Explicit Pronunciation Instruction Research Articles

ChatGPT for L2 pronunciation teaching and learning

Abstract This article analyses how ChatGPT may be used in L2 pronunciation teaching and learning, especially when explicit pronunciation instruction is integrated into a communicative approach to language teaching. The possible use of ChatGPT for production practice, listening practice, and obtaining explanations and examples of target L2 features is discussed and exemplified. Limitations of the tool for pronunciation work are also discussed alongside some challenges that L2 learners and L2 teachers may face when using the tool. The article concludes that ChatGPT may be incorporated into teachers’ and learners’ array of technology tools for teaching or learning L2 pronunciation. However, ChatGPT should be regarded as a complementary tool to other pronunciation teaching and learning resources. Above all, ChatGPT cannot replace interaction through formal instruction with teachers and other L1 or L2 speakers of English in the development of L2 pronunciation.

ESL teachers’ metalanguage as evidence of their metalinguistic knowledge of the English intonation system

The present study investigated six experienced English as a second language (ESL) teachers’ metalinguistic knowledge of the English intonation system through analysis of their metalanguage. Participants’ metalanguage related to intonation was collected while completing three tasks: (1) a semi-structured interview, (2) a simulated teaching demonstration, and (3) a pronunciation needs assessment. Qualitative content analysis revealed information related to their metalinguistic knowledge of the intonation subsystems of parsing, prominence, and pitch contour. Although broad patterns of metalinguistic knowledge across participants were evident, metalanguage variation showed individual differences in conceptualization and descriptiveness of the subsystems, suggesting a lack of a systematic and in-depth understanding of the characteristics and functions of the interrelated subsystems. Findings highlight the need to enhance teachers’ metalinguistic knowledge of the English intonation system, with more emphasis on the interconnectivity of intonational features and contextual meaning-making phenomena of intonation. The study provides implications for second language (L2) teacher educators and education programmes, suggesting that more attention should be given to teachers’ use of metalanguage for explicit pronunciation instruction. In addition, more training opportunities are needed to foster a systematic and in-depth understanding of the intonation system.

Teacher-Mediated Pronunciation Instruction: Its Effects on Enhancing the Oral Language Fluency of Seventh-Grade English Students

This study investigated the effects of teacher-mediated pronunciation instruction on enhancing the oral language fluency of seventh-grade English students. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest non-equivalent groups design, 32 learners served as respondents of the thirteen-session- study in a secondary school in Southern Luzon, Philippines. The student-respondents were tested to find out whether there would be a significant difference in their knowledge and application of the segmentals and suprasegmentals before and after the implementation of the said intervention.
 In all the instruments, namely the dictation test, pronunciation achievement test, and aural-oral achievement test, the findings revealed that the experimental group performed significantly higher than the control group. Through the independent sample t-test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), the results revealed that the experimental group had higher mean scores than the control group with t-computed values exceeding the tabular values affirming that an explicit pronunciation instruction is better in enhancing the oral language fluency of students than only incidental acquisition. The more the learners are exposed to an intervention, the more that they will become intelligible. Other effects also include the more frequently that the teacher conducts various games, the more that the students enjoy and learn pronunciation; and the more refined a learner’s pronunciation skill is, the more improved he/she is when it comes to listening comprehension and spelling. Finally, it is recommended that more and newer interventions regarding second language phonology or any content that focuses on speaking as a macro-strand in English should be delved into.

“The Most Important Thing Is to Make Them Aware”: A Case Study of Teacher Metalanguage Knowledge and Explicit L2 Pronunciation Instruction

AbstractAlthough explicit instruction is effective in helping second language (L2) learners develop intelligible pronunciation, it is necessary to understand why and how L2 teachers implement such explicit pronunciation instruction systematically in class. Because of its key role in enhancing learners’ pronunciation skills, understanding the rationale behind the implementation of explicit instruction by teachers in different contexts is necessary. A key aspect of analysis in the implementation of explicit pronunciation instruction is the teacher's metalanguage knowledge, which could showcase a key component of pronunciation teachers’ ability to present phonetic‐phonological content in an accessible manner to learners during explicit instruction. This case study analyzed an experienced English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language (EFL) teacher's metalanguage knowledge in L2 pronunciation instruction. Using qualitative data‐collection methods (e.g., semi‐structured interviews, classroom observations, and stimulated‐recall interviews), and Freeman's (2020) Knowledge Base of Language Teaching Framework, the results of this study showcase the way an experienced teacher's metalanguage knowledge influenced the implementation of explicit L2 pronunciation instruction, and how the teacher's metalanguage shaped the type of language available to learners in different activities in class. These results are also discussed in terms of their implications for training teachers in L2 pronunciation pedagogy.

Bottom’s up for listening

Abstract This report explains the teaching decisions made in Kissling (2018). The original study measured the effect of explicit pronunciation instruction (PI) on the listening comprehension of beginning L2 Spanish learners (n = 116), as measured via accuracy on a dictation task (intelligibility) and ratings of perceived difficulty (comprehension). Learners either received PI that focused on segmentals or PI that focused on suprasegmentals, followed by practice either producing or perceiving those same sounds. The original article reported that all groups, including a control group, improved over time, but the suprasegmental PI followed by perception-focused practice had the largest effect on intelligibility, whereas the segmental PI followed by production-focused practice had the largest effect on comprehensibility, suggesting that all instructional approaches have value. The current report explains in greater detail the teaching decisions made in Kissling (2018), including the classes recruited, materials development, and PI presentation.

Teacher-Mediated Pronunciation Instruction: Its Effects on Enhancing the Oral Language Fluency of Seventh-Grade English Students

This study investigated the effects of teacher-mediated pronunciation instruction on enhancing the oral language fluency of seventh-grade English students. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest non-equivalent groups design, 32 learners served as respondents of the thirteen-session- study in a secondary school in Southern Luzon, Philippines. The student-respondents were tested to find out whether there would be a significant difference in their knowledge and application of the segmentals and suprasegmentals before and after the implementation of the said intervention.
 In all the instruments, namely the dictation test, pronunciation achievement test, and aural-oral achievement test, the findings revealed that the experimental group performed significantly higher than the control group. Through the independent sample t-test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), the results revealed that the experimental group had higher mean scores than the control group with t-computed values exceeding the tabular values affirming that an explicit pronunciation instruction is better in enhancing the oral language fluency of students than only incidental acquisition. The more the learners are exposed to an intervention, the more that they will become intelligible. Other effects also include the more frequently that the teacher conducts various games, the more that the students enjoy and learn pronunciation; and the more refined a learner’s pronunciation skill is, the more improved he/she is when it comes to listening comprehension and spelling. Finally, it is recommended that more and newer interventions regarding second language phonology or any content that focuses on speaking as a macro-strand in English should be delved into.

Explicit pronunciation instruction in the second language classroom

Abstract The present study uses an acoustic analysis to examine the effects of implicit and explicit pronunciation instruction on the acquisition of German final devoicing in the L2 classroom. Twenty-nine English-speaking L2 learners of German at a North American university were assigned to an implicit or explicit condition. Learner speech samples were recorded, following a pre/post/delayed-post-test design. Four acoustic correlates of final and medial obstruent voicing were analyzed to establish the degree to which underlyingly voiced word-final stops were phonetically devoiced. Results indicate that learners in the explicit condition significantly outperformed learners in the implicit condition, with all four acoustic measures signaling significantly greater word-final devoicing by the post-test in the explicit condition. Orthography, declarative knowledge, and level of awareness are hypothesized as factors that influenced the acquisition process. The study calls for additional acoustic work on the effects of different instructional practices on German L2 pronunciation.

The Effect of Explicit Pronunciation Instruction on Enlarging Listening Vocabulary Size

This study explores the effect of explicit pronunciation instruction on enlarging listening vocabulary size. 115 learners of English as a foreign language were recruited and received ten-week explicit pronunciation instruction on segments and four pronunciation skills (reduction, elision, intrusion and assimilation). How the instruction was carried out was described in details and pre-test and post-test were carried out in the form of Listening Vocabulary Levels Test. It was found that after the explicit pronunciation instruction, learners’ listening vocabulary size displayed a remarkable increase, smaller individual differences were displayed and significant difference was found between the scores of two tests. Possible reasons were provided for these changes. The result indicated that explicit pronunciation instruction could be an effective way to help students enlarge listening vocabulary size and it might be more effective for students with lower proficiency level. Pedagogical implications in terms of course design, teaching practices, and teacher development were also provided to improve future listening vocabulary acquisition and instruction.

Detangling experiential, cognitive, and sociopsychological individual differences in second language speech learning: Cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations

AbstractIn this two-part study, we conducted both cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations on the relative weights of experiential, cognitive, and sociopsychological factors in adult L2 speech learning. In the cross-sectional phase (Study 1), speech was elicited from 73 Japanese speakers of English via a picture description task, and rated for accentedness and comprehensibility. These scores were linked to scores on a range of tests designed to measure aptitude, motivation, and anxiety. The results showed that comprehensibility was exclusively linked to experiential variables (e.g., the amount of L2 use outside classrooms), while accentedness was linked to phonemic coding ability and anxiety. In the longitudinal phase (Study 2), we tracked the same participants' L2 comprehensibility and accentedness development when they received four weeks of explicit pronunciation instruction. According to the results of pre- and post-tests, participants significantly improved the comprehensibility and accentedness of their speech regardless of cognitive and sociopsychological differences.

Teaching segmentals and suprasegmentals

Abstract This study reports the results of a pronunciation intervention to enhance the comprehensibility, fluency, and accentedness of three groups of second language (L2) learners in an English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) context. Three groups of first-semester EFL students at a small university in Costa Rica underwent a 10-week pronunciation intervention for segmentals, suprasegmentals, or a combination of both using explicit phonetic and phonological instruction and communicative tasks. Spontaneous-speech samples from a pretest and posttest were presented to L1 speakers of English to be rated for comprehensibility, fluency, and accentedness. The group trained on suprasegmentals significantly improved comprehensibility and fluency, as opposed to the other two groups that did not improve. No groups improved in accentedness. Analyses of participants’ speech production revealed key differences that may have contributed to the perception of comprehensibility and fluency in their speech. Pedagogical implications are discussed for the implementation of explicit pronunciation instruction in intact L2 classes.

The longitudinal impact of self-reflection and integrated pronunciation instruction on L2 French learners’ production of /y/ and /u/

Abstract Although pronunciation can be fostered through explicit instruction, instructors need practical strategies to support their learners’ pronunciation (Darcy, 2018; Derwing, 2018; Derwing & Munro, 2015; Levis, 2018). Additionally, “researching longitudinal development of L2 learners [pronunciation] is essential to understanding influences in their success” (Derwing & Munro, 2013, p.163). This three-semester-long experimental quantitative study on 72 French learners examined whether self-reflection (open-ended questionnaires) as a learning strategy could complement integrated explicit pronunciation instruction and support the development of intelligible production of the two contrastive vowels /y/ and /u/. Results on pre/post read-aloud tests surrounding pronunciation lessons were compared between a treatment (instruction + self-reflection), a comparison (instruction only) and a control group (neither instruction, nor self-reflection), and within each group to determine if there was significant growth over time. Findings revealed that self-reflection combined with explicit instruction led to better learning outcomes and production gains when compared to oral natural input.

An exploration of the potential benefit of extensive listening along with orthography for improving EFL learners\u2019 pronunciation

Explicit pronunciation instruction has been shown to be effective in improving language learners’ pronunciation, yet it is not clear whether the same can be said about implicit pronunciation instruction. In addition, the role of orthography in improving language learners’ pronunciation is yet to be fully understood. Thus, this research examined the contribution of extensive listening combined with orthography to the improvement of language learners’ pronunciation. Ninety Saudi learners of English were randomly allocated to three groups and offered different types of instructions: (A) extensive listening only; (B) extensive listening with orthography; and (C) a control group. Similar utterances were collected from the three groups before and after the instructions. The utterances were then presented randomly to a group of native English listeners for global foreign accent rating. Small, though non-significant, improvement was observed for both experimental groups. This may be attributed to the relatively short duration of exposing the learners to the aural input. Semi-structed interviews, with a sample of the learners from the experimental groups, showed that they had positive opinions regarding extensive listening with orthography for the improvement of their pronunciation. Further research may use longer period to examine whether extensive listening along with orthography can result in significant improvement of language learners’ pronunciation.

Destabilizing effects of L2 explicit pronunciation instruction on L1 speech:

Anchored in a Complex Dynamic perspective on language development, this study explores the effects of L2 explicit pronunciation instruction on L2 English and L1 Brazilian Portuguese VOT production. To this end, 16 Brazilian intermediate users of L2 English were investigated. Volunteers were divided into control and experimental groups. The latter received explicit pronunciation instruction on the production of the English voiceless stops. The study included three data collections, a pre-test, an immediate post-test and a delayed post-test. An acoustic analysis of VOT duration is reported. The results revealed that the control group did not produce the expected VOT pattern for L2 English at any time of the study. No alterations in the L1 were reported. On the other hand, after the instruction, the experimental group produced higher L2 English VOT values. First language attrition was reported since the L1 BP VOT durations also increased after instruction. In addition to highlighting the effects of explicit instruction on L2 development and L1 attrition, this study confirms that language development is constant, and that even L1 adult grammars are not rigid, with potential to change due to the perception and processing of novel nonnative phonetic-phonological categories.

Helping Korean Adult L2 Learners Improve Their Intelligibility with Explicit Pronunciation Instruction

Helping Korean Adult L2 Learners Improve Their Intelligibility with Explicit Pronunciation Instruction

Teaching pronunciation: toward intelligibility and comprehensibility

Abstract Pronunciation is a common topic of interest in ELT but teachers may be unsure of what features of pronunciation to prioritise, especially in multilingual classes. While research calls for explicit pronunciation instruction that focuses on improving intelligibility and comprehensibility, implementation is still a challenge. This article presents pedagogical applications following the new CEFR descriptors for phonological control. We discuss a 40-hour pronunciation course for international ESL students from diverse L1s in a Canadian university. Pronunciation instruction was delivered through controlled speech practice and drama tasks for practice of extemporaneous speech. Students completed weekly audio recordings, received extensive feedback and completed self-reflections. Moreover, the teacher assessed pre- and post-course recordings to identify change over time. Results show that students developed awareness of pronunciation features that can contribute to more intelligible and comprehensible speech and that a listener’s lack of familiarity with speech diversity can play a role in how speech is perceived.

L2 phonetic-phonological acquisition

No presente trabalho, caracterizamos as práticas pedagógicas de treinamento perceptual e instrução explícita de pronúncia, discutindo os seus diferentes objetivos e seu papel ao longo dos anos. Argumentamos que os referidos estudos, por apresentarem caráter interdisciplinar, contribuem para diferentes áreas basilares da linguística, como a Fonética, a Fonologia, a Psicolinguística e a Linguística Aplicada ao Ensino de Línguas Estrangeiras. Para exemplificar tais contribuições, apresentamos alguns dos recentes trabalhos sobre treinamento perceptual e instrução explícita que temos desenvolvido junto ao Laboratório de Bilinguismo e Cognição (LABICO – UFRGS). Tais trabalhos serão organizados em dois grupos, de acordo com seus objetivos: (i) estudos com foco no grau de acuidade/grau de acento em L2 e (ii) estudos com foco nos graus de inteligibilidade e compreensibilidade em L2. A partir de tal exposição, elencamos as principais implicações teóricas advindas de tais estudos, bem como discutimos os principais desafios a serem enfrentados em futuros projetos de pesquisa.

Pronunciation and Task-Based Instruction: Effects of a Classroom Intervention

Explicit pronunciation instruction enhances production of intelligible, comprehensible, and fluent second language (L2) speech. Additionally, task-based instruction (TBI) enhances the production of segmentals and suprasegmentals, and promotes awareness of L2 forms in pronunciation. Since most previous research on TBI in L2 pronunciation learning has been carried out in laboratory settings, it is necessary to investigate how the implementation of tasks that differ in complexity in actual classroom settings could benefit L2 pronunciation learners. This classroom-based study investigated the effects of combining focus on form and TBI in L2 pronunciation instruction in the production of comprehensible, fluent, and L2-accented speech in English-as-a-foreign-language learners. Although the results of the study present modest gains, they make a case for the inclusion of explicit pronunciation instruction and tasks that differ in complexity to help learners develop pronunciation skills. Responding to recent calls for more classroom-based research that demonstrates how pronunciation can be implemented in systematic and principled ways, the results of this study are discussed in terms of implications and pedagogical recommendations for L2 pronunciation teaching and learning.

O desenvolvimento do padrão de Voice Onset Time das oclusivas surdas iniciais do inglês por aprendizes soteropolitanos: efeitos da instrução explícita

Neste trabalho, investigamos o efeito da instrução explícita de pronúncia no desenvolvimento do padrão de Voice Onset Times (VOT) das oclusivas surdas iniciais do inglês como língua não nativa por aprendizes soteropolitanos. O estudo contou com três coletas de dados, um pré-teste, um pós-teste imediato e um pós-teste postergado, de 16 aprendizes soteropolitanos, divididos em grupos controle e experimental, e com uma sessão de instrução sobre a produção das oclusivas surdas iniciais do inglês. Análises acústicas do VOT são reportadas. Os resultados revelaram que o grupo controle, que não recebeu instrução, não produziu o padrão de VOT esperado para o inglês em nenhuma das coletas. Por outro lado, no grupo experimental, que recebeu instrução explícita, pudemos notar um aumento considerável na duração das oclusivas da L2. Nossos dados revelam efeitos positivos da instrução explícita de pronúncia para o desenvolvimento do VOT da L2 e vão ao encontro de Sancier e Fowler (1997) e Autor 1 (2016), que afirmam que brasileiros são capazes de atingir produções estatisticamente próximas ao esperado para o inglês, ao menos no que concerne ao VOT.

Implementing explicit pronunciation instruction: The case of a nonnative English-speaking teacher

Studies in second language teacher cognition (SLTC) of pronunciation teachers have increased in the last 10 years, due mainly to the fact that the decisions teachers make about explicit instruction are critical for the development of second language (L2) pronunciation in learners. Although recent research has indicated that nonnative-speaking teachers (NNSTs) can be as effective as native-speaking teachers (NSTs) in pronunciation instruction, and that their training needs resemble those of NSTs, the way NNSTs implement L2 pronunciation instruction has not been studied extensively. This is important to understand given the number of NNSTs of English worldwide at present, and because of the potential benefits of nonnative-speaking pronunciation teaching models in general. In this study, I analysed the way an experienced NNST implemented explicit pronunciation instruction in a context of English as a foreign language (EFL) to understand both his actual teaching practices and the rationale behind such practices. Using a framework of knowledge base of language teaching, this study demonstrates how factors such as previous teaching and learning experiences, teaching context, and L2 learner characteristics shaped and guided the techniques the teacher implemented in class. These results are discussed in terms of implications for pronunciation teaching and teacher training purposes.

EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF EXPLICIT PRONUNCIATION INSTRUCTION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF L2 PRONUNCIATION

AbstractThe current study compares the effects of two types of pronunciation instruction (segmental- and suprasegmental-based) on the development of second-year Chinese undergraduate students’ English pronunciation as against a group with no specific pronunciation (NSP) instruction. The participants were 90 university-level students in the Chinese mainland, from three intact classes. One class was taught with a segmental focus (N = 30) and the second with a suprasegmental focus (N = 31), while the third received NSP instruction (N = 29). The results showed that after an 18-week period of instruction, both the segmental and suprasegmental groups made statistically significant progress in pronunciation, as measured by comprehensibility on a sentence-reading task; however, only the suprasegmental group made statistically significant progress in comprehensibility at the spontaneous level, and it was also the only group that maintained these spontaneous gains on the delayed posttest. The positive effects of explicit pronunciation instruction in general and of suprasegmental instruction in particular account for the findings.