CHAPTER
II
DISSCUSSION
1. What
is pronunciation
Most
people think of pronunciation as the sound we make while speaking. According to
Cook (1996 as cited Pourhosein Gilakjani, 2016) defined pronunciation as a
production of English sounds. Pronunciation is learnt by repeating sound
and correcting them when product it inaccurately. The pronunciation patterns
native speakers use reflect those commonly accepted by particular speech
communities Though most of us think in term of speech production. The Longman
Dictionary of Applied Linguistics emphasizes
“the way sounds are perceived
by the hearer” to define pronunciation (Richards, Platt, and Weber, 1992,
p.296). An emphasis hearers perceptions is especially relevant. How we
pronounce words, phrases, and sentences communicates to others considerable
information about who we are, and what we are like, as people. As language
teachers, we need to acknowledge that variation is a central feature of English pronunciation since there are many
legitimate varieties of English in large
number of English – dominant countries around the world.
2.
Background to the teaching of
pronunciation
The place of
pronunciation teaching in the ESL/EFL
classroom has gone through periods of dramatic over the past 50 years.
We can identify at least three primary orientations.
First
orientation: 1940s-1950s-“Listen carefully and repeat what I say.”
The
first orientation depends upon learners abilities to imitate sounds they hear.
Grounded in theories of behaviorism. “listen carefully and repeat”
lessons challenge learners to mimic, memorize, and in other ways practice language
samples to the point of being able to
reproduce them automatically.
Reflecting
this first orientation, classroom procedures assume that learners with a “good
ear” will be able to figure out how to pronounce. English through guided
exposure to reliable models. A problem is that learners differ in how
effectively they are really listen to and discern the sound system of new
language. Since beginning learners “hear” the English sound system through the filter of their first
language, they may need explicit training in how the sound system of their
language and of English may differ in both obvious ways.
Second
orientation: 1960s – 1970s – “ Lets analyze these sounds closely to figure out
how to pronounce them more clearly”.
The
second orientation features explicit presentation, intensive practice specific
sounds, and depends upon learners mental abilities to make sense of complex
description of sounds. Teacher devote considerable time to explicit
presentation and practice with the sounds of English, especially individual
vowel and consonant sounds. Instruction appeals to learners analytic abilities
to “learn about” speech sounds, compare features of the sound system of English
with features of their native languages,
and practice new sounds intensively. The teacher may induce diagrams, charts,
and video clips that depict visually particular locations in the mouth where
specific sounds in class, the teacher may familiarize learners with a listing
of system to represent individual vowels and consonants sounds.
Third
orientation: 1980s and beyond (communicative and task – based language
teaching) – “let’s start using these sounds in activities as soon as we can
while I provide cues and feedback on how well you’re doing.
The third orientation may induce brief
explanation of how sounds are produced,
but shifts quickly to interactive classroom activities that are controlled,
guided, and increasingly more extemporaneous in nature. Instruction provides
opportunities for learners to use specific features of pronunciation with
generous amounts of teacher support. It is an experiential orientation that
depends in large part of students abilities to “learn trough doing”.
Teacher
representative of the third orientation highlight the importance of genuine
communication in classroom. The idea is to involve learners in using targeted
sounds and pattern as quickly and
interactively as possible. As in second orientation, the teacher may
describe how specific sounds are produce, but technical explanations are kept
short and learners are given increased opportunities to begin conversing with
the another while using targeted sounds.
Classroom
tasks are structured for learners to focus on the expression of meaning while
teachers listen in, monitor how well their students are doing, and lend support.
In such ways, a normal part of interactional process challenge learners
incorporate new sounds into more extemporaneous opportunities to speak. This
process can be accomplished through a four stage sequence (adapted from Celce
Murcia, 1987):
a. Identify
what sounds or sound patterns might be in need of improvement.
b. Find
real word contexts of natural language use with many natural occurrences of the
identified sound or sound pattern.
c. Design
communication – based classroom tasks of genuine language use that incorporate
the identified sounds.
d. Develop
at least three or four tasks that may be used to recycle the focus of
instruction while providing new contexts for practicing the target sounds.
A
further characteristic of this third
orientation is that the domain of teaching is expanded to give even
greater attention to other features of the sound system that individual
consonant and vowel sounds.
3. Principles for teaching pronunciation
a) Foster
intelligibility during spontaneous speech
In earlier, decades a serious flaw of pronunciation
teaching was the tendency in teach speech sounds isolated from meaningful
content. Contemporary teachers and learners realize that efforts to communicate
meaningfully are even more important than perfect pronunciation. Lesson should
engage learners in using sounds in more personalized ways of speaking. Being
able to produce sounds in isolation is a far cry from being able to use them
intelligibly in connected streams of speech.
b) Keep
affective considerations firmly in mind
Emotions can run high whenever
language learners are asked to develop new pronunciation habits. It is
essential to realize that pronunciation practice normally takes place in front
of other students and a teacher. There are many learners who have what they
believe to be very good to resist teachers effort to modify their ways of
pronouncing English. Peer pressure often plays an important a role. A learner
may fear rejection from classmate if her or his pronunciation begin to sounds
better than other students in classroom. This is an area in which teacher need
to provide learners generous degrees of affective support.
c) Avoid
the teaching of individual sound in isolations
It is crucial for teacher to embed
whatever sounds pattern the focus of instruction within connected stretches of
speech. Other than very brief lesson segments when teachers may introduce a
specific pronunciation point for the first time, it is almost always more
effective to illustrate and practice sounds within context of whole phrases,
short sentences, and interactive classroom tasks. Activities that provide
opportunities for learners to communicate meaningfully with each other are more
interesting, enjoyable , and memorable.
In the long run, such activities have more an impact enhancing speech
intelligibility.
d) Provide
feedback on learner progress.
It
is important to provide learners with feedback on how well they are doing.
Teachers need to support learners effort, guide them, and provide cues for
improvement. Otherwise, learners may be unaware where they need to place their
energies. Such feedback can be provided by you as the classroom teacher, by
peers, and through self awareness training in conjunction with live analysis,
video, and/or audio recordings.
e) Realize
that ultimately it is the learner who is in control of changes in pronunciation.
Try
as we may, teacher are not able to make the changes necessary for improvement
in pronunciation to take place. Teachers can provide guidance and practice
opportunities, but learners are the ones who are in charge of making any
changes that may ultimately take place. Morley, (1994) speaks of the pronunciation
teacher as a “language coach” who “ supplies information : gives models from
time to time ; sets high standards; provides a wide variety of practice
opportunities; and supports and encourages the learner” (p. 89).
f) What
does teaching pronunciation involve?[1]
1. Transcribing
sounds
Take a dictionary that
include transcription, and check trough its phonetic alphabet, some of whose
symbols may be different from those.
2. Recognizing
rhythm and stress
In pairs, one
participant dictates a short sentences, both participants write it down,
capitalizing the stressed syllables. Then again, with the other participant
dictating. And again, two or three times.
3. Recognizing
intonation patterns
Listen to a brief
recording – one lasting not more than a minute or so – of a speakers of the
language you teach ( from a listening – comprehension cassette, for example ).
Write down a sentence from the recording, using conventional spelling, and put
in indications of rising and falling intonation and stress. If you are working
in a group, compare results with each other.
4. Classroom
technique and tasks
a. Openness to change
Spending some time building learners
self confidence and attending to their emotional needs as speakers of a new
language is especially important at the start of a course. One way is to give
learners opportunities to voice what they believe to be their strength as
speakers of English. Alternatively, teacher can ask learners to discuss problem
areas and frustrations. By giving learners a chance to vent their frustrations,
a teacher demonstrates concern for emotional needs. Laroy (1995)suggest asking
learners to speak in their native, languages while mimicking a native English
speakers way of pronouncing their own language.
b. contextualized minimal pairs
One of the oldest in oldest
techniques in pronunciation instruction is to teach students to distinguish
between specifically targeted sounds, stress pattern or intonation pattern
through these of minimal pairs (for example, two words which differ from each
other by only one distinctive sound and which also differ meaning).
c. Gadget and props
Ruber bands, balls that bounce
easily, and kazoos may be used in pronunciation classrooms to call attention to
word stress, sentence stress, rhythm pattern, and features of intonation. For
stress pattern, an either word level or sentence level, student can be taught
to stretch rubber bands dramatically to illustrate the prominence of specific
syllables.
E’d u C’A tion , to illustrate the words stress pattern, the teacher says
the words aloud while simultaneously stretchin the rubber bands slightly in
coordination with the first syllable but much more dramatically for the words
third syllbles. Student may be taught to analyze words on their own, and to
practice saying words while stretching rubber bands, bouncing rubber balls, or
humming into kazoos in coordination with their pronunciation of stressed
syllables.
d. slow motion speaking
A way to build fluency with more accurate
pronounciation is through “slow motion speaking”(SMS). To introduce SMS, the
teacher models to learners how to deliberately slow down one speech. Then,
learner are given a brief except of scripted language to practice aloud. Once
familiar with the sample, they are asked to say it aloud along with their
teacher while the teacher pronounces the except in a highly unnaturally slowed
down manner.
e. tracking
Tracking begins wit students
analyzing written transcript of English as produced by native speakers for
which video or audio recordings are available. One of trackings distinctive
features is that language learners are not being asked to repeat after the
recorder voices.
f. Techniques from drama and theater
acts
Instruction can be structured in
ways similar to how an actor might work during rehearsal for a performances. Teachers
can provide tips on body language, tempo of speech, puitch range, and so forth.
Handman (1978) and Schulman and Mekler (1984) provide edited collection of
scenes from movies and screenplays that are especially helpful when working
with ESL/EFL learners.
5. Pronunciation
in the classroom
a. dialogue and pattern practice
The
teacher shift between whole class respnses and individual responses. At times,
the teacher gestures to divide the class into four quadrants, and alternative
work with individual quadrants at a time.
b.
analyzing the dialog first
c.
Commentary
This
teacher has used dialogue material in ways quite different from “repeat after
me” pattern practice. Students have examined individual word carefully,
identified the number of syllables in words, and determined the location of
primary stressed syllables. They have also practiced slow motion speaking ,
while growing more familiar with the materials.
Some
useful tips:
We
have found the following tips helpful in our teaching:[2]
1. Teach
one spelling pattern every week
2. Spend
8-12 minutes introducing the spelling pattern, another five minutes doing the
warm up listening exercises, and as much time as your class needs to do and
check the spelling activity
3. If
you teach nonnative English students, try using the students mother tongue , if
possible, to introduce the spelling pattern and to write the rule on the board.
4. You
may want to have a spelling corner to record/display the spelling pattern, as
you teach them. Referring to previously taught patterns becomes easier this
way.
5. Encourage
your students to use a separate notebook or file for the weekly spelling
patterns, example words and spelling activities.
6. Teach
words listed as common exceptions only if they are fairly important words that
your class is likely to need.
7. Test
the weekly spelling pattern a few days after teaching it. This shouldn’t take
long, and it can be a five minute activity for the beginning or end of lesson.
8. To reduce student tension, as well as your own
teaching load, try letting the students grade their own spelling quiz, by
comparing their answers to those you write up on the board.
6.
Conclusion
In this chapter, 1 set out to define
pronunciation and describe the role it plays in the teaching of English
speakers of other language. Some teachers assume that learners will learn to
pronounce English well with little or no direct instruction.
Bibliography
Nunan David, “Practical English Language
Teaching”.2003. Singapore.
Ur
Penny. “A Course in Language Teaching”. 1999. Cambridge University.
Shemesh
Ruth and Sheila Waller. “Teaching English Spelling”. 2000. Cambridge
University.
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