Pronunciation Development Research Articles

Motivation, Comprehensibility, and Accentedness in L2 Spanish: Investigating Motivation as a Time‐Varying Predictor of Pronunciation Development

AbstractThis study examined relationships between language learning motivation and the longitudinal development of second language (L2) pronunciation. Twenty‐six English‐speaking learners of Spanish recorded a simplified picture description task 5 times over a year‐long period spanning their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th semesters of Spanish language instruction. Learners also completed a quantitative motivation survey based on the L2 Motivational Self System and an open‐ended questionnaire on their language learning beliefs once per semester, yielding 3 measurements. Eighteen native Spanish listeners rated the learners’ clips for comprehensibility and accentedness. Although mixed modeling of the motivation data revealed a slightly negative trajectory for motivational subcomponents, qualitative analyses of individual patterns indicated that learners were beginning to formulate and evaluate language learning goals that were set into a larger framework of personal and professional objectives. Mixed effects models of the pronunciation data demonstrated that both comprehensibility and accentedness improved over time. When the quantitative motivation measures were integrated into the modeling process as time‐varying fixed effects, effort was significantly related to accentedness, which suggests that effort may have played an increasingly important role in shaping learners’ pronunciation over time.

Sprechen Wir Deutsch? The construction of identity in Austria and South Tyrol

This paper examines some of the linguistic tools, techniques, means, and methods by which the populations of Austria and South Tyrol construct identity. In order to better situate these two communities, this paper begins with an overview of the conditions which led to the creation of each state. It then explains some of the ways in which language can be used as a tool of identity construction. Positioning theory details ways both these groups create categories of separationand belonging. Citing the use of Austrian German, dialect in literature, differing pronunciation, and lexical development, this paper examines how the population of Austria constructs a linguistic identity distancing itself from Germany. This paper also examines how, using similar linguistic tools such as pronoun use and naming techniques, the population of South Tyrol constructs its identity. In contrast to Austria, the South Tyroleans align themselves with Germany, creating closer ties with Germanic neighbours while distancing themselves from Italy. Each population positions itself in relation to Germany, either with or against, using linguistic tools to create a group identity.

A Longitudinal Study of Voice Onset Time Development in L2 Spanish Stops

Recent longitudinal approaches to second language (L2) pronunciation development have prioritized developmental trajectories, highlighting individual variation in phonetic learning over time. Aligning with this research paradigm, the present study examined voice onset time (VOT) production in Spanish/b/and/p/ over two semesters of elementary language instruction. Twenty-six native speakers of English who were novice learners of Spanish completed two L2 production tasks five times and an English production task once, designed to ascertain the frequency with which they prevoiced English voiced stops. Growth curve modeling revealed that linear and quadratic functions most accurately captured participants’ L2 VOT development insofar as more gains occurred during the first half of the study. Speakers’ propensity to prevoice in the native language also predicted prevoicing in L2 Spanish/b/. However, individual results varied, including near-native learners and asymmetrical developers, individuals who improved their production of /p/but not/b/. These results are interpreted within the frameworks of the Speech Learning Model and L2 Perceptual Assimilation Model.

『みんなの日本語I・II』をベースとした音声教材の開発

『みんなの日本語I・II』をベースとした音声教材の開発

English Animation Dubbing Based Techniques and Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners’ Nativelike Pronunciation Development

This research was an attempt to investigate the remarkable dubbing techniques that can improve communicative competence to achieve appropriate level of speaking abilities. The growth of technology increases the need for learning an international language. Because of this learners tend to improve their speaking abilities specifically the suprasegmental features that can shed light on the quality of their interaction and communication. Since EFL learners’ muscles need to be well developed to produce the new words of the target language, pronunciation becomes so difficult. The main focus of this study was the investigation of a great deal of variety in the dubbing techniques that lead to more rehearsal, high motivation, self-confident and more successful English speakers. In order to investigate the relationship between dubbing and improved suprasegmental features, 24 homogeneous intermediate 10-15 year old learners were chosen from 40 randomly by an oral test that was divided to two sub groups, i.e,12 in experimental who received treatment and 12 in control group without that. Students took posttest orally and their performances were recorded and investigated. The result of data analysis indicated that dubbing based strategies have a significant influence on native like pronunciation development.

L2 Pronunciation Tools: The Unrealized Potential of Prominent Computer-assisted Language Learning Software

Hundreds of millions of language learners worldwide use and purchase language software that may not fully support their language development. This review of Rosetta Stone (Swad, 1992), Duolingo (Hacker, 2011), Babbel (Witte & Holl, 2016), and Mango Languages (Teshuba, 2016) examines the current state of second language (L2) pronunciation technology through the review of the pronunciation features of prominent computer-assisted language learning (CALL) software (Lotherington, 2016; McMeekin, 2014; Teixeira, 2014). The objective of the review is: 1) to consider which L2 pronunciation tools are evidence-based and effective for student development (Celce-Murcia, Brinton, & Goodwin, 2010); 2) to make recommendations for which of the tools analyzed in this review is the best for L2 learners and instructors today; and 3) to conceptualize features of the ideal L2 pronunciation software. This research is valuable to language learners, instructors, and institutions that are invested in effective contemporary software for L2 pronunciation development. This article considers the importance of L2 pronunciation, the evolution of the L2 pronunciation field in relation to the language classroom, contrasting viewpoints of theory and empirical evidence, the power of CALL software for language learners, and how targeted feedback of spoken production can support language learners. Findings indicate that the software reviewed provide insufficient feedback to learners about their speech and, thus, have unrealized potential. Specific recommendations are provided for design elements in future software, including targeted feedback, explicit instructions, sophisticated integration of automatic speech recognition, and better scaffolding of language content. DOI:10.2458/azu_itet_v5i1_bajorek

The Study on Automatic Speech Recognizer Utilizing Mobile Platform on Korean EFL Learners' Pronunciation Development

The Study on Automatic Speech Recognizer Utilizing Mobile Platform on Korean EFL Learners' Pronunciation Development

The role of input in second language oral ability development in foreign language classrooms: A longitudinal study

The current project longitudinally investigated the extent to which first-year Japanese university students developed their second language (L2) oral ability in relation to increased input in foreign language classrooms. Their spontaneous speech was elicited at the beginning, middle and end of one academic year, and then judged by linguistically trained coders for pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary and grammar qualities. According to the statistical analyses, the total amount of input (operationalized as number of English classes taken and L2 use outside of classrooms) was significantly related to the participants’ quick and immediate development of fluency and lexicogrammar during the first semester. Their pronunciation development was mixed, either subject to continuous change over two academic semesters (for prosody) or limited within the timeframe of the study (for segmentals). Similar to naturalistic L2 speech learning, the findings support the multifaceted role of input in different areas of oral proficiency development in foreign language classrooms.

THE SURVEY OF ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS USED IN FEMALE SCHOOLS IN BUKOVYNA (1900 – 1918)

The given article presents a survey of the English textbooks which were used at the lessons of English in female schools of Bukovyna in the beginning of the XX century. The author gives an overview of reference sources relevant to the issue under discussion and proves that the studied topic had not been in the focus of the scientific research before. The analysis of the textbooks was made using formal, functional, structural and subjective criteria. We reviewed 5 English textbooks, found in the scientific library and identified the English language teaching methods used in these books. The textbooks were divided into 3 groups: grammar references, textbooks and readers. The characteristic feature of the textbooks is that they were written in German, thus, English in Bukovyna, which at that time was a part of Austria-Hungary, was taught via the German language. We contemplated on the methodological aspects of teaching English in the Bukovynian schools for girls and the techniques applied for the development of English pronunciation, reading, speaking, writing and translation skills. Thus, the peculiarities of the principles of realization of grammar-translation and text-translation methods are revealed and the process of transition of the above-mentioned methods to the direct method of teaching English is illustrated in the textbooks being analyzed.

Effects of recasts and prompts on L2 pronunciation development: Teaching English /ɹ/ to Korean adult EFL learners

The current study aimed to test how two different types of corrective feedback—recasts and prompts—can differentially affect the pronunciation development of English /ɹ/ by Korean learners in the context of simulated meaning-oriented classrooms receiving form-focused instruction (FFI). Twenty-two Korean learners of English as a foreign language were divided into three groups (FFI-only, FFI-recasts, FFI-prompts). Each group received 4 h of instruction in which they were taught how to structure an argument in English through activities designed to simultaneously focus their attention on /ɹ/, including explicit articulatory instruction. All lessons were video-recorded, which allowed all instances of feedback and learner response to be identified and coded. Production was measured through both spontaneous and controlled tests, and judged by five trained English native-speaking listeners. According to the results of the pre/post-tests, recasts were especially helpful in the improvement of controlled production of /ɹ/, whereas prompts were facilitative of not only controlled but also spontaneous production of /ɹ/. The results of the video-coding analysis further demonstrated that, during instruction, students were pushed by prompts to improve intelligibility mainly through the adjustment of interlanguage strategies (e.g., prolonging the phonemic length), and by recasts to refine accuracy in their /ɹ/ production.

Second Language Acquisition of Spanish /e/ and /ei/ by Native English Speakers

The present article reports on the findings of a cross-sectional acoustic study of the production of the Spanish /e/-/ei/ contrast, as in pena-peina and reno-reino , by native-English intermediate and advanced learners of Spanish. The acoustic parameter that distinguishes Spanish /e/ from /ei/ is formant change—/e/ is a monophthong and /ei/ is a diphthong. English, on the other hand, has a mid front monophthong /ɛ/ ( bet, debt ) and a mid-to-high front diphthong /e ɪ / ( bait, date ). These vowels differ in both their overall place of articulation and in their dynamic characteristics. Spanish /e/ is similar to both English /ɛ/ and /e ɪ / but is not identical to any of the two vowels; Spanish /ei/ is similar, but also not identical, to English /e ɪ /. This situation creates complex inter-lingual interactions for the learners. The study addresses these interactions as they are evidenced in speech production. The findings are discussed in terms of their significance for current models of second language speech learning and provide important information regarding the paths of pronunciation development in the second-language acquisition of Spanish vowels by adult native speakers of American English.

Adult Second Language Learning of Spanish Vowels

The present study reports on the findings of a cross-sectional acoustic study of the production of Spanish vowels by three different groups of speakers: 1) native Spanish speakers; 2) native English intermediate learners of Spanish; and 3) native English advanced learners of Spanish. In particular, we examined the production of the five Spanish phonemic monophthongs (/i e a o u/) in two prosodic positions: stressed and unstressed. Since Spanish and English vary in the nature of the difference between stressed and unstressed vowels, a logical question is: How does the relationship between stressed and unstressed vowels differ across the three groups of participants? Do the learners transfer English patterns to their Spanish? The findings are discussed in terms of their significance for current models of second language speech learning and provide important information regarding the paths of pronunciation development in the second language acquisition of Spanish.

An Acoustic Analysis for Infants Speech Syllables

Phonological awareness, the ability to distinguish and make use of any phonetic unit contained in the word structure of colloquial language, involves two major aspects, manipulation of sounds, and detection of sounds. The former one can be subdivided into counting, separating, combining of syllables and substitution of phoneme, while the latter one mainly refers to distinguishing similarities and differences among the first syllables, the rhymes and tones. Based on syllables, this study analyzes the acquisition order reflected by the monosyllable and the multi-syllables by tracking, recording and separating the syllables into more detailed phonemes, as well as induces the development of infants’ phonological awareness from the aspects of pronunciation difficulty, spelling difficulty, related pronunciation development and the tone awareness through studies of the manipulation of sounds in the phonological awareness.

Variables affecting the effects of recasts on L2 pronunciation development

The current study investigated how recasts can promote the L2 pronunciation development of word-initial /ɹ/ by Japanese learners of English in relation to two developmental stages of English /ɹ/ acquisition (i.e. change in second formant [F2] → change in third formant [F3]) as well as four affecting variables (i.e. the amount of recasts and repairs, initial pronunciation levels, explicit articulatory knowledge). In total, 54 Japanese learners of English participated in the study and received 4 hours of form-focused activity. While teachers gave pronunciation-focused recasts to students in the experimental group ( n = 29), no recasts were directed to those in the control group ( n = 25). According to the results of the rating session, which involved 20 native speaker listeners, their positive perception of /ɹ/ was associated with lower F3 values as the primary cue; lower F2 values were demonstrated to be secondary, and less relevant, for listeners’ positive perception of /ɹ/. The results of the ANOVAs showed that whereas the F2 values of both the experimental and control groups equally decreased (i.e. due to the use of the interlanguage strategy), only the experimental group significantly lowered their F3 values (the extent of acquisition). Furthermore, a range of post-hoc analyses found that recast effectiveness was related to the amount of recasts and repairs and initial pronunciation levels.

The “Magnet Effect” – A Powerful Source of L1 Dialect Interference in the Pronunciation of English as a Foreign Language

Wieden and Nemser (1991) carried out a study investigating the development of pronunciation of English as a foreign language in Austria. One of the main issues in this research was L1 dialect interference. Individual studies have proven that the pronunciation of a second (L2) or foreign language (FL) is not influenced only by the standard variety of the first language (L1), but also by the L1 dialect of the speaker’s place of origin (Karpf et al. 1980). Wieden and Nemser’s study wished to prove this on a larger scale. A similar study was carried out also for Slovenia (Jurančič Petek 2007). Contrastive analysis (CA) of the Slovene Standard pronunciation and English was performed as well as that of the sound systems of individual Slovene dialects and the English one. Error analysis (EA) of the obtained results showed that L1 dialect interference did not occur in the instances predicted by contrastive analysis; however the study in itself did prove the existence of such influence (“magnet effect” in vowels).

A Development of English Pronunciation Using Principles of Phonetics for English Major Students at Loei Rajabhat University

A Development of English Pronunciation Using Principles of Phonetics for English Major Students at Loei Rajabhat University

A Development of English Pronunciation Using Principles of Phonetics for English Major Students at Loei Rajabhat University

A Development of English Pronunciation Using Principles of Phonetics for English Major Students at Loei Rajabhat University

Task-Based Video Use for the Improvement of English Stress and Intonation

The current study aims at examining the effects of videos on the development of English stress and intonation of first grade EFL learners in an ELT Department at a public university in Turkey. 44 EFL learners were participated in the study on the voluntary basis. 24 learners, who are assigned as the test group, were given a list of videos and an online tutoring program and related assignments as a supplement to a 3-hour Listening and Pronunciation course each week. 20 learners, the participants of the control group, were requested to attend only the classes and do the regular assignments. The study conducted through eleven weeks during the fall semester at the department. The total number of the hours that all the participants attended the course was 33. As for the test group, the studying hours, including the class hours, was calculated as approximately 110 hours during the term. The participants’ development in spoken English was compared with the control group. Comparison was realized through two ways. First, the participants were pre-and post-tested by two experienced raters of pronunciation. Then they were given a questionnaire to investigate their pronunciation learning experiences and attitudes towards the development of pronunciation through videos (featured films, short films etc.) and the online program. The findings of the study indicate that videos were much more effective in improving the EFL learners’ ability to produce and perceive different stress and intonation patterns in words, phrases and sentences than through the online tutoring programs. The findings also reveal that the students feel more comfortable themselves in a self-study for the improvement of intonation and stress in English. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n2p227

Learner Pronunciation, Awareness, and Instruction in French as a Second Language

AbstractThis study examined the speech of 30 adult learners of French as a second language (L2) in a 15‐week listening/speaking course, investigating the relationship between learners' pronunciation development and their pronunciation awareness, measured through learners' conceptions of learning. The course targeted segmental and suprasegmental aspects, including connected speech processes (enchaînement, liaison), intonation, and fluency. Learners wrote weekly journals eliciting measures of pronunciation awareness and completed read‐aloud and picture description tasks at the course's beginning and end. Speech was analyzed through seven measures, including fluency and segmental and suprasegmental accuracy. Results showed significant improvements in learners' segmental production, enchaînement, and some aspects of intonation and fluency. Several variables were associated with pronunciation awareness measures. Results are discussed in light of L2 pronunciation development and instruction‐awareness links.

Video modeling and word identification in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Video modeling involves the learner viewing videos of a model demonstrating a target skill. According to the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (2011), video modeling is an evidenced-based intervention for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in elementary through middle school. Little research exists evaluating video modeling for individuals with ASD in high school. This study examined the effectiveness of video modeling to facilitate the development of word recognition and pronunciation in three male high school students with ASD. A single-case multiple baseline experimental design across participants (i.e. video modeling sequentially implemented across three students) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of video modeling. Results indicate that video modeling was effective in facilitating word recognition and pronunciation. Findings suggest that video modeling may be a viable intervention to foster the reading development of adolescents with ASD.