Intelligibility, Oral Communication, and the Teaching of Pronunciation


Book Description

An intelligibility-based approach to teaching that presents pronunciation as critical, yet neglected, in communicative language teaching.




Second Language Pronunciation


Book Description

Practical resources designed to help language educators apply the latest research and most effective pedagogical methods to classroom pronunciation instruction In Second Language Pronunciation: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Teaching, a team of distinguished researchers and educators delivers an incisive and practical approach to evidence-based pronunciation instruction in second language classrooms. Developed for language teachers who want to incorporate and implement the most effective pedagogical methods in their language instruction, this edited volume offers 15 essays that connect the latest research with practical applications in the classroom. In addition to exploring recent but less well-known methods—like High Variability Phonetic Training, discourse-based teaching, communicative classrooms, and technology-based methods—these chapters are unified in bringing theory to bear on practical questions faced by language teachers. The chapters follow a standard format, moving from critical research issues to pedagogical implications, and practical resources to equip language teachers, scholars, administrators, and teachers-in-training with the tools they require to develop their students’ pronunciation abilities. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to using empirical evidence to guide pronunciation instruction in second language students Comprehensive explorations of the integration of pronunciation instruction into second language education Practical discussions of perception training in pronunciation instruction and the importance of L2 segmental and suprasegmental contrasts in pronunciation learning In-depth examinations of classroom research for pronunciation and the use of technology to explore L2 pronunciation Perfect for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students studying TESOL, applied linguistics, and second language acquisition, Second Language Pronunciation: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Teaching will also earn a place in the libraries of researchers, scholars, and teachers of language and education.




Teaching Pronunciation


Book Description

This course includes an overview of current theory and practice. The paperback edition offers current and prospective teachers of English a comprehensive treatment of pronunciation pedagogy, drawing on current theory and practice. The text provides an overview of teaching issues from the perspective of different methodologies and second language acquisition research. It has a thorough grounding in the sound system of North American English, and contains insights into how this sound system intersects with listening, morphology, and spelling. It also contains diagnostic tools, assessment measures, and suggestions for syllabus design. Discussion questions encourage readers to draw on their personal language learning/teaching experiences as they assimilate the contents of each chapter. Follow-up exercises guide teachers in developing a range of classroom activities within a communicative framework.




Issues in Applying SLA Theories toward Reflective and Effective Teaching


Book Description

A reflective teacher as a growth-minded person seeks opportunities to continue professional development. Reflection not only ignites a teacher’s desire for improvement, but also inspires continuous learning. Through an accurate grasp of self-assessment, confidence, self-appraisal, a reflective practitioner can plant the seeds of effective teaching. This book aims to guide EFL teachers to teach language reflectively and effectively. It includes two parts, the first focuses on the SLA theories and their impact on language teaching and the second centers on the reflective and effective teaching of language components and skills. The editors hope this book will be helpful to those wishing to become effective teachers since this results in nurturing learners’ cravings to learn in a safe and supportive environment. Contributors are: Maryam Azarnoosh, Anne Burns, Graham V. Crookes, Michael R.W. Dawson, Richard R. Day, Akram Faravani, Dorothy Gillmeister, Christine C. M. Goh, Hamid Reza Kargozari, John M. Levis, John I. Liontas, Shawn Loewen, Parviz Maftoon, Jennifer Majorana, Shannon McCrocklin, Hossein Nassaji, Ulugbek Nurmukhamedov, Luke Plonsky, Nima Shakouri, Jun Tian, Laurens Vandergrift, Constance Weaver, and Mitra Zeraatpishe.




The Handbook of English Pronunciation


Book Description

The Handbook of English Pronunciation presents a comprehensive exploration of English pronunciation with essential topics for applied linguistics researchers and teachers, including language acquisition, varieties of English, historical perspectives, accent’s changing role, and connections to discourse, technology, and pedagogy. Provides thorough descriptions of all elements of English pronunciation Features contributions from a global list of authors, reflecting the finest scholarship available Explores a careful balance of issues and topics important to both researchers and teachers Provides a historical understanding of the importance of pronunciation and examines some of the major ways English is pronounced today throughout the world Considers practical concerns about how research and practice interact in teaching pronunciation in the classroom




Pronunciation Fundamentals


Book Description

The emergence of empirical approaches to L2 pronunciation research and teaching is a powerful fourth wave in the history of the field. Authored by two leading proponents of evidence-based instruction, this volume surveys both foundational and cutting-edge empirical work and pinpoints its ramifications for pedagogy. The authors begin by tracing the history of pronunciation instruction and explicating L2 phonetic learning processes. Subsequent chapters explore the themes, strengths, and ethical problems of the field through the lens of the intelligibility principle. The importance of error gravity, and the need for assessment and individualized instruction are highlighted, and the role of L2 accents in social contexts is probed. Material readily available elsewhere has been omitted in favour of an emphasis on the how, why, and when of pronunciation instruction. Anyone with an interest in L2 pronunciation–especially graduate students, language teachers, and experienced researchers–will find much value in this indispensible resource.




Foreign Language Pronunciation, from Theory to Practice


Book Description

This book comprehensively deals with foreign language pronunciation. It considers several essential issues, including the relationship between native and foreign language pronunciations, the problems of non-native learners when learning foreign language pronunciation and the factors that can positively or negatively affect its learning. The book analyses foreign language pronunciation from both the linguistic and pedagogical points of view. It will thus appeal to all foreign language learners, teachers, linguists, and methodologists.




Second Language Pronunciation Assessment


Book Description

This book is open access under a CC BY licence. It spans the areas of assessment, second language acquisition (SLA) and pronunciation and examines topical issues and challenges that relate to formal and informal assessments of second language (L2) speech in classroom, research and real-world contexts. It showcases insights from assessing other skills (e.g. listening and writing) and highlights perspectives from research in speech sciences, SLA, psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics, including lingua franca communication, with concrete implications for pronunciation assessment. This collection will help to establish commonalities across research areas and facilitate greater consensus about key issues, terminology and best practice in L2 pronunciation research and assessment. Due to its interdisciplinary nature, this book will appeal to a mixed audience of researchers, graduate students, teacher-educators and exam board staff with varying levels of expertise in pronunciation and assessment and wide-ranging interests in applied linguistics.




Pronunciation Myths


Book Description

This volume was conceived as a "best practices" resource for pronunciation and speaking teachers in the way that Vocabulary Myths by Keith S. Folse is one for reading and vocabulary teachers. Like others in the Myths series, this book combines research with good pedagogical practices. The book opens with a Prologue by Linda Grant (author of the Well Said textbook series), which reviews the last four decades of pronunciation teaching, the differences between accent and intelligibility, the rudiments of the English sound system, and other factors related to the ways that pronunciation is learned and taught. The myths challenged in this book are: § Once you’ve been speaking a second language for years, it’s too late to change your pronunciation. (Derwing and Munro) § Pronunciation instruction is not appropriate for beginning-level learners. (Zielinski and Yates) § Pronunciation teaching has to establish in the minds of language learners a set of distinct consonant and vowel sounds. (Field) § Intonation is hard to teach. (Gilbert) § Students would make better progress if they just practiced more. (Grant) § Accent reduction and pronunciation instruction are the same thing. (Thomson) § Teacher training programs provide adequate preparation in how to teach pronunciation (Murphy). The book concludes with an Epilogue by Donna M. Brinton, who synthesizes some of the best practices explored in the volume.




Issues in Syllabus Design


Book Description

The various types of syllabi and the host of related issues in the field of second language teaching and course development manifest the significance of syllabus design as one of the most controversial areas of second language pedagogy. Teachers should be familiar with different types of syllabuses and be able to critically analyze them. Issues in Syllabus Design addresses the major types of syllabuses in language course development and provides readers with the theoretical foundations and practical aspects of implementing syllabuses for use in language teaching programs. It starts with an introduction to the concept of syllabus design along with its philosophical foundations and then briefly covers the major syllabus types from a historical perspective and pedagogical significance: the grammatical, situational, skill-based, lexical, genre-based, functional notional, content, task-based, negotiated, and discourse syllabus.