What do we know about pronunciation?

There is a saying that goes something like “ the more you know, the more you know you don’t know”.  I felt very much like that this week after reading about how first languages (L1) can affect learner’s pronunciation.  I was aware of differences in other languages such as the difficulties of Chinese speakers with R and L sounds. However, after reading about differences in languages (ESL 2017), I am now aware that most languages will have some form of L1 interference, even ones that are closely related to English.  

The other aspect of language which I now know I need more information is about speech elements.  When we talk about speech we tend to focus on pronunciation of  segmentals or the vowel consonant sounds, but adding suprasegmentals (stress, rhythm, and intonation) adds a whole other dimension to speech.  And how important these are to our speech!  Think about how flat sounding our language would be without melodic rhthym. How boring our voices would sound!  How we would misunderstand or misinterpret what is said without inflection, pitch, and intonation! So, when teaching English, we must really emphasize these when speaking to our students.  One teacher I have worked with is wonderful in front of the class, and very good at conveying emotions like excitement, sadness, surprise, etc when speaking.  She is a good example for me, because I know it’s very important to do this so the students know how they can do it with their voices, because it may be very different in their own languages. 

Are there other ways that learners can learn pronunciation?  A friend explained to me that she learned much of this from listening and watch TV and videos. She would watch segments over and over again, listening closely and repeating.    Exposure to English and trying to mimic is a good way for learners to tune their ear to the sounds of the English language.  Before they can speak, they must hear the sounds.  Many English sounds are not found in other languages, so teaching learners how to position their mouth to make the sound is very important as well. There are also sounds in their L1 that they have in their language that are not found in English.  Some will try to incorporate or substitute these sounds for English sounds.  This is also something that needs to be corrected.  

I see this week as just a beginning along my pronunciation learning path.  My eyes are wider open, and I have much more empathy for the students!  

ESL. (2017). Language Differences. Retrieved from http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/langdiff/

Breaking down the language to build it up and teach

Blog Post  TESL 120 Speaking and Listening  Jan 17 2020

Young children learn languages by listening and repeating what it said.  It’s a long complex process taking years to master.  When we teach English to adults, it’s a much different process, but listening and repeating what is heard is a large part of it.  However, is there is much more to speaking another language than just knowing what to say (linguistic knowledge). Thornbury (2005) breaks it all down for us.  Extralinguistic knowledge encompasses cultural, context and familiarity, and is just as important than linguistic knowledge.  Sociocultural language is also very important to truly integrate into society.  Besides learning all the vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar, we much know about intonation, when to use specific words, subtle differences in meaning, idioms, etc.  

Speaking a language is very different than writing a language.  Speaking is generally less formal, and uses other formats than writing, such as partial sentences, and one-word answers.  We must also consider the function of language, cooperating with other speakers, politeness, register, body language, etc.  Such a complex process!  

As language teachers, our task is to start simple, explain well, and lead our students through this process.  Canadian Language Benchmarks (2012) divides speaking knowledge and strategies into several parts: grammatical knowledge, textual knowledge, functional knowledge, sociolinguistic knowledge and strategic competence. Each stage builds on these to develop speaking skills in a very practical manner, ensuring that students have a full understanding of spoken English. 

As we teach, one of the biggest learning aspects of spoken language learning is error correction.  I believe doing it well is really an art form.  Having a teacher who is a very good example of error correction, is the best way to learn. Balancing accuracy and fluence is also very important (Harmer 2001).  It must be done efficiently and gently, so students understand it’s importance, but are also not offended by the manner, or singled out too much.  There are many ways to apply error correction, and is highly dependent upon the student(s), context, timing, etc.  So learning many different ways is an important aspect of language teaching.  

On a personal note, this week we began an English conversation group in my church.  Many eager and talented volunteers have come forward and over twenty participants came for the first class.  So this class is rather timely for me, in that I hope to apply what I’ve learned immediately, and also to pass this on to the other volunteers.  For example, error correction was a concern of many.  Before I had done the readings, I told them what I had garnered from watching the teacher in the class that I volunteer in.  Promote fluency, but be gentle, look for common problems, and try to be not too obtrusive.  Now I know more, and I hope to add a bit more to their knowledge as well.  

Speaking and listening is such an important part of language learning, especially for newcomers to feel comfortable in their new environment.  I’m not sure how much we will accomplish in a few short weeks, but it’s a great start! 

References: 

Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks. (2012). Canadian Language Benchmarks. Retrieved from http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/pub/language-benchmarks.pdf

Harmer, J. (2001). The Practice of English Language Teaching, Chapter 7: Feedback on Oral Work, pp. 104-109.

Thornbury, S. (2005). How to Teach Speaking, Chapter 2: What Speakers Know, pp. 11-26.