An analysis is made of research focusing on how speaking and listening activities are relevant to the language classroom. Current thinking is reviewed on spoken language, with a focus on pronunciation, as a medium of information transfer and of interpersonal exchange. (66 references) (GLR)

This book covers many practical aspects of language learning. The first section entitled "The 'Whys' of Language Learning" discusses such topics as the following: (1) everyone can learn a language; (2) easier and more difficult elements in a language and classification of languages according to difficulty for speakers of English; (3) length of…

A person or a group's accent includes not only vowel and consonant articulations, but also a predictable pattern of rhythmic stress placement and tonal or pitch contours, and a combination of configurational features that constitute voice quality setting. English as a second language (ESL) teachers should make their students aware of the habitual…

Received Pronunciation (RP) has traditionally been presented as a teaching model in Nigeria though performance has not measured up to expectation. In recent years, there has been much confusion regarding the choice of an English teaching model in developing countries, especially since the emergence of local varieties. On the one hand, experts…

Focuses on "stress-timing" in language rhythm, in which there are approximately equal intervals of time between stressed syllables. Discusses English as stress-timed, a belief established in pedagogical descriptions of English pronunciation, taught in teacher-training courses, and used as the basis for pronunciation exercises. Suggests that a…

Reviews speech-interactive learning activities in selected commercial products: activities for vocabulary development, conversational practice, and pronunciation. Suggests the effectiveness of speech-interactive computer-assisted language learning is determined less by capabilities of the speech recognizer than by (a) design of language-learning…

Describes a system, provisionally named Pronto, that uses automatic speech recognition for training pronunciation of second languages in adult learners. Methods are included for developing training in Pronto, and results are presented from evaluating classes of speech recognizers for use in different aspects of pronunciation training. (Author/VWL)

Spoken and written transmission in learning English as a second language is discussed at the levels of pronunciation and spelling, with reference to the East African learner. Fundamental physical differences between communication in speech and writing that impose different constraints upon the receiver are addressed. (SW)