Beyond listen and repeat an overview of English

Beyond "listen and repeat" - an overview of English pronunciation teaching materials Magdalena Wrembel Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań magdala@amu. edu. pl

Introduction 4 Unexplored question - have material designers responded to changing perspectives? 4 Jones (1997): "In spite of a changed phonological focus [. . . ] teaching techniques and tasks continue to rely on the behaviourist notions of SLA such as habit formation". 4 My intention: to examine how recent SLA findings and new trends in pronunciation pedagogy are reflected in pronunciation materials 4 Selected materials: – textbooks – computer software – Internet web sites 2

Outline of the presentation 4 Theoretical introduction - changing perspectives in pronunciation pedagogy 4 Analysis of materials – Model accents – Goals and priorities – Common core features – Pronunciation teaching techniques 4 Conclusions 3

Changing perspectives in pronunciation pedagogy 4 Historical outline of pronunciation instruction: 4 Grammar Translation - irrelevant 4 Direct Method - intuition & imitation 4 Audiolingual Method - important, drills 4 Communicative Approach - initially disregarded, growing awareness 4

Changing perspectives in pronunciation pedagogy (2) 4 Shift in priorities (segmentals < suprasegmentals) 4 Contextualisation and fluency-building 4 Widened scope of pronunciation instruction 4 Holistic approach 4 Autonomy and speech awareness 4 New technologies 5

Materials analysis - model accents Textbooks (31) CD-ROMs (13) Internet resources 4 Phonetics reference BE-19 AE-10 ? - 2 BE- 4 AE-10 ? - 2 4 4 sites Phonetic labs Professional organisations Text files Sound files 6

Target model variety - years of publication 7

Redirection of priorities segmentals s l a t men g e s a pr su seg m ent a ls+ sup ras egm . 8

Focus on segmentals 1 4 1960 s-70 s 4 Detailed treatment of Vs & Cs 4 Optional features: – consonantal clusters, – weak forms, – linking, – elements of stress & intonation 9

Focus on segmentals 2 4 Textbooks: 4 Baker, A. 1977. Ship or sheep? An intermediate pronunciation course. 4 Baker, A. 1982. Tree or Three? An elementary pronunciation course. 4 Barnard, G. L. & P. S. Mc. Kay. 1963. Practice in spoken English. 4 Hooke, R. & J. Rowell. 1982. A handbook of English pronunciation. 4 Kenyon, J. S. 1956. American pronunciation. 4 Mac. Carthy, P. 1965. A practice book of English speech. 4 Munro Mackenzie, M. D. 1973. Modern English pronunciation practice. 10

Segmentals + suprasegmentals 1 4 1980 s - 1990 s 4 Vs - quantitative & qualitative, emphasis differs 4 Cs - focal areas: • aspiration, contrast, fortis / lenis, clusters 4 Suprasegmentals: • stress & rhythm, connected speech, weak forms, intonation 4 Additional features: • spelling - sound correspondence, guidance for different L 1, voice quality 11

Segmentals + suprasegmentals 2 4 Arabski, J. 1987. Wymowa amerykańska. 4 Cunningham S, & B. Bowler. 1999. New Headway Pronunciation Course 4 Hewings, M. 1993. Pronunciation tasks. A course for pre-intermediate learners. 4 O'Connor, J. D. & J. Fletcher. 1989. Sounds English. 4 O'Connor, J. D. 1967 (1989). Better English pronunciation. 4 Orion, G. 1997. Pronouncing American English: sounds, stress, and intonation. 4 Ponsby, M. 1982. How Now, Brown Cow? 4 Reszkiewicz, A. 1981. Correct your English pronunciation. 4 Sobkowiak, W. 1996. English phonetics for Poles. 4 CD PRONUNCIATION POWER 4 CD SPEAK FLUENT AMERICAN ENGLISH 4 CD MOULTON INTERACTIVE INTRO TO PHON & PHON 4 CD FONETYKA ANGIELSKA W PIGUŁCE 4 CD HUMMINGBIRD 4 SOUND MACHINES 12

Suprasegmentals 1 4 Stress - (word stress, nuclear stress, unaccented syllables, schwa, weak forms) 4 Rhythm - (thought groups) 4 Intonation - (communicative function, discourse-based) 4 Secondary importance – Connected speech – Individual sounds - selected aspects » aspiration, voicing, consonantal contrasts, clusters » vowel duration » practised in the context of connected speech 13

Suprasegmentals 2 4 Bogle, D. 1996. Practical phonology. 4 Bradford, B. 1988. Intonation in Context. 4 Brazil, D. 1994. Pronunciation for advanced learners of English. 4 Gilbert, J. 1993. Clear speech. 4 Miller, S. F. 2000. Targeting pronunciation: the intonation, sounds, and rhythm of 4 4 4 4 4 American English. Morley, J. 1979. Improving Spoken English. Mortimer, C. 1985. Elements of pronunciation. Prator, C. 1951 (1985). A manual of American English pronunciation. Rogerson, P. & J. B. Gilbert. 1990. Speaking clearly. Vaughan-Rees, M. 1994. Rhymes and Rhythm. Weinstein, N. 1982. Whaddaya Say? Zawadzki, H. 1994 In tempo. CD BETTER ACCENT TUTOR. FOR AMERICAN ENGLISH CD PRONUNCIATION IN AMERICAN ENGLISH CD CONNECTED SPEECH 14

15

Pronunciation syllabi - common core features vs. LFC 4 85% weak vowel 4 77% intonation 4 74% word stress 4 70% vowel quantity 4 67% vowel quality 4 67% tonic stress 4 67% unstressed syllables 4 63% rhythm (thought groups) 4 59% diphthongs 4 56% dental fricatives 4 52% weak forms 4 52% consonants 4 48% elisions 46% 44% 41% 37% 32% 18% - consonantal clusters linking rhotic r assimilation aspiration fortis / lenis spelling / sound dark l 16

Pronunciation teaching techniques 4 "Listen and repeat" 4 Minimal pair drills – Sample materials: Higgin's Home Page, Baker 1977, Baker 1982, Barnard & Mc. Kay 1963, O'Connor 1967, O'Connor & Fletcher 1989, Orion 1997, Cunningham & Bowler 1999 4 Ear training -recognition/discrimination – Baker 1977, Baker 1982, O'Connor 1967, O'Connor & Fletcher 1989, Clear Speech Works (CD), Ponsby 1982, UCL 4 Phonetic training – Reszkiewicz 1981, Arabski 1987, Brazil 1994, Orion 1997, The Mouton Interactive Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology (CD), Fonetyka angielska w pigułce (CD), PHON 2, 17 UCLA's Phonetic Lab, Maidment's Pronunciation Tip of the Day

Pronunciation teaching techniques (2) 4 Reading aloud / recitation – Mortimer 1985, Bradford 1988, Brazil 1994, Ponsby 1982 4 Tongue twisters and poems – Vaughan-Rees 1994, Reck's Collection of Tongue Twisters 4 Pronunciation games – Maidments' Sound Machines, Windmayer's Sounds of English Pronunciation Power (CD), Bogle 1996, Hancock 2003 4 Communicative / contextualised activities – Morley 1979, Bradford 1988, O'Connor & Fletcher 1989, Gilbert 1993, Hewings & Goldstein 1993, Brazil 1994, Miller 18 2000

Pronunciation teaching techniques (3) 4 Pair work – O'Connor & Fletcher 1989, Miller 2000, Hewings & Goldstein 1993 4 Multisensory modes of presentation – Kinaesthetic reinforcement • Bogle 1996, Miller 2000 – Visual support • Sobkowiak 1996, Orion 1997, Pronunciation Power (CD), Clear Speech Works (CD), CSLU Toolkit Baldi 4 Guidance for users of different languages: Cunningham & Bowler 1999, O'Connor & Fletcher 1989, Hancock 2003 19

Pronunciation teaching techniques (4) 4 Transcription exercises – Bogle 1996, Orion 1997, Lecumberri & Maidment 2000 4 Integrated skills – Speak Fluent American English (CD), Gilbert 1993 4 Voice quality – Speak Fluent American English (CD) 4 Sensitisation – Bradford 1988, Brazil 1994, Hancock 2003 4 Self-monitoring and learners' autonomy: – Brazil 1994, Miller 2000, CD-ROMs 20

Conclusions 4 Greater variety in NS-model accents 4 Redefined goals and priorities – intelligibility & communication 4 Pronunciation syllabi - little compatibility with LFC 4 Wider inventory of teaching techniques – beyond "listen & repeat" – consciousness-raising and self-monitoring 21

Internet resources Phonetics Reference Sites 4 Cyber. Phon (acoustic phonetics) http: //www. cyberphon. univ-lyon 2. fr 4 PHON 2: Phonetics beyond the basics http: //www. linguistics. reading. ac. uk/phon 2 4 Pronunciation Web Resources - links http: //www. sunburstmedia. com/Pron. Web. html 4 An overview of pronunciation software, D. Healey http: //oregonstate. edu/~healeyd/tesol 2002/pron. html 22

Internet resources (2) - text files 4 John Higgin's Home Page - minimal pairs 4 4 http: //www. marlodge. supanet. com/ Michael Reck's Collection of Tongue Twisters http: //www. uebersetzung. at/twister/en. html Sharon Windmayer's Sounds of English http: //www. soundsofenglish. org Maidment's Pronunciation Tip of the Day http: //www. phon. ucl. ac. uk/home/johnm/eptotd/tipho me. html SIL's IPA Fonts http: //www. itl. atr. co. jp/comp. speech/Section 1/Fonts/ 23 sil. ipa. html

Internet resources (3) - practical activities on the Web 4 John Maidments' Sound Machines http: //www. eptotd. btinternet. co. uk/vm/soundmachin es. htm • Vowel Machine • Transcriber • TONI • PLATO 4 Web-based transcription tool http: //www. wtt. org. uk 4 Sharon Windmayer's Sounds of English http: //www. soundsofenglish. org 24

Internet resources (4) - phonetic labs and organisations 4 UCLA's Phonetics Lab 4 4 http: //www. humnet. ucla. edu/humnet/linguistics/facili ti/uclaplab. html Phonetics Dep. at the University College London http: //www. phon. ucl. ac. uk/home/wells The International Phonetic Association http: //www. arts. gla. ac. uk/IPA/ipa. html IATEFL's Pronun. Special Interest Group http: //members. aol. com/Pronunciation. Sig/index. html TESOL's Speech/Pronunc. Special Interest Section http: //www. public. iastate. edu/~jlevis/SPRIS/ 25

Pronunciation CD-ROMs 4 THE MOUTON INTERACTIVE INTRODUCTION TO PHONETICS AND 4 4 4 PHONOLOGY FONETYKA ANGIELSKA W PIGUŁCE, Sobkowiak, W. 2000. (BE) PRONUNCIATION POWER (AE) http: //www. englishlearning. com/pronpowr. html PRONUNCIATION IN AMERICAN ENGLISH 1999 (AE) BETTER ACCENT TUTOR FOR AMERICAN ENGLISH (AE) SPEAK FLUENT AMERICAN ENGLISH (AE) HUMMINGBIRD (AE) http: //www. humbird. com 4 SOUND MACHINES (BE) 4 CONNECTED SPEECH 4 4 4 (AE, BE, Australian) CLEAR SPEECH WORKS (AE) AMERICAN SPEECH SOUNDS (AE) ENGLISH EASY: VOWELS AND CONSONANTS (Canadian English) PPO-NUNCIATION SOUND LAB & MOUTH EXERCISES (BE, AE) AMERICAN ACCENT PROGRAMME (AE) 26