Computer-mediated instruction using ondoku practice for developing elementary school students’ pronunciation skills

Abstract

Abstract This article reports on an elementary school teacher’s research project that evaluated a new teaching practice for Japanese elementary school students. The project was conducted in two fifth-grade classes comprising a total of 59 students. The teacher-researcher designed a computer-mediated instructional activity consisting of four-steps called ondoku, which engaged individual students in reading a given story aloud. It involved the students (a) studying a model reading-aloud video, (b) video-recording their own reading-aloud performance, (c) receiving teacher corrective feedback on their pronunciation and (d) studying the feedback and recording and then submitting a second performance. All the steps were carried out in sequence using individual iPads. The teacher also administered a questionnaire to examine students’ engagement in and perspectives regarding the activity. Analysis involved comparing the pronunciation in the first and second corrected video files. The results showed that feedback led to successful repair 62 times out of the 108 corrections. In 16 instances, the students were aware of the error and attempted repair but still produced an incorrect utterance. In 30 instances, the students made no repair. Reflecting on the results and the students’ responses to the questionnaire, the teacher proposed some changes to the activity.