Pronunciation instruction in english for academic purposes 2020

Second Language Learning and Teaching John Hodgetts Pronunciation Instruction in English for Academic Purposes An Investigation of Attitudes, Beliefs and Practices Second Language Learning and Teaching Series Editor Mirosław Pawlak, Faculty of Pedagogy and Fine Arts, Adam Mickiewicz University, Kalisz, Poland The series brings together volumes dealing with different aspects of learning and teaching second and foreign languages The titles included are both monographs and edited collections focusing on a variety of topics ranging from the processes underlying second language acquisition, through various aspects of language learning in instructed and non-instructed settings, to different facets of the teaching process, including syllabus choice, materials design, classroom practices and evaluation The publications reflect state-of-the-art developments in those areas, they adopt a wide range of theoretical perspectives and follow diverse research paradigms The intended audience are all those who are interested in naturalistic and classroom second language acquisition, including researchers, methodologists, curriculum and materials designers, teachers and undergraduate and graduate students undertaking empirical investigations of how second languages are learnt and taught More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/10129 John Hodgetts Pronunciation Instruction in English for Academic Purposes An Investigation of Attitudes, Beliefs and Practices 123 John Hodgetts Łódź, Poland ISSN 2193-7648 ISSN 2193-7656 (electronic) Second Language Learning and Teaching ISBN 978-3-030-56115-4 ISBN 978-3-030-56116-1 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56116-1 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 This work is subject to copyright All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland Acknowledgements The process of devising and implementing the research project upon which this book is based, although challenging, was a rewarding and enjoyable experience I would like to thank all of those involved in the research: the teachers, the course leader, the learners, and the course mentor I would particularly like to express my gratitude to the three teacher participants who agreed to be observed and took part in interviews on such a demanding course I truly appreciate the involvement and participation of all those concerned at University A I would also like to thank Prof Ewa Waniek-Klimczak for her guidance and support as a supervisor during the doctoral research that forms the basis of this book Both her encouragement and knowledge of the subject area were invaluable and enabled me to defend my thesis in a timely manner I would like to express my gratitude to the two reviewers of the original Ph.D thesis: Profs Andrzej Porzuczek and Romuald Gozdawa-Gołębiowski Their advice and comments were extremely helpful in assisting the realization of this book Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for their steadfast support, both during the research process itself and also during the writing of this book v Contents Introduction 1.1 Background to the Current Research 1.2 General Objectives 1.3 Contents of the Book References Pronunciation Instruction: Background, Techniques and Relevant Studies 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The First Focus on Speaking 2.3 Audiolingualism: The Beginnings of an Analytical Approach 2.3.1 The Theoretical Underpinnings of Audiolingualism 2.3.2 The Impact of Contrastive Analysis 2.3.3 The Critique of Behaviourism, Audiolingualism, and Contrastive Analysis, and New Directions Sparked by Universal Grammar and Mentalism 2.4 Sociocultural Theory and Scaffolding 2.5 The Natural Approach 2.6 Communicative Approaches 2.6.1 The Broad Nature of Communicative Approaches 2.6.2 Criticisms of the Communicative Approach and Divergent Subdivisions 2.7 The Postmethod Approach 2.8 Humanistic Approaches 2.9 The Impact of Humanism, the Self, and Possible Limitations 2.10 The Importance of Affect 2.11 Pronunciation Techniques and Relevant Research 2.12 English as an International Language and the Status of the Native Speaker Variety References 1 4 9 10 12 13 14 15 18 20 21 22 23 26 27 28 29 31 37 41 vii viii Contents 51 51 51 55 56 57 59 62 68 71 74 77 Methodology: The Mixed Methods Approach 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Research Context 4.2.1 General Background 4.2.2 Some Specifics of the Organization of the Course 4.2.3 My Own Role on the Course 4.3 Research Process 4.3.1 Research Questions 4.3.2 Research Timetable 4.3.3 The Pilot Study Interviews that Led to the Current Research 4.3.4 Other Issues Arising from the Pilot Study 4.4 Methods and Tools 4.4.1 Introduction: The Value of a Mixed Methods Approach 4.4.2 Document Analysis 4.4.3 Action Research 4.4.4 Teacher Observation 4.4.5 Semi-structured Interviews 4.4.6 Survey Methods 4.4.7 Teacher Assessment of Student Seminars 4.5 The Participants 4.5.1 Members of Staff: Teachers and the Course Leader 4.5.2 The Learners 4.5.3 Comments on the Level of the Students 4.5.4 Learner Participation: The Learner Questionnaire 4.5.5 Ethical Issues and Potential Effects on Participants 4.6 Stakeholder Analysis 4.6.1 The University 4.6.2 The Course Leader 87 87 87 87 88 89 89 89 90 92 95 96 Suprasegmental Instruction and Intelligibility 3.1 Introduction 3.2 What Are Suprasegmentals? 3.3 Native-Like Production or Intelligibility? 3.4 Intelligibility, Comprehensibility and Accentedness 3.5 The Lingua Franca Core 3.6 Key Issues Connected with Intelligibility 3.7 Suprasegmental Instruction 3.8 Testing and Assessment 3.9 Studies Involving Chinese Learners 3.10 Instruction in EAP Contexts References 96 97 98 101 105 107 111 112 112 113 114 114 117 117 117 118 Contents 4.6.3 4.6.4 4.6.5 References ix Teacher Participants 118 Myself 118 Learners 119 119 Results, Analysis, and Discussion 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Notes on the Course Documents and Induction Documents 5.2.1 Syllabus Content: Seminars 5.2.2 Syllabus Content: Presentations 5.2.3 Syllabus Content: Listening at University 5.2.4 Syllabus Content: Supplementary Listening Materials 5.2.5 The Associate Lecturer Supplement and the Student Handbook 5.2.6 Course Documents: The Seminar Marksheet 5.2.7 Course Documents: Seminar Guidelines and Standardization Document 5.3 Action Research Results 5.3.1 Notes Taken During Participant Observation: The Induction 5.3.2 The CPD Session 5.3.3 Action Research: A Summary of Observations of My Own Experiences 5.3.4 Other Observations not Directly Involving Instruction 5.4 Results: Observations and Teacher Self-completion Checklist Data 5.4.1 Mark and Myself: Video Recording on 01/08/2018 5.4.2 Other Points of Interest 5.4.3 Bruce and Olivia: Video Recording on 25/07/2018 5.4.4 Other Points of Interest 5.4.5 Checklist Data 5.5 Teacher Participants’ Assessment of Student Pronunciation 5.5.1 The Scores Given 5.5.2 Follow-up Interviews 5.6 Semi-structured Interview with the Course Leader 5.6.1 Goals of Instruction, Segmentals and Suprasegmentals, Teacher Guidance, and Materials 5.6.2 The Course Leader’s View of Assessment Goals 5.6.3 Short Follow-up Interview 5.7 Teacher Interviews 5.7.1 Teacher Training and Early Experiences 5.7.2 Confidence and Guidance 123 123 123 124 125 127 127 128 128 129 130 130 131 132 133 134 134 135 137 138 138 142 142 143 145 145 149 151 153 153 154 x Contents 5.7.3 What Are the Teachers’ Goals, Attitudes, and Beliefs on the Pre-sessional? 5.7.4 Assessment Goals 5.7.5 Other Factors Concerning Pronunciation Assessment 5.7.6 Opinions on the Syllabus 5.7.7 Error Correction Feedback 5.7.8 Comments on Declared Practice and Priorities of Instruction: Teacher Priorities 5.7.9 More General Suggestions for Course Improvement 5.8 Teacher Questionnaires 5.8.1 Biographical Data 5.8.2 Teacher Attitudes and Beliefs 5.8.3 The Most Important Aspects of Pronunciation and Difficulties Encountered 5.9 Learner Questionnaires 5.9.1 Biographical Data 5.9.2 Confidence, Motivation, Error Correction, Accent Preference, Assessment of Instruction Received, and Independent Learning 5.9.3 Frequency of Instruction 5.9.4 Most Helpful Activity for Improving Pronunciation According to Learners 5.10 Analysis 5.10.1 Research Question 1: What Are the Course Goals in Terms of Suprasegmental Pronunciation Instruction and Intelligibility-Based Instruction? 5.10.2 Research Question 2: Does Assessment Reflect the Course Pronunciation Goals? 5.10.3 Research Question 3: To What Extent Are These Goals Reflected by Teacher Instruction, Attitudes, and Beliefs? 5.10.4 Research Question 4: What Are the Learners’ Attitudes Towards Pronunciation Instruction? 5.11 Discussion 5.11.1 The Course Goals 5.11.2 The Syllabus 5.11.3 The Course Leader’s View 5.11.4 Possible Problems with Assessment 5.11.5 The Lack of Positive Washback in Pronunciation Assessment 5.11.6 Guidance on How the Materials Can Be Used 5.11.7 A Lack of Support from Listening Materials 5.11.8 Conclusions from Actual Practice 154 156 157 158 161 162 163 164 164 164 168 170 170 172 173 174 175 175 177 179 181 182 182 182 184 185 186 187 188 190 234 Appendix I: Teacher Questionnaire: Teaching Pronunciation—Attitudes … 1.Strongly Disagree My Teacher training prepared me well in terms of pronunciation instruction in EAP My early pronunciation teaching experiences were positive Pronunciation instruction is important on the pre-sessional course Teaching pronunciation on the presessional course is difficult Pronunciation instruction is only effective for highly motivated learners The listening materials on the pre-sessional course support pronunciation instruction The listening materials on the pre-sessional course consist of a variety of native accents The listening materials on the pre-sessional course consist of a variety of non-native accents 2.Disagree Rather Disagree 4.Rather Agree 5.Agree 6.Strongly Agree Don't Know Appendix I: Teacher Questionnaire: Teaching Pronunciation—Attitudes … 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pronunciation teaching on the course should help make students comfortably intelligible to their listeners Pronunciation teaching on the course should aim to eliminate, as much as possible, foreign accents I’m completely comfortable teaching segmentals, e.g single sounds, minimal pairs I’m completely comfortable teaching all aspects of prosody (suprasegmental s), i.e., all other aspects of pronunciation, such as intonation, stress, rhythm, weak forms etc Drilling minimal pairs is the best way to teach pronunciation on the presessional course Communicative practice is the best way to teach pronunciation on the presessional course I find it easy to provide feedback on pronunciation during class 235 236 16 17 18 19 20 Appendix I: Teacher Questionnaire: Teaching Pronunciation—Attitudes … The pronunciation feedback I give is effective in improving pronunciation of single sounds The pronunciation feedback I give is effective in improving other pronunciation features (intonation, rhythm, stress, weak forms etc) I find it easy to grade the pronunciation category during seminar assessment I would give a student who incorrectly pronounced 'th' as a 's'(e.g., I sink*it is true) a lower mark on pronunciation than a student who pronounced 'th' correctly I wish I had more training in teaching pronunciation (2) How have your learnt what you know about the teaching and learning of pronunciation? (Please circle all of the categories that apply to you.) teacher training trial and error personal experience visit in a foreign country reading from another person (e.g colleague) other (please specify) (3) Which of the above is the most important source of your pronunciation teaching knowledge? Appendix I: Teacher Questionnaire: Teaching Pronunciation—Attitudes … 237 How important you think the following aspects of pronunciation are in EAP? (Please rank from to 7, where means it is ‘the most important’ and means ‘the least important’.) Aspect of pronunciation Your mark Single vowel sounds Single consonant sounds Word stress Sentence stress Intonation Rhythm Weak forms In what ways, if any, could the pre-sessional on which you teach be improved in terms of pronunciation instruction? What are the major difficulties you face in teaching pronunciation on your pre-sessional course? Demographics and additional information What is your date of birth? 238 Appendix I: Teacher Questionnaire: Teaching Pronunciation—Attitudes … How many years have you been teaching English on pre-sessionals? (Please write in one figure.) What are your main qualification in terms of teaching English? (e.g., MA TESOL/Applied linguistics, CELTA/ DELTA, Dip TESOL) Please circle your gender Female Male THANK YOU FOR FILLING IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE! Appendix J Course Leader Consent Form Dear ……………………………… As you know I am currently studying for a PhD in Applied Linguistics at the University of Łód´z As part of this course I am doing some research on particular aspects of teaching speaking I would like to find out about teacher and student perceptions of pronunciation instruction and classroom practices in this area In order to so I would like to ask for your consent for the following: (1) For three teachers to be allowed to video record their classes on one occasion and for teachers to fill in a self-observation checklist after three lessons (2) For the three teachers to grade two student seminars from last year (I received written consent from the students last year) This will most likely be in week one or two (3) For students to be asked to complete a questionnaire at the end of the course to discover what their attitudes are towards pronunciation instruction and how helpful they feel the instruction they received was (4) For a short interview with the course director on university premises that will be recorded (audio only) during the course or during induction (5) For three in-depth interviews with teachers to take place in week eight These interviews will also be audio recorded (6) The video recording of one of my own lessons, self-observation checklists, and notes to be kept as part of the action research (7) Access to course documents/syllabus and consent for me to make notes on guidance received during induction and CPD sessions (8) Interviews with a maximum of three student participants (subject to their written consent) approximately six months after the course has finished © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 J Hodgetts, Pronunciation Instruction in English for Academic Purposes, Second Language Learning and Teaching, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56116-1 239 240 Appendix J: Course Leader Consent Form The questionnaire will be anonymous, as will the information derived from the teacher participants’ and their classes during the observations/interviews They will also have the right to withdraw from the research at any time The identity of the university and its participants will be undisclosed The students will receive an information letter about the project and be asked to sign a consent form and return it me They will be assured that participation is voluntary, that students can withdraw from the research at any time and that their progress and assessment will not be affected in any way by the research I would like to ask for your permission for the above activities to be carried out on university premises I hope the results of the project will help to improve the lessons in future pre-sessional courses held at this and other universities If you have any queries or concerns, I can be contacted at the email address below Thank you very much in advance If you could please sign the consent form below, I would be very grateful John Hodgetts email: Anonymized Appendix J: Course Leader Consent Form 241 Name of researcher: John Hodgetts Title of research project: Pronunciation Instruction: goals, practices and assessment on a UK Presessional University Programme Please sign the form if you are in agreement with the following statements: I have been fully informed about the format and procedure of the research project I agree to the distribution of student questionnaires to all students on the course I agree to the follow-up interviews of three students six months after the course has finished I give permission for video recording of lessons (subject to teacher and student consent): lessons each of three teachers on the course and lesson of my own I consent to the administration of three in-depth teacher interviews (including teachers evaluating video recorded seminars) and one interview with the course leader (subject to consent) on university premises I agree to access to, and analysis of work covered by teachers and syllabus content/ syllabus material, as well as guidance provided during induction and CPD sessions There will be no mention of the university’s name or the participants in the final research document I understand that I can withdraw from all or part of the research at any stage and that I can see a summary of the findings after the research project has been completed Signed: Date: _ Course Leader Signed: PhD research student Date: Appendix K Consent Form for Teacher Participants Author of the research: John Hodgetts Contact email: Anonymized My name is John Hodgetts I am conducting this research as an important part of my PhD thesis for Łód´z University The purpose of this research is to discover more about teacher attitudes and practices towards particular aspects of teaching speaking I would like to ask you to take part in my research The initial research will involve the grading of two student seminars (video recordings), followed by a brief discussion of the reasons for the grades provided (no longer than 15 min) The second part of research will involve the video recording of one speaking focused class in week three You will also be asked to complete a self-observation checklist at the end of your speaking lessons in weeks three, six and eight This should take no longer than a few minutes Finally, towards the end of the course, I would like to conduct one in-depth interview lasting around 30 or 40 in order to discuss certain aspects of teaching speaking-focused lessons and areas of interest arising from the videotaped sessions These interviews will be recorded (audio only) You have the right to withdraw from the research at any time and the results of the interview will be completely confidential Thank you for your cooperation If you wish to learn more about the progress of the research, or wish to take part in the next stage, I can be contacted at the email address above © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 J Hodgetts, Pronunciation Instruction in English for Academic Purposes, Second Language Learning and Teaching, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56116-1 243 244 Appendix K: Consent Form for Teacher Participants Name of researcher: John Hodgetts Please sign the form if you are in agreement with the following statements: I have been informed about the format and procedure of the research project I agree to video record one of my speaking-focused lessons and fill in a self-observation checklist after three speaking lessons (including the one that is recorded) I agree to grade two student seminars and provide some reasons for my grading I understand that parts of my responses may be recorded and transcribed and that the information given during the session will be confidential and only used in this research project I agree to take part in one in-depth interview of around 40 minutes I understand that parts of my responses will be recorded and transcribed and that the information given during the interviews will be confidential and only used in this research project I understand that I can see a summary of the findings after the research project has been completed I may withdraw from all or part of the research at any stage Teacher Participant Signed: Date: _ PhD Student Signed: Date: Appendix L Consent Form for Adult Students Information About the Research My name is John Hodgetts and I will be conducting research into English teaching The aim of the research is to gather information to complete work as part of my PhD studies The research will not include personal information about any of the students, they will remain anonymous The participation in the research is voluntary and every student has the right to withdraw from the research at any time if he/she wishes I would like you to agree to the video recording of three lessons during the course The purpose of this research is to investigate the different ways that teachers teach certain aspects of speaking The recordings will only be used for my own research purposes and are not part of any test or assessment I understand that being recorded may feel a little uncomfortable at first, but it would be of great help attempting to improve how certain aspects of the course are taught DECLARATION I agree to my participation in the research conducted by John Hodgetts on the understanding that my personal details will remain confidential and that I have the right to withdraw from the research at any time DATE AND SIGNATURE ……………………………………………… Contact email: Anonymized © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 J Hodgetts, Pronunciation Instruction in English for Academic Purposes, Second Language Learning and Teaching, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56116-1 245 Appendix M Simplified Marksheet for Learners (Week 1: Seminars) Seminar Criteria Key Features • Evaluate your student according to the criteria below • Make a note of strong points and areas they could develop Pronunciation Student • Pronunciation (mispronunciation) • Intonation (=the way your voice goes up and down when you speak) • Little L1 interference (aspects from your own language that may affect your English pronunciation) • Tempo (speed of delivery, natural connected speech - may be affected by speech being too fast or too slow; there may not be a regular speed of delivery) • Rhythm (chunking, word and sentence stress) Grammar Student • Range of structures (range = the amount of something) • Complexity of structures • Accuracy © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 J Hodgetts, Pronunciation Instruction in English for Academic Purposes, Second Language Learning and Teaching, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56116-1 247 248 Appendix M: Simplified Marksheet for Learners (Week 1: Seminars) Vocabulary Student • Range • Accuracy of word forms (word forms e.g nouns/adjectives/verbs/adverbs) • Appropriacy (the fact that a word or phrase sounds natural and is acceptable when used in a particular situation) Interactive communication • Encouraging others to contribute • Introducing new ideas • Repairing misunderstandings (asking for repetition and clarification and negotiating meaning) • Turn taking (not dominating, handing turns to others, recognising when someone else wishes to contribute) Student Appendix N Presentation Criteria Key Features (Steve Jobs) Pronunciation Steve Jobs notes • Mostly accurate pronunciation • Intonation (=the way your voice goes up and down when you speak) • Stress (=the emphasis you put on one part of a word) • Little L1 interference (aspects from your own language that may affect your English pronunciation) • Eye contact • Use of visuals (images you use to enhance your presentation) © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 J Hodgetts, Pronunciation Instruction in English for Academic Purposes, Second Language Learning and Teaching, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56116-1 249 Appendix O Teacher Feedback Sheet for Student Presentations Grammar and punctuation (Range of sentence types: simple → complex, range and accuracy of grammatical structures, frequency of errors, effect of errors on the reader) Vocabulary and register (Range of vocabulary, spelling, accuracy of word choice, accuracy of word form, appropriate collocations, frequency of errors, effect of errors on the reader/appropriacy of register) Pronunciation (tempo: speed of delivery, natural connected speech—may be affected by speech being too fast or too slow; there may not be a regular speed of delivery/rhythm: chunking, word and sentence stress/intonation/inconsistences: includes changes in tempo, rhythm and intonation/consistency: the speaker may be difficult to understand at the beginning but becomes easier to understand as the presentation continues if the speaker is consistent in their pronunciation) Fluency and Coherence (Structure: at a higher level this refers to development/organisation of ideas, at a more basic level this will refer to basic organisation of presentations e.g intro, main body, conclusion/Structure includes the use of discourse markers, at higher levels there will be less obvious use of these markers because the organisation is transparent; at lower levels the discourse markers will help to make the organisation of the presentation more cohesive Memorisation: may be identified through lack of eye-contact and flat intonation; it may also be where the speaker reads off slides/off a piece of paper Hesitation: this does not include hesitations used to emphasise parts of the talk) Communication and Presentation skills (Interacts with audience: includes eye-contact, looking at the audience, engaging the (non-specialist audience/Demonstrates understanding of topic: relates both to the content of the talk, and responses to questions) Looking forward … in your next presentation, I’d like you to focus on… Source University A © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 J Hodgetts, Pronunciation Instruction in English for Academic Purposes, Second Language Learning and Teaching, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56116-1 251 ... Switzerland AG 2020 J Hodgetts, Pronunciation Instruction in English for Academic Purposes, Second Language Learning and Teaching, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56116-1_2 10 Pronunciation Instruction: ... snapshot of pronunciation instruction in an EAP context In particular, I wanted to gain an insight into the extent to which instructional goals at University A encompassed suprasegmental instruction. .. learnt and taught More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/10129 John Hodgetts Pronunciation Instruction in English for Academic Purposes An Investigation of Attitudes,