Measured the first two vowel-tract resonances of a sample of native-French speakers for the non-nasalized vowels of that language. Values measured for native speakers for a particular vowel were used as target parameters for subjects who used a visual display of an impedance spectrum of their own vocal tracts as real time feedback to realize the…

Investigated the pronunciation training component of a Teaching English as a Second Language program. Focuses on teaching pronunciation in a specific context in Malaysia but raises issues of interest to English-as-a-Second-Language practitioners in other contexts. Describes the pronunciation training and, based on students' responses to a…

Shows positive and negative aspects of the interference of the Polish voicing system on the learner's attempt to master the pronunciation of English. Argues that visual feedback can help foreign learners acquire the nuances of English pronunciation. (Author/VWL)

Adult English-as-a-Second-Language students enrolled in a speaking improvement course (which emphasized general speaking habits) read aloud lists of true and false sentences at the beginning and end of the course. Native speakers judged their intelligibility, comprehensibility, and accent. Most participants showed significant improvement in at…

This study, using student ratings of lecturers, examines the perceived effect of the lecturers ability to communicate effectively. The relationship between the standard question -- "The lecturer was able to communicate ideas and information clearly" -- and the global rating question -- "Overall, the lecturer is an effective teacher" -- was…

The power and status of America in the world today are undeniable. This paper presents some empirical data about the attitudes and perceptions Danish learners of EFL have about British and American English. Ninety-six EFL learners participated in a verbal-guise experiment that involved rating different accents of English: American, Australian,…

"Global Voices in Song" is a CD-ROM series that provides singers or listeners in classrooms and choirs with the materials needed for effective oral transmission of choral music from sources outside the European art music tradition. It was developed by Dr. Mary Goetze, Professor of Music at Indiana University (IU) and Dr. Jay Fern from IU Academic…

In this study we identify some of the phonetic parameters that correlate with nonnative speakers' (NNSs) perceptual judgments of accent in English and investigate NNS listener perceptions of English from a World Englishes point of view. Our main experiment involved 3,200 assessments of the perceived degree of accent in English of two speaker…

Vocabulary learning is central to reading ability and academic achievement. Vocabulary researchers and educators have viewed its essence as a process of associating the pronunciations and meanings of words in memory, and they have paid little attention to the contribution that spellings might make to vocabulary learning. We review theory and…

This manual is designed to teach learners of Deg Xinag, an Athabaskan language, its phonology, grammar, and common expressions. The first chapter details the phonological characteristics, pronunciation rules, and orthography of Deg Xinag. The second chapter lists common expressions, and the third provides six dialogues in Deg Xinag, with…

Pronunciation teaching of the segmental aspects needs to be balanced with the inclusion of learner awareness of stress, rhythm, intonation and meaningful production. Yet many formats for pronunciation teaching do not place these skills and an awareness of the suprasegmental features in either a communicative format or a specific speaking…

It is proposed that the target for teaching pronunciation in English as a Second Language must be the authentic, connected speech that is used by most native speakers, not an artificial and over-correct model too closely tied to the writing system, a different modality entirely. In English, this means learning the language's rhythmic patterns to…

The text is designed for self-study of the grammar and pronunciation of standard oral North American English. It is not intended to replace learners' dialects but to provide alternative ways of speaking for appropriate situations. The book is divided into two main sections. The first outlines pronunciation differences between Standard English (SE)…

This guide is intended for use in conducting a reading lab for a broad group of workers ranging from nonreaders to persons reading at a fifth-grade level. Presented first is a course overview that includes the following: information on the course's targeted population, student selection process, and demographics; strategies for adult remediation;…

A step-by-step procedure for teaching and reviewing dictionary skills is presented. Activities are offered to support learning objectives related to the following topics: (1) alphabetizing; (2) finding entry words; (3) using guide words; (4) learning what a definition is and that a word may have multiple definitions; (5) using the pronunciation…