The role of individual/personal differences in EFL pronunciation learning

Abstract

1IntroductionOne of major responsibilities of teacher or language instructor should be working towards lowering apprehension level of their learners because less inhibited or anxious students take more risks to communicate and may perform better. Although research in field of phonetics1 provides support for existence of a relationship between inhibition and SL pronunciation learning, outcomes are neither statistically significant nor pedagogically ethical (cf. Guiora et al. 1972; 1980; Schumann et al. 1978). Moreover, most of pronunciation research carried out in Poland was predominantly descriptive and relied mainly on questionnaires as main instrument of data collection (cf. Pawlak 2003; Pospieszynska, & Pawlak 2003). Seldom did studies involve researcher audio- or videotaping classroom interaction processes in order to verify results obtained by questionnaires (cf. Szpyra-Kozlowska et al. 2002; Wrembel 2002; Scheuer 2003). Although there were few examples of researchers actually 'coming into classroom' audio-taping or videotaping learning-teaching processes (cf. Pospieszynska, & Pawlak 2003; Stasiak, & Szpyra-Kozlowska 2003b; Szyszka 2003 in Poland, and Yule, & MacDonald 1995 abroad), these are just noteworthy exceptions in whole scarcity of research studies.2The place of pronunciation teaching in language curriculumThe place of pronunciation teaching is particularly important in EFL pedagogy. Not only can pronunciation teaching/learning influence quality of spoken language but it also helps understand certain linguistic phenomena concerning speech acts, vocal tract or speech production, transmission and perception. Especially a person who is trained to be an teacher should be both good at foreign language using and at interpreting particular phonological rules and principles.In his book on issues in language teaching and learning, Widdowson (2003) presents two quotations, which can be interpreted as representing two opposing positions on language change. The first quotation is taken from Yeats's (1996:187) The Second Coming:Things fall apart: centre cannot holdMere anarchy is loosed upon world.The second quotation is taken from Tennyson's (2004:257) Idylls of King:The old order changeth, yielding place to newAnd God fulfills himself in many ways,Lest one good custom should corrupt world.Let us try to understand Widdowson's interpretations of quotations mentioned above. In case of Yeats', Widdowson says the centre can be taken as Inner Circle and assumption is that if it cannot hold language in place, linguistic anarchy will be loosed upon speaking world (Widdowson 2003:58). In case of other quotation, Widdowson claims whether you attribute it to some kind of divine intervention or not, old established order of Inner Circle changes and yields place to new varieties of English (Widdowson 2003:58).Although current trend for language intelligibility and global understanding in EFL may undermine role of pronunciation teaching/learning, majority of both teachers and students find it equally important as teaching/learning grammar or lexis. (The acronym ELF, as Lingua Franca2, in reversing F and L of EFL, may be taken as a symbol of conceptual and practical contrasts between EFL and ELF). Some may, however, claim that there is no reason to teach phonetics at all age levels due to fact that critical period for pronunciation is believed to be earliest of all (~6 years old). However, even though not all learners will achieve native-like pronunciation, recent research has shown that highly motivated adult learners with sufficient training can attain it (e.g. Pennington 1994).English has become a means of global communication, so maybe 'being intelligible' should be aim of phonetics teaching in globalization era? …