicam que as dificuldades na perceção de contrastes vocálicos não nativos são uma parte significativa dos problemas que os aprendentes revelam na aquisição/aprendizagem fonológica de uma L2/LE (Strange, 2007). Portanto, no presente estudo, investigaram-se os efeitos do treino percetivo na aprendizagem de três contrastes vocálicos da língua inglesa (/i/-/ɪ/; /ɛ/-/æ/; /u/-/ʊ/) por um grupo de aprendentes de inglês como LE. Estes três contrastes foram escolhidos devido às dificuldades percetivas e produtivas que falantes nativos de português europeu revelam na sua aprendizagem (Flege, 1994, citado em Flege, 1995; Rato et al., 2013). As categorias fonológicas /ɪ/, /æ/ e /ʊ/ da L2/LE tendem a ser assimiladas como sons da L1, /i/, /ɛ/ e /u/, respetivamente, não se verificando qualquer distinção entre as vogais dos três contrastes, devido à sua proximidade acústica e articulatória. Especificamente, pretendeu-se (i) observar o efeito de um treino percetivo de alta variabilidade, que incluiu estímulos produzidos por vários locutores nativos em diferentes contextos fonológicos, na melhoria da capacidade percetiva dos segmentos-alvo; (ii) averiguar a transferência da melhoria para a produção oral; (iii) verificar a generalização para novos contextos e novos falantes; e (iv) analisar os efeitos do treino a longo prazo. A perceção dos participantes foi testada três vezes com uma tarefa auditiva de identificação com estímulos naturais: (1) antes do treino – pré-teste; (2) imediatamente depois do treino – pós-teste; e (3) dois meses mais tarde – teste de retenção. O programa de treino consistiu em cinco sessões, divididas em dois blocos, que incluíram tarefas de identificação e de discriminação auditivas seguidas de correção imediata. A produção foi testada, igualmente, em três fases, através da leitura de frases veículo, contendo palavras com os segmentos vocálicos. Os resultados demonstram que os aprendentes portugueses melhoraram significativamente na identificação das vogais-alvo e essa melhoria da sua competência percetiva manteve-se dois meses após o término do treino. Para além disso, os resultados do teste de generalização indicam que houve uma aprendizagem robusta dos dois contrastes vocálicos anteriores. As análises acústicas das produções dos informantes revelaram também uma transferência da aprendizagem para a produção oral. Estes resultados suportam a afirmação de que a aprendizagem ao nível da perceção de fala pode ocorrer em contextos formais, num curto período de tempo, e corroboram resultados anteriores sobre a maleabilidade dos sistemas percetuais fonológicos de aprendentes adultos de uma LNM

Pronounce it perfectly in English

vii, 197 p.; 18 cm