With research showing the benefits of pronunciation instruction aimed at suprasegmentals (Derwing, Munro, & Wiebe, 1997, 1998; Derwing & Rossiter, 2003; Hahn, 2004; McNerney and Mendelsohn, 1992), more materials are needed to provide learners opportunities for self-directed practice. A 13-week experimental study was performed with 75 ESL learners…

This digest reviews the current status of pronunciation instruction in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes. The current focus on communicative approaches to ESL instruction and the concern for building teamwork and communication skills in an increasingly diverse workplace are renewing interest in the role that pronunciation plays in…

In order to master English pronunciation, a student must be able both to articulate a sound and to determine when to use the sound. A program to teach this skill combines conventional orthography and insights of generative phonology in the notion "vowel quality pattern." (CHK)

Gives practical hints for teaching pronunciation with special attention to accent: 1. Teaching of pronunciation should take place in a "meaningful context." 2. Mimicry drills form the basis for teaching pronunciation. 3. Discrimination drills are a prerequisite for successful teaching of pronunciation. 4. Speaking in chorus is a useful method for…

Second language pronunciation and listening comprehension are inherently linked. Furthermore, they are bound by a system in which the individual sounds are related. The focus of second language instruction should be the framework of intonation within which the sounds are organized. Instruction should be based on the way English speakers depend on…

The teaching of pronunciation generally consists of selecting, presenting, drilling and correcting the sounds of the target language. The learning of pronunciation involves neuromuscular and some cognitive ability, but it also has affective and social components, which carry important implications for the role of the teacher. (Author)

Describes a phonetics experiment at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, to test and improve pronunciation in Spanish with the use of an audio device known as Tok-Bak. (DS)

"The EUROCALL Review" is published online biannually by the European Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning (EUROCALL). This issue offers regular sections on: (1) up-to-date information on Special Interest Groups; (2) reports on on-going CALL or CALL-related R&D projects in which EUROCALL members participate; (3) reports…

This study investigates designing and implementing a speaking course in which face-to-face instruction informed by the principles of Task-Based Learning is blended with the use of technology, the video, for the first-year student teachers of English in Turkish higher education. The study consisted of three hours of task-based classroom…

This paper outlines the ongoing construction of a speech corpus for use by applied linguists and advanced EFL/ESL students. In the first part, sections 1-4, the need for improvements in the teaching of listening skills and pronunciation practice for EFL/ESL students is noted. It is argued that the use of authentic native-to-native speech is…

Previous research has shown that English infants are sensitive to mispronunciations of vowels in familiar words by as early as 15-months of age. These results suggest that not only are infants sensitive to large mispronunciations of the vowels in words, but also sensitive to smaller mispronunciations, involving changes to only one dimension of the…

Foreign accent and training in its reduction were studied. Many teachers and learners of a second language assume that fluency in speaking is the most important of the aspects of the delivery. However, pronunciation is another key aspect of delivery. For example, Koreans often do not produce English words with a final palatal and with a palatal+i…

Over the last two decades, research has suggested that candidates' test performances and scores are collaboratively achieved through interviewing/scoring processes and there could be unfair situations caused by the inter-interviewer variation. To investigate a precise picture of the impact of inter-interviewer variation, this research examines the…

Students of French learn to pronounce the syllables of the same rhythmic group with the same stress and the same intonation while lengthening slightly only the last syllable uttered. Several techniques designed to help students acquire correct French rhythm patterns are described here. They include: (1) counting aloud, (2) syllable division, (3)…