Pronunciation Component Research Articles

Revisiting raters’ accent familiarity in speaking tests: Evidence that presentation mode interacts with accent familiarity to variably affect comprehensibility ratings

This controlled experimental study investigated the interaction of variables associated with rating the pronunciation component of high-stakes English-language-speaking tests such as IELTS and TOEFL iBT. One hundred experienced raters who were all either familiar or unfamiliar with Brazilian-accented English or Papua New Guinean Tok Pisin-accented English, respectively, were presented with speech samples in audio-only or audio-visual mode. Two-way ordinal regression with post hoc pairwise comparisons found that the presentation mode interacted significantly with accent familiarity to increase comprehensibility ratings (χ² = 88.005, df = 3, p < .0001), with presentation mode having a stronger effect in the interaction than accent familiarity (χ² = 59.328, df = 1, p < .0001). Based on odds ratios, raters were significantly more likely to score comprehensibility higher when the presentation mode was audio-visual (compared to audio-only) for both the unfamiliar (91% more likely) and familiar speakers (92.3% more likely). The results suggest that semi-direct speaking tests using audio-only or audio-visual modes of presentation should be evaluated through research to ascertain how accent familiarity and presentation mode interact to variably affect comprehensibility ratings. Such research may be beneficial to investigate the virtual modes of speaking test delivery that have emerged post-COVID-19.

English Pronunciation Learning Challenges: A Case study of Mundu EFL learners in Chad

The present study aims at investigating the pronunciation components in the prescribed English Language Syllabus for High Schools as well as the pronunciation instruction in some selected High Schools in Moundou, Chad, in order to determine the impact on learners’ production with respect to this phonological feature. The content analysis method was adopted for the investigation. Data were drawn from consultation of the National English Language Syllabus for High Schools in Chad, and 44 English Teachers’ logbooks for the 2021/2022 academic year. These logbooks were collected from 6 Government High Schools in Moundou. Two research questions guided the collection of data which were later on classified, put in numerical data and analysed within the framework of the Factors Affecting Pronunciation Theory. Results of the study revealed a total lack of pronunciation prescription in the English language syllabus and a zero percent representation of pronunciation related lessons in English language classes. Hence, it could be concluded that pronunciation instruction in English language lessons, to a greater extent, has been neglected in some High Schools in Chad. This has created enormous challenges resulting to poor pronunciation, segmental feature errors, and deviances in supra-segments, etc., in the speech production of learners.

Students’ Speaking Ability at Ninth Grade of Junior High School Number 6 Jambi City

This research was conducted with the aim of to know students’ speaking skills, especially in the component of speaking skills in the ninth grade of Junior High School 6 Jambi City. This research was designed using descriptive quantitative research methods. The population of this study was the ninth-grade students at Junior High School 6 Jambi City, and the sample was grade IX B students. This study uses a test as a research instrument. Then the test results are assessed. The test used is an oral test. The oral test is made with the theme of "My family" which is determined by this research. The learning method is through a speaking test in front of the class with the theme "My Family". The results of this study indicate the scores of the five components of speaking skills. The components of speaking skills are grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, and pronunciation. The findings of this study indicate that the mean overall component of speaking skill score is 1,60. In the grammar component, 3 or 8,33% of students scored in the poor categories, 7 or 19,44% of students scored in the fair categories, 18 or 50% of students scored in the good categories, and in the excellent are 8 or 22,22%. In the vocabulary component, no one got scored poor, students scored in the fair categories are 11 or 30,55%, 18 or 50% of students scored in the good categories, and students scored in the excellent categories are 7 or 19.44%. In the comprehension component, no one got scored poor, 7 or 19,44% of students scored in the fair categories, 14 or 38.88% of students scored in the good categories, and in the excellent categories 15 or 41,66%In the fluency component, no one got scored poor, students scored in the fair categories are 8 or 22,22%, 16 or 44,44% of students scored in the good categories, 12 or 33,33% of students scored in the excellent categories. In the pronunciation component, no one got scored poor, 8 or 22,22% of students scored in the fair categories, 11 or 30.55% of students scored in the good categories, and 17 or 47,22% of students scored in the excellent categories. The mean and percentage values explain that the speaking skills of class IX students, especially class IX B at SMP Negeri 6 Jambi City is very good.

Analysis of Students’ Speaking Skill at Ninth Grade in Junior High School 2 Jambi City

This study was conducted with the aim of analyzing students' speaking skills, at ninth grade in Junior High School 2 Jambi City. This research was designed using descriptive quantitative research methods. The population of this study was the ninth-grade students at Junior High School 2 Jambi City, and the sample was grade IX D students. This research uses a test as a research instrument. Then the test results are assessed and. The test used is an oral test with paired dialogue. The dialogue is made with the theme of "family" which is determined by This Research. The learning method through dialogue between friends was chosen because This Research saw students in one class often communicating verbally with their classmates to avoid embarrassment and fear so that students dared to express their opinions to their classmates. Thus, this courage will encourage students to do something, including the willingness to speak in English. The highest average test score is in the vocabulary component, which is 2,5 which means it is still "Poor." While the lowest test average value is found in the pronunciation component, namely 1,43 which means "very poor." The average test scores in the other four components are also in the "Poor" category, with the average grammar scores is 2,43, fluency 1,75, comprehension 2,12 and task 1,93. The average value explains that the speaking skill of students in grade ninth, especially in class IX D at Junior High School 2 Jambi City, is still classified as "Poor."

Phonodidactics is not so black as it is painted: traditions and trends in FL pronunciation teaching

By a curious paradox, the indispensability of intelligible, comprehensible and minimally accented foreign language (FL) speech in oral communication does not translate into intensive pronunciation practice in instructed settings. Teaching pronunciation usually poses a major challenge to language instructors both at the level of planning and implementation of pronunciation teaching activities, and is therefore frequently frowned upon to the advantage of the remaining language subsystems. However, underdeveloped FL pronunciation skills carry negative consequences every time learners enter into oral conversations. The problem takes on yet greater significance nowadays when the increased mobility of 21st century societies raises the likelihood of students making contacts with native and non-native speakers of the target language (TL). On having, firstly, enumerated some of the culprits responsible for the inferiority of pronunciation component in everyday language classroom routine and, secondly, demonstrated the importance of the subskill in establishing contacts with native and non-native speakers of the TL, we attempt to provide a general overview of the well-established traditions and main trends in the field of phonodidactics. In view of the above, our primary objective is to first and foremost overcome deep-rooted prejudices against including the pronunciation component in language classrooms by developing readers’ awareness on the fundamentals of pronunciation teaching.

Using Mingle Strategy to Improve the Speaking of Preparatory School Students’ Achievement

Mingle strategy is one of the strategies of speaking that aims to improve speaking skill of students by following many procedures and use one of its types. This study aims at finding out:1- The effect of Mingle Strategy on the achievement of the students in English speaking.2- Whether there is any significant difference between students‟ achievement at the recognition level and that at production level.3- Whether is any difference among the scale components of oral speaking skill.These aims have been achieved through verifying the following hypotheses:1. There is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental group‟s achievement and that of control group in pre- posttest.2. There is no a statistically significant difference between the mean score of students‟ achievement at the recognition level and that at the production level.3. There are no statistically significant differences among the scale components of oral speaking skill in the experimental group achievement in the posttest.To verify the hypotheses of the study, a sample of sixty students have been randomly selected from the fourth preparatory at Ali- Al- Hadi secondary school and divided into two groups (experimental- control). Both of these groups are equalized in their scores in English language of the previous year, their age and the level of education of their parents. The experimental group has taught by Mingle strategy and the control group has taught without mingle strategy, both of two groups have been taught the same material. The achievement test has constructed into two parts, oral and written. After that posttest has validated, its reliability has gotten, its items analyzed and then administered of the two groups of the study. The data has collected and statically analyzed, the obtained results are as follows:1- The three aspects of speaking, i.e fluency, accuracy, comprehensions, are also improved after using Mingle game strategy.2- There is an improvement in students‟ speaking in the experimental group when they use „ find what I‟ve written‟ one type of Mingle strategy .3- Mingle strategy shows an influence in comprehension and the pronunciation components.

An ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ABILITY IN RETELLING STORY ON DESCRIPTIVE TEXT AT THE SECOND GRADE STUDENTS OF SMP YLPI PEKANBARU

ABSTRACT
 The aims of this research was to know students' ability in speaking and to find out which aspects are the most dominant problems for the students at the second grade students of SMP YLPI Pekanbaru. The focused of this research was to analyze the students' problems in speaking based on five components of speaking which are pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. The design of this research was a qualitative research. This research was conducted at SMP YLPI Pekanbaru. The population of this research was the second-grade students at SMP YLPI Pekanbaru which consists of 54 students. The researchers chose class II.2 as a sample with the total number of the students were 28 students through purposive technique sampling. The researchers used speaking test as the instrument of research. This research conducted via Whatsapp by recording the students’ performances when retell descriptive text. Then the researcher transcribed the videos into scripts and asked raters to provide the scores. From the results of this study, the researcher found that the students' speaking ability in retelling story had the average score of 3 and categorized as a good level. The pronunciation component, the students’ mean score was 2.8 points, while grammar got 3.5 points. Following that, vocabulary component was 3.2 points, conversely on fluency, it was 2.7 points. The last, the students’ average score on the component of comprehension was 2.8 points. Finally, it can be concluded that the most dominant problem faced by students in speaking was the fluency component.
 Keyword: Students’ Speaking Ability, Retelling Story, Descriptive Text

Learning pronunciation components using u-dictionary application for a university student

he topic of this study is about the use of U-Dictionary application in learning pronunciation components to the high-level student in intelligibility principles in order to get an understandable conversation in speaking practice. The research questions are asking about the way of using the U-Dictionary application in assisting a student in learning pronunciation components and how are her responses based on the tripartite model from Rosenberg and Havland (1960); affect, behavior, and cognition. The participant is a student in the fourth semester of university in Karawang and the data has been collected by an interview based on the Narrative Inquiry method from Clandinin and Connelly (2000). The finding showed that the application can assist her in learning pronunciation components especially for segmental features such as vowel and consonant and supra-segmental ones in intonation. In short, the U-Dictionary Application can help a student in learning pronunciation components even for supra-segmental features only one aspect existed.

Training for English-Medium Instruction in French Higher Education: Keeping Pronunciation in Focus

English-Medium Instruction (EMI) is spreading in French higher education and this paper argues that appropriate support for teachers willing to teach their subject in English should focus on both language and content, and on the pedagogical specificities of combining the two. More specifically, I argue that the pronunciation component of any such training must go beyond improving a teacher’s intelligibility. Training in the specificities of spoken English – for both teachers and students, as interchangeable speakers and listeners – should aim to improve two things: attitudes toward variation of spoken language and awareness of the cognitive impact of foreign-accented speech (FAS) (speech which exhibits acoustic features from a speaker’s mother tongue(s)). In this paper, I start by describing pronunciation as a subject in English language teacher training in the English-speaking world and second language pronunciation as an international research field. This is followed by a brief description of EMI teacher training in France and the presentation of a few key findings of research into the social and cognitive impact of FAS. I then outline what is involved for both listeners and speakers, if we want to modify their attitudes to spoken language variation and to improve their cognitive comfort in processing FAS. Example training exercises are outlined, and in the conclusion a greater role is advocated for English language teachers within the internationalisation of French higher education.

THE PRONUNCIATION COMPONENT IN ESL LESSONS: TEACHERS’ BELIEFS AND PRACTICES

Research has shown that teachers’ beliefs on teaching and learning exert an influence on their actual classroom practices. In the teaching of English pronunciation, teachers’ beliefs play a crucial role in the choice of pronunciation components taught in the ESL classrooms. This paper explores teachers’ beliefs about teaching English pronunciation in Malaysian classrooms and the extent to which these beliefs influenced the teachers’ classroom instructions. Employing a multiple case study of five ESL teachers in secondary schools, this study investigated the beliefs the teachers have formed about pronunciation focused areas and classroom practices in teaching English pronunciation. Data were collected through actual classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with the teachers and students. The findings of the study found that ESL teachers seem to believe that pronunciation skills are to be taught integratedly with other English language skills. Results also indicate a discrepancy between these teachers’ beliefs on the focused areas of pronunciation and the stated curriculum specifications. Additionally, the ESL teachers seem to have vague and contradictory beliefs about pronunciation focused areas. These beliefs are based on their previous language learning and professional experience as well as other contextual factors such as examination demands and time constraints. As a result, these beliefs lead to the pronunciation component being neglected despite it being stipulated by the curriculum.

Falling on deaf ears

Second or foreign language learners study or are taught various language skill areas, one of which is speaking. In order to speak in the target language, learners must gain some proficiency in the target language’s vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation so that their verbal utterances are meaningful to listeners. However, although pronunciation may be said to be the most fundamental of these three components, it is by far the one that receives the least amount of attention in second or foreign language learning situations. Insufficient attention placed on the pronunciation component can lead to detrimental effects on learners, potentially negatively impacting them in their attempts at bridging the interculturality gap between their first language and the language being learned. The present article will make a call for increased inclusion of pronunciation instruction and training in second and foreign language teaching and learning by relating pronunciation’s importance in verbal communicative acts and by addressing the issue of pronunciation localization. In addition, the article will present a discussion explaining why those involved in such language teaching and learning tend to overlook the pronunciation component in second and foreign language teaching and learning situations.

Discrete versus multiple word displays: a re-analysis of studies comparing dyslexic and typically developing children.

The study examines whether impairments in reading a text can be explained by a deficit in word decoding or an additional deficit in the processes governing the integration of reading subcomponents (including eye movement programming and pronunciation) should also be postulated. We report a re-analysis of data from eleven previous experiments conducted in our lab where the reading performance on single, discrete word displays as well multiple displays (texts, and in few cases also word lists) was investigated in groups of dyslexic children and typically developing readers. The analysis focuses on measures of time and not accuracy. Across experiments, dyslexic children are slower and more variable than typically developing readers in reading texts as well as vocal reaction time (RTs) to singly presented words; the dis-homogeneity in variability between groups points to the inappropriateness of standard measures of size effect (such as Cohen’s d), and suggests the use of the ratio between groups’ performance. The mean ratio for text reading is 1.95 across experiments. Mean ratio for vocal RTs for singly presented words is considerably smaller (1.52). Furthermore, this latter value is probably an overestimation as considering total reading times (i.e., a measure including also the pronunciation component) considerably reduces the group difference in vocal RTs (1.19 according to Martelli et al., 2014). The ratio difference between single and multiple displays does not depend upon the presence of a semantic context in the case of texts as large ratios are also observed with lists of unrelated words (though studies testing this aspect were few). We conclude that, if care is taken in using appropriate comparisons, the deficit in reading texts or lists of words is appreciably greater than that revealed with discrete word presentations. Thus, reading multiple stimuli present a specific, additional challenge to dyslexic children indicating that models of reading should incorporate this aspect.

Pronunciation modeling using a finite-state transducer representation

The MIT summit speech recognition system models pronunciation using a phonemic baseform dictionary along with rewrite rules for modeling phonological variation and multi-word reductions. Each pronunciation component is encoded within a finite-state transducer (FST) representation whose transition weights can be trained using an EM algorithm for finite-state networks. This paper explains the modeling approach we use and the details of its realization. We demonstrate the benefits and weaknesses of the approach both conceptually and empirically using the recognizer for our jupiter weather information system. Our experiments demonstrate that the use of phonological rewrite rules within our system achieves word error rate reductions between 4% and 9% over different test sets when compared against a system using no phonological rewrite rules.

Schwa-Deletion in Hindi Text-to-Speech Synthesis

We describe the phenomenon of schwa-deletion in Hindi and how it is handled in the pronunciation component of a multilingual concatenative text-to-speech system. Each of the consonants in written Hindi is associated with an “inherent” schwa vowel which is not represented in the orthography. For instance, the Hindi word pronounced as [namak] (‘salt’) is represented in the orthography using the consonantal characters for [n], [m], and [k]. Two main factors complicate the issue of schwa pronunciation in Hindi. First, not every schwa following a consonant is pronounced within the word. Second, in multimorphemic words, the presence of a morpheme boundary can block schwa deletion where it might otherwise occur. We propose a model for schwa-deletion which combines a general purpose schwa-deletion rule proposed in the linguistics literature (Ohala, 1983), with additional morphological analysis necessitated by the high frequency of compounds in our database. The system is implemented in the framework of finite-state transducer technology.

Evaluating the pronunciation component of text-to-speech systems for English: a performance comparison of different approaches

The automatic derivation of word pronunciations from input text is a central task for any text-to-speech system. For general English text at least, this is often thought to be a solved problem, with manually-derived linguistic rules assumed capable of handling “novel” words missing from the system dictionary. Data-driven methods, based on machine learning of the regularities implicit in a large pronouncing dictionary, have received considerable attention recently but are generally thought to perform less well. However, these tentative beliefs are at best uncertain without powerful methods for comparing text-to-phoneme subsystems. This paper contributes to the development of such methods by comparing the performance of four representative approaches to automatic phonemization on the same test dictionary. As well as rule-based approaches, three data-driven techniques are evaluated: pronunciation by analogy (PbA), NETspeak and IB1-IG (a modifiedk-nearest neighbour method). Issues involved in comparative evaluation are detailed and elucidated. The data-driven techniques outperform rules in accuracy of letter-to-phoneme translation by a very significant margin but require aligned text-phoneme training data and are slower. Best translation results are obtained with PbA at approximately 72% words correct on a resonably large pronouncing dictionary, compared with something like 26% words correct for the rules, indicating that automatic pronunciation of text is not a solved problem.

The Pronunciation Component in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

1It then describes in detail six instructional features of a multidimensional teaching process: a dual-focus communicative program philosophy, learner goals, instructional objectives ,the role of the learner, the role of the teacher, and a framework of three instructional practice modes. Recent discussions of “pronunciation” 2 teaching principles have examined a number of important rationale issues including: questions of whether pronunciation should (or can) be taught and, if so, what should be taught and how; expressions of the need for more controlled studies of changes in learner pronunciation patterns as the result of specific instructional procedures; views on whether and how research in second language phonology can inform classroom practices. These and many other pertinent concerns have been ably discussed in thorough and insightful state-of-the-art papers by Leather (1983) and Pennington and Richards (1986). When it comes to classroom practice, however, as Yule (1990) has observed, it may have appeared to novice teachers that the only classroom choice available is one between teaching pronunciation as articulatory phonetics or not teaching pronunciation at all. But could this limited choice of options be more apparent than real? Clearly, on the positive side of the picture, some creative and principled contributions to alternatives have come on the scene in recent years, with a small but steady movement toward some “new looks” in pronunciation teaching. This does not mean that there are not many remaining questions about a number of issues, and more 1 The focus of this discussion is pronunciation teaching and is not intended to include a review of research in areas of second language phonology. 2 The term pronunciation means different things to different people. In this paper, I refer to a range of pronunciation teaching practices.

ORAL PROFICIENCY TESTING: COMPARATIVE VALIDITIES OF INTERVIEW, IMITATION, AND COMPLETION METHODS

Employing an initial sample of 143 adult Egyptian learners of English as a foreign language, the three oral testing methodologies of imitation, completion, and interview were compared for reliability and validity. Similarly, five components under each method, namely, raw score, fluency, pronunciation, grammar, and combined fluency‐pronunciation‐grammar ratings, were analyzed separately and in tandem. Multicomponent‐multimethod convergent and discriminant validities were determined. Stepwise multiple regression was computed using FSI‐like interview scores as the dependent variable. And Rasch latent trait calibration and tests of fit validity were computed for imitation and completion tests.Results indicated that the pronunciation component of the imitation method exhibited highest overall validity across all indexes. The FSI‐like component of the interview method ranked second and the fluency component of the imitation method ranked third. Comparison of the three oral testing methods across all components for all empirical validity indexes showed (1) imitation, (2) interview, and (3) completion methods to rank in that respective order in terms of available composite validity indexes. Regression analysis showed the FSI‐like interview to be primarily related to grammar skill from among 11 independent predictors examined.Advantages of Rasch measurement were noted for management and analysis of item data.