Improvement In Pronunciation Research Articles

A Study on College Students’ Learning Attitude During Synchronous and Asynchronous Video-Based Group Activities for English Presentation — A Secondary Publication

The purpose of the study is to explore college students’ perceptions/attitudes during synchronous and asynchronous group activities. The survey comprised a 10-item, 5-point Likert-type questionnaire and open-ended questions. In the study, two groups, a synchronous group and an asynchronous group, participated in four activities during one semester. For the data collection, the researcher surveyed 116 students who are in their 1st year of college and collected their final tests, an oral presentation. The findings are as follows. Firstly, between the two groups, the synchronous group showed higher mean scores for online group participation. Secondly, the synchronous group also indicated higher mean scores for English learning, speaking confidence, and interest in learning English. Lastly, both groups mentioned communication with team members, improvement in English speaking and pronunciation, increased self-confidence, and other elements as advantages of group work. In contrast, disadvantages included technology problems, decreased self-confidence, inconveniences when meeting with team members online, and others. The implications for the study are: firstly, online group activity can reduce isolation and increase interaction; secondly, the online video-based platform, Flipgrid, can help students improve English speaking skills by observing their own or peers’ videos; lastly, instructors can selectively use the synchronous and asynchronous group activities to suit their educational needs.

Peranan Program Tahfidz Al Qur’an dalam Pembentukan Perilaku Istiqomah Akhlak Terpuji Siswa di Muhammadiyah Boarding School (MBS)

Education plays a crucial role in building the character of students. Quran-based education has a positive influence on the spiritual and emotional development of children. Memorizing the Quran is a program introduced to produce a Hafidz, someone who preserves the memorization of the Quran. Maintaining this memorization requires the virtue of Istiqomah, which is one of the noble virtues. Muhammadiyah Boarding School (MBS) is one of the Islamic boarding schools that prioritizes the Quran Memorization Program and has produced many Hafidz. This research is conducted using a qualitative method with a case study approach. Data collection techniques include unstructured interviews, observations, and documentation. Data analysis is carried out through data transcription. The results of this research show that the Quran Memorization Program at MBS consists of Tahsin (Quranic pronunciation improvement) and Tahfidz (Quran memorization). Tahsin aims to improve Quranic recitation, while Tahfidz requires students to memorize one Juz (section) of the Quran within a year. Religious values are consistently incorporated into the Tahfidz program, which helps train discipline and obedience, fostering the virtue of Istiqomah. The Quran, with its numerous teachings on noble character traits, plays a significant role in this process. Additionally, guidance from the teachers and the students' growing spiritual awareness while delving deeper into the Quran contribute to their success.Supporting factors in achieving the program's goals include students' strong determination, a tranquil and comfortable geographical environment. However, there are also hindering factors, such as the lack of integration between the Tahfidz curriculum and the regular school curriculum, diverse student backgrounds, and time constraints due to the intensive schedule of the Islamic boarding school and general education priorities.

Artificial Intelligence for Pronunciation Improvement in Second Language Acquisition

Artificial Intelligence for Pronunciation Improvement in Second Language Acquisition

Improving English Pronunciation with AI Speech-Recognition Technology

This study explores the use of AI technology in the Google Read Along application as a tool to improve English pronunciation, particularly for students who struggle with English pronunciation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the Google Read Along app's effectiveness in improving English pronunciation, analyze the students' responses to using Google Read Along, and discover the factors that help students succeed in improving their pronunciation. Read Aloud is used in conjunction with AI technology to help children learn by listening to and precisely repeating new words and phrases. A quasi-experimental method was used to collect data, with 35 students in the experimental group and 35 in the control group. A questionnaire was presented to the experimental group regarding how they responded to Google Read Along, and interviews were conducted as further information to identify the factors affecting their pronunciation improvement. The results of the N-Gain test show that the Google Read Along is efficient in helping students improve their English pronunciation when used in combined with the Read Aloud approach by an average of 65.73 percent. As a result, a teaching strategy that combines the Read Aloud method and AI Google Read Along can be an effective alternative. Additionally, the instant feedback offered by this application gives students a chance to recognize their errors directly, and the convenience of using the application for learning anytime anywhere has a significant impact on their success in improving their pronunciation.

La versión original con subtítulo intralingüístico como recurso para la mejora de la pronunciación∗

"This article aims to show the potential of didactic audiovisual translation (DAT), for the improvement of pronunciation in French as a foreign language (FFL), through a pedagogical procedure based on listening and reading aloud a text, repetition, video recording and evaluation of the recording by means of an automatic intralinguistic subtitling tool providing written transcription of the reading aloud. This task also seeks to develop autonomous learning of oral skills, which are often overlooked in the teaching and learning of foreign lan- guages, through a DAT activity, designed to facilitate self-correction and improvement of pro- nunciation for Spanish-speaking university students at A1 level."

The Efficacy of Recast vs. Explicit Corrective Feedback on Students’ English Pronunciation of Common Words: The Case of English Department Students at Ibn Tofail University

This study investigates the effectiveness of recast and explicit corrective feedback on students’ pronunciation improvement among first-year English university undergraduates at Ibn Tofail University, and compares these feedback types to determine the most effective one. A pilot study was conducted to give insights into the pronunciation difficulties faced by students. Based on this latter, the main study was done to address the aims of the investigation. A quasi-experiment was designed with 45 participants divided into three groups: Explicit, Recast and a Control group. The impact of recast and explicit corrective feedback was assessed through the Kruskal-Wallis Test, and the comparative assessment was done using Welch’s T-test. The results indicate that both recast and explicit corrective feedback positively influenced students’ pronunciation development. Yet, the explicit feedback appears superior and more effective than recast, demonstrating a high influence on students’ pronunciation errors. Hence, the investigation suggests that educators should be explicit enough to help students better develop their pronunciation.

The Impact of Singing on Second Language Acquisition in Indonesian ESL Learners

This quantitative study investigates the impact of singing songs on English as a Second Language vocabulary acquisition. Sixty Indonesian ESL learners were randomized into experimental and control groups, with the experimental group engaging in singing activities while the control group followed traditional instruction. Pre-test and post-test assessments in vocabulary, pronunciation, and translation were completed. The experimental group showed substantial gains across all metrics, including a 15.3 point vocabulary increase, 2.3 point pronunciation improvement, and 5.8 point translation enhancement (all p<0.001). Outcomes align with prior research on singing for language learning and support incorporating singing into ESL teaching to actively engage learners and improve linguistic skills. Limitations include short-term analysis and adult-focused sampling. Recommendations are longitudinal research, diverse participants, qualitative inquiries into experiences, and continued singing technique optimization.

The Impact of Applying English Chats of Whatsapp Application on Students’ English Vocabulary Mastery

This study aims to determine the impact of applying English chat on students' English vocabulary mastery through the WhatsApp application. It employs a qualitative research method with a qualitative descriptive design involving 10 students. Data collection techniques include observation, interviews, and documentation. The study reveals several impacts on students' English vocabulary mastery as a result of using English chats on WhatsApp, including improvements in word meaning, contextual usage, spelling, pronunciation, and understanding of word forms. However, there is a noted limitation regarding pronunciation development due to the nature of WhatsApp as a communication application, suggesting that face-to-face learning may be more effective in this aspect. Students perceive the impact of using English chats on WhatsApp positively, as they enjoy the learning experience and find teachers responsive to their questions. WhatsApp is regarded as a user-friendly application with potential educational benefits, accessible anytime and anywhere.Keywords—Vocabulary, Impact of English Chat, WhatsApp

Exploring Students’ Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) and Self-Regulated Language Learning from a Sociocultural Perspective

This study investigates the phenomenon of informal digital learning of English (IDLE) among students engaged in independent online learning environments. Focusing on practices for students’ language development, this study explores how students autonomously acquire English language skills through informal digital means and examines the implications. It employs a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys and interviews to collect and analyse data from a diverse group of independent online learners of English (N= 182) from 23 different Indonesian universities. Quantitative data reveals that approximately 45.1% of the variation in self-regulated language learning can be explained with informal digital learning of English identified as one of the predictors. On the other hand, qualitative data findings indicate that students actively engage in IDLE through a variety of digital channels, including social media, online forums, language learning apps, and YouTube tutorials. These informal learning activities encompass a wide range of language skills, from vocabulary acquisition and pronunciation improvement to cultural understanding and conversational proficiency. Implications of this research point to the importance of recognising and harnessing students’ IDLE practices in formal educational settings. Educators and institutions can leverage these insights to design more effective online language learning programmes that incorporate elements of informal digital learning.

The Factors Affecting Filipino Grade 11–12 students’ Pronunciation

This study aims to examine the factors affecting students' pronunciation in English as a Second Language (ESL) among senior high school students and their English teachers. A mixed-method approach was employed, which involved a survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with 10 senior high school students and 10 English teachers from PAU Excellencia Global Academy Foundation, Inc. in the Philippines. The results showed that attitude, exposure, mother tongue, and instruction are factors that affect students' pronunciation in ESL. The participants agreed that attitude towards learning English greatly impacts pronunciation improvement, and that exposure to English through media and social interactions is beneficial. However, the influence of the mother tongue on pronunciation was found to be significant, particularly in the Philippines where English is taught as a second language. Furthermore, the instruction provided by teachers was found to be a crucial factor affecting students' pronunciation, with the need for teachers to utilize more effective teaching techniques and strategies. This study contributes to the literature on ESL pronunciation by examining the unique perspectives of both students and teachers in the Philippines, which can provide insights into the development of more effective ESL teaching and learning approaches. The findings can also aid in the development of curriculum design and teacher training programs to improve ESL pronunciation instruction.

Research on the Assessment Approaches to Pronunciation Training for Pre-Service EFL Teachers

For EFL teacher education, it’s important to polish pre-service teachers’ pronunciation and their pronunciation teaching skills. Currently, the pronunciation training for pre-service EFL teachers in China only focuses on pronunciation improvement and lacks the element of teacher education so that its efficacy still needs improvement. This paper points out the rationale of applying the Learning-Oriented Assessment (LOA) to the pronunciation training for pre-service EFL teachers. Then the author discusses the evaluation approaches integrating assessment of learning, assessment as learning and assessment for learning after reformulating the goals of the pronunciation training for pre-service EFL teachers. Finally, the author analyzes the effectiveness of the evaluation approaches for improving pre-service English teachers’ pronunciation as well as their pronunciation teaching skills.

Implicit and explicit instruction in the second language classroom: A study of learner preferences in higher education

AbstractIn a recent study, English‐speaking L2 learners of German who received explicit instruction made significantly greater improvements in pronunciation and vocabulary than learners who received implicit instruction. Against the backdrop of this work, the present study reports learner preferences and perceptions about implicit and explicit language instruction. Results highlight a general preference for explicit instruction among university students, with implicit instruction reported as a source of stress and learner anxiety. While implicit and explicit instruction both have a place in the L2 classroom, learners reported that explicit instruction helped circumvent crosslinguistic transfer and ease anxiety. Many learners reported the expectation of declarative knowledge as a function of higher education instruction, suggesting that the exclusive goal of communicative competence may be an insufficient target for university language students. This study highlights the importance of explicit instruction in the L2 classroom.

Speechnotes y el mejoramiento de la pronunciación del idioma inglés

Introducción One of the most difficult problems students deal with is how to improve and correct their pronunciation mistakes. In that sense, Speechnotes is an application created by Wellsource in 2018. Therefore, learners and the general public can have access to this application by downloading it in their mobile phones. This tool is an online speech recognition notepad that allows people to dictate any word or sentences resulting text immediately. Students worked with this app to later state whether this tool helped them recognize what they say by pronouncing words and sentences and the way it supported them to overcome their pronunciation issues. This research work aims to describe the dimensions and phases of the Speechnotes app, as well as identifying the benefits of this app for the improvement of the English language pronunciation. After the pandemic of covid-19, it has been demonstrated that learners have used different free online tools in order to overcome some problems when learning the target language, so Speechnotes is the app that supports learners tackling their pronunciation mistakes. Objetivos To describe the dimensions and phases of the Speechnotes application. Método This work was a descriptive research that was developed with a survey which was used and applied to 73 students. Thus, it was focused and divided into two sections considering two main research questions: 1.- What are the dimensions and phases of the Speechnotes application? which contained 10 items. 2.-To what extend does Speechnotes application benefit the English pronunciation? containing 8 questions. The Likert scale through the whole survey and the coefficient Cronbach’s Alpha were used to gather data and validate it respectively. The result of the Cronbach’s Alpha resulted in 0,856 that means the instrument was reliable. The data and results obtained were analyzed by the SPSS statistical software and described to determine the perspectives and opinions from the participants. It consisted of collecting the data from the survey and describe the real information that students completed according to their own experiences and knowledge (Groves et al., 2011). Principales resultados The results showed that learners consider the dimensions and phases of the Speechnotes application that stand out the most are the accessibility because they agreed on that they have free access without any registration. This aspect allows students to work freely with the application. Consecutively, the application adapts to the students’ voice while they are speaking. It indicates that the application adjusts the voice of a new speaker and recognizes the words easily. Moreover, related to the phases of the application, when the students practice their pronunciation by saying different words, dialogues, etc. The application writes them into a text belongs to the speech recognition phase. Meanwhile, when they mispronounce a word, the app writes another word instead. corresponds to the error diagnosis phase which if there is an inaccurate pronunciation, the software will not write the correct phrase. In this way, when the app does not write the word the students pronounced, they practice until the correct word is written. The feedback presentation phase was also done when learners asked their professors for assistance to know the sort of mistakes they were making in order to overcome those issues. Conclusiones Firstly, it was possible to identify how Speechnotes benefits students due to the fact that it promotes concentration on the individual learning challenges and brings an effective and stress-free environment with motivation as it encourages students to state their points of view according to their preferences through Speechnotes. Secondly, the application allows the practice of segmental and suprasegmental features, and it promotes the improvement of pronunciation and speaking skills in some way. Last but not least, it assists students to develop their oral communication abilities because it could be an effective means of teaching and learning English pronunciation. Speechnotes promotes autonomy in L2 learners because they prefer to perform the pronunciation activities on their own.

Students' Perception towards English Camp in Kampung Inggris Pare on Improving Their Speaking Skill

Speaking is the most critical of the four skills and requires the student's full attention and concentration. This research aims to determine students' perception of English Camp on EFL undergraduate USK students' speaking skills. This research was conducted using qualitative research methods. This study included seven undergradute students from Universitas Syiah Kuala. Interviews were used to collect research data. In collecting the data, the interviewees were selected by using purposive sampling. The seven chosen participants enrolled in the Kampung Inggris Pare (An English Camp Program in Pare). The results showed that Kampung Inggris Pare improved students' speaking skills. These improvements include mastering adequate vocabulary, improving pronunciation and fluency in speech, improving grammar and comprehension ability, and establishing self-confidence. These components work together to help students enhance their speaking skills to confront the numerous problems they face when speaking. The result of this research shows that English camp plays an essential role in improving students' speaking skills, such as the introduction of new vocabulary and improvement of pronunciation, fluency in speech, increase in self-confidence, improvement of comprehension skills, and grammar improvement. Thus, their performance on campus is improving, as well as their fluency in speaking skills in daily life.

The Use of ELSA Speak as a Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) towards EFL Students Pronunciation

This study analyses how students' pronunciation can be improved through the use of the ELSA Speak as a Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) tool. ELSA stands for English Language Speech Assistant. The speech recognition function of ELSA Speak is powered by artificial intelligence (AI), and it provides users with feedback to help them improve their pronunciation, which improves their ability to speak English. This study investigates the influence and potential of the ELSA Speak application on the acquisition of pronunciation by employing a qualitative research method and a strategy that relies on library research. The findings highlight the significance of having an excellent content design, an efficient pedagogical and instructional design, gamified learning elements, automatic voice recognition technology, a secure learning environment, and individualised digital feedback. The findings of the study indicate that there is considerably significant potential for the ELSA Speak application to help students improve their pronunciation skills. The consequences of this research emphasize the necessity of utilising cutting-edge mobile applications for language learning and highlight the possible benefits for students interested in improving their pronunciation proficiency.
 
 Keywords: Elsa Speak; Mobile-Assisted Language Learning; Students' Pronunciation; Pronunciation Improvement.

The Application of Storytelling Technique in Improving Students’ Speaking Skill

This research aims to explore the application of storytelling techniques in improving students' speaking skills in Class 7.1 MTsN 2 Boalemo. The population of the research comprised four classes of first-grade students at MTsN 2 Boalemo, with approximately 22 students in each class, totaling 48 students. The researcher chose the students from class 7.1, which consisted of 22 students. Data collection involves the use of the Wilcoxon Test Concept while descriptive analysis with quantitative methods is used to analyze the data. The research findings indicate a significant improvement in students' speaking skills after being taught using storytelling techniques. The statistical analysis shows that there is a significant average difference between the learning outcomes of the pre-test and post-test in terms of vocabulary, pronunciation, and fluency. The values of Sig. (2-tailed) for all three tests are 0.000, which is less than the significance level of 0.05. This indicates that the hypotheses H1, H2, and H3 are accepted, and it can be concluded that there is a noticeable improvement in students' vocabulary, pronunciation, and fluency from before to after the intervention. The research concludes that storytelling is an effective technique for improving students' speaking skills and increasing their interest in learning English and based on these findings, it is recommended that English teachers utilize storytelling techniques to enhance students' speaking skills and foster their confidence in public speaking. This research can serve as a valuable reference for other researchers interested in exploring similar topics or different aspects related to the use of storytelling in language learning. Keywords: storytelling, speaking skills, language learning

Lesson study and the pronunciation of -ed endings of regular verbs

This study aims to improve the pronunciation of -ed endings of regular verbs among 35 ninth-graders through the implementation of lesson study at a public school in the city of Loja, Ecuador during the 2021-2022 school year. This study employed a mixed method with a quasi-experimental design. Data were collected through a pretest and posttest, a qudestionnaire, and field notes which were registered by the researcher as a participant observer and three collaborators as non-participant observers. After an eight-week period of time, results demonstrated that lesson study helped ninth-graders to improve their pronunciation knowledge related to -ed ending sounds (/d/, /t/, /id/) as they moved from ineffective or partially effective pronunciation to good pronunciation. Additionally, among the four strategies used for pronunciation instruction, students expressed that “songs” were the most effective for their pronunciation improvement. Furthermore, it was beneficial for the researcher as it contributed to his openness to reflect upon his collaborators’ observations, which helped him to develop more effective lesson plans.

Combining instruction and immersion to improve pronunciation: The case of Chinese students learning bahasa Indonesia

In pronunciation classes, most teachers over-emphasize the accuracy part and ignore the fluency aspects (Elliot, 1995; Yoshida, 2016). To enhance both accuracy and fluency for Chinese students’ pronunciation in Bahasa Indonesia (BI), this study investigates the effects of combining instruction and immersion. This was classroom action research conducted for one semester at Qujing Normal University (QJNU), Yunnan Sheng, China. Audiolingual Method (ALM) with drilling technique was the instruction procedure while the outdoor project was the technique in the immersion. The research subjects were nine first-semester students in the Indonesian Language Department of QJNU. Their score improvements from the pre- to post-assessments indicate that combining these two methods is effective in enhancing students’ pronunciation in BI. The instruction conducted through explicit phonetic teaching and drilling is appropriate for habituating them with accurate pronunciation. Meanwhile, the fun and enjoyable immersion in contextual settings boosts their fluency and gives them opportunities to explore and practice using the words they have learned in real contexts. Along with pronunciation improvement, enhancement in students’ learning attitude and engagement in the learning activities are the other benefits that may contribute to their success in gaining full fluency in the second language. Keywords: drilling, immersion, pronunciation, Chinese students, BIPA

The Effect of Proficiency on the Pronunciation Accuracy of Chinese Learners of FrenchA Case Study of //

Chinese learners experience various pronunciation challenges when learning French, such as the nasal vowel //, due to the negative transfer of their mother tongue. However, it has been noticed that there is an improvement in pronunciation as proficiency improves. This paper, therefore, explores whether there is a stable relationship between proficiency and pronunciation accuracy by acoustically analysing the pronunciation of // in four participants with different levels of French proficiency. The author uses PRAAT software to extract the values of the first and second formants for comparison with native speakers. The experimental results show that, in general, participants in the high proficiency group pronounce the words closer to native speakers and with greater accuracy. However, the degree to which proficiency affects pronunciation accuracy varies depending on the environment in which // is found.

Aesthetic Education of Students in Foreign Language Lessons in Secondary School as a Component of Multicultural Education

The article discusses various ways and means of implementing aesthetic education in the classroom and during non-school hours. The authors note that a special place in the education of an aesthetic personality is occupied by art, which embodies the aesthetic category of beauty. For this purpose, excerpts from works of fiction (for example, poems) and other works of art (paintings, movies, etc.) are used to work on language material. The main goal is to form a taste for the beautiful, the ability to read aloud and listen attentively to the poems of English poets, and then express your impression and share your thoughts, repeat or learn lexical and grammatical material. One of the inexhaustible sources of spiritual development of students is poetry. In addition, in foreign language lessons, poetic works are studied for practical purposes: for the formulation and improvement of pronunciation, illustration and memorization of grammatical material, the development of listening and speech skills. Familiarization of students with English and American literature provides an excellent opportunity for the development of their philological flair and literary taste. This allows them to feel the value of the word, responsibility when operating with the word, sharpens their ability to understand and feel the subtle nuances of the word in each language.