Overcoming the pronunciation barrier. The aptitude for phonetic mimicry and German ESL students' linguistic awareness

Overcoming the pronunciation barrier. The aptitude for phonetic mimicry and German ESL students' linguistic awareness PDF

Author: Anna Lynn Dolman

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2020-07-30

Total Pages: 39

ISBN-13: 334621611X

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Seminar paper from the year 2020 in the subject Learning materials - English, grade: 1.3, University of Cologne, language: English, abstract: This paper firstly compares and contrasts the phonetic and phonological systems of English and German and then goes on to describe some frequently occurring problems concerning pronunciation and non-native accents of German ESL students. Some of the factors leading to the problems that will be scrutinized are interference of German, learners’ attitudes and insufficient knowledge of phonetics and phonology systems of the English language, among others. Moreover, the concept of what is commonly referred to as the aptitude for (phonetic) mimicry will be illuminated and discussed from different viewpoints, taking into account the origin of the term and its applicability to linguistics, particularly within the fields of phonetics and phonology. One of the objectives of this paper will thus be to determine possible factors affecting learners’ pronunciation competence and to examine to what extent formal instruction in phonetics and phonology can alleviate certain pronunciation difficulties. To that end, a small-scale study was designed and conducted at the University of Cologne with first- and second-year English students, five of whom had not yet taken the Practical Phonetics & Phonology (PPP) course that forms an obligatory part of the English Studies Bachelor’s Degree Program and five who had taken it during the previous semester and had passed the end-of-module exam.

The Acquisition of Phonetic Details. Difficulties of the English Pronunciation for German Second Language Speakers and Teaching Suggestions

The Acquisition of Phonetic Details. Difficulties of the English Pronunciation for German Second Language Speakers and Teaching Suggestions PDF

Author: Chiara Alina Sachwitz

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2021-11-08

Total Pages: 19

ISBN-13: 3346533697

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Seminar paper from the year 2019 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, grade: 1,7, , language: English, abstract: Nowadays, it seems perfectly normal to many Germans using English words in daily conversations, however, on the level of pronunciation, it is common to stick to the German sound system. Yet, there are language learners who know about the different phonological patterns of the two languages. To understand the reasons why German second language learners face difficulties pronouncing English sounds, this term paper focuses on potential areas of concern. English words are placed into the context of the native language and are characterized by its foreign-sounding accent. This accent is defined as a which give information on a person’s social background and indicate. At the same time, pronunciation itself while the pronunciation of individual sounds does not make a difference in meaning in the German language, it can have a distinctive function in the English language. Many language learners, however, are not aware of this contradiction between their first language and the target language and therefore, tend to pronounce English words incorrectly.

Teaching English Pronunciation to L1 Speakers of German at Gymnasium

Teaching English Pronunciation to L1 Speakers of German at Gymnasium PDF

Author: Michael Burger

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2009-04-30

Total Pages: 26

ISBN-13: 3640323424

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Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, grade: 2,0, University of Augsburg (Phil-Hist Fakultät), course: Teaching and Learning English Pronunciation, language: English, abstract: In the course of the last three decades a whole new prominence has been granted to the significance of foreign language (FL) learning. Due to the recent development of globalization, further emerging of multi-national enterprises and the coalescence of the European Union, this appears to be the logical consequence. Because of its nowadays widely accepted status as a lingua franca (Acar 2006) the learning and teaching of English as the most frequently spoken second language has gained importance – in Germany as well as in most industrialized countries speaking prevalently another first language (L1). In the recent past, since the end of the 19th century, changing trends have focused on different methods of language teaching, such as the ability to translate texts, correct use of grammar, or wide range of vocabulary. However, the teaching of English pronunciation finally has come back into the focus of interest since the second half of the 1980s due to the mentioned economic and social changes. Nowadays the ability to (net-) work internationally – and thus reach the “ultimate goal of communication with other speakers of the second language” (Brown 1994: 226) seems to be one of the highest goals of achievement of second language (L2) learning. During the time of almost one century of pronunciation teaching the attitude towards the issue has changed as well: as Chun (1991: 179) states in her article, the development started from a segmental and comparative sound repetition learning strategy, followed by a period of simply ignoring the topic completely from the 1960s to the early 1980s, leading finally to the up-to-date approach of teaching suprasegmentals, sentence intonation as well as other aspects of connected speech. The most current approach towards second language teaching lies, according to Neri, Cucchiarini and Strik (2006: 357), in “the achievement of communicative effectiveness”. This means that learners do not necessarily have to eradicate the slightest traces of foreign accent in their productions of L2 speech but are trained to avoid serious pronunciation errors.

Lesson Simulation on Pronunciation

Lesson Simulation on Pronunciation PDF

Author: Alexandra Baum

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2014-12-22

Total Pages: 20

ISBN-13: 3656865647

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Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, grade: bestanden, University of Freiburg (Anglistik/Amerikanistik), language: English, abstract: When it comes to teaching English Pronunciation in the classroom a lot of teachers feel reluctant. The reasons might be a lack of instruction during their own studies of English or even a personal struggle with the topic because of its complexity and the fact that they are non-native speakers of English. Finding a good introductory lesson that evolves around one of the topics of pronunciation seems to be rather challenging. That might be because although a lot of the textbooks for learners of English offer some small exercises on pronunciation they do provide teachers with enough material to add-on to the units or to create a whole lesson. So even nowadays to find an English learner’s classroom where pronunciation is taught in on a regular basis is a wishful thinking. Teachers have be aware of the fact that exercises on sounds, word and sentence stress, intonation and connected speech (elision and liaison) need to be part of the English lesson in order to prepare their students for the actual use of the target language in the real world without the protecting walls of the classroom. The fact that pronunciation is a part of language acquisition has long been neglected. It was seen as the finishing touch of learning English and therefore stood at the far end of the line. If students were highly motivated they went abroad or looked for a tandem partner to learn how to speak good English. But as prospective teachers me know of the importance of pronunciation and that students of the English language need to be introduced to its rules right from the beginning of the learning process. To speak an understandable and fluent English is a great part of mastering the language and therefore must not be neglected. Therefore, pronunciation is a highly important aspect of teaching English not just since it is part of the basic criteria needed to successfully communicate with native speakers of the but also to round off the skill of knowing English.

Pronunciation Fundamentals

Pronunciation Fundamentals PDF

Author: Tracey M. Derwing

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company

Published: 2015-07-15

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 9027268592

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The emergence of empirical approaches to L2 pronunciation research and teaching is a powerful fourth wave in the history of the field. Authored by two leading proponents of evidence-based instruction, this volume surveys both foundational and cutting-edge empirical work and pinpoints its ramifications for pedagogy. The authors begin by tracing the history of pronunciation instruction and explicating L2 phonetic learning processes. Subsequent chapters explore the themes, strengths, and ethical problems of the field through the lens of the intelligibility principle. The importance of error gravity, and the need for assessment and individualized instruction are highlighted, and the role of L2 accents in social contexts is probed. Material readily available elsewhere has been omitted in favour of an emphasis on the how, why, and when of pronunciation instruction. Anyone with an interest in L2 pronunciation–especially graduate students, language teachers, and experienced researchers–will find much value in this indispensible resource.

Understanding Second Language Acquisition

Understanding Second Language Acquisition PDF

Author: Lourdes Ortega

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-02-04

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 144411705X

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Whether we grow up with one, two, or several languages during our early years of life, many of us will learn a second, foreign, or heritage language in later years. The field of Second language acquisition (SLA, for short) investigates the human capacity to learn additional languages in late childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, after the first language --in the case of monolinguals-- or languages --in the case of bilinguals-- have already been acquired. Understanding Second Language Acquisition offers a wide-encompassing survey of this burgeoning field, its accumulated findings and proposed theories, its developed research paradigms, and its pending questions for the future. The book zooms in and out of universal, individual, and social forces, in each case evaluating the research findings that have been generated across diverse naturalistic and formal contexts for second language acquisition. It assumes no background in SLA and provides helpful chapter-by-chapter summaries and suggestions for further reading. Ideal as a textbook for students of applied linguistics, foreign language education, TESOL, and education, it is also recommended for students of linguistics, developmental psycholinguistics, psychology, and cognitive science. Supporting resources for tutors are available free at www.routledge.com/ortega.

Second Language Pronunciation

Second Language Pronunciation PDF

Author: John M. Levis

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2022-03-29

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 1119801575

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Practical resources designed to help language educators apply the latest research and most effective pedagogical methods to classroom pronunciation instruction In Second Language Pronunciation: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Teaching, a team of distinguished researchers and educators delivers an incisive and practical approach to evidence-based pronunciation instruction in second language classrooms. Developed for language teachers who want to incorporate and implement the most effective pedagogical methods in their language instruction, this edited volume offers 15 essays that connect the latest research with practical applications in the classroom. In addition to exploring recent but less well-known methods—like High Variability Phonetic Training, discourse-based teaching, communicative classrooms, and technology-based methods—these chapters are unified in bringing theory to bear on practical questions faced by language teachers. The chapters follow a standard format, moving from critical research issues to pedagogical implications, and practical resources to equip language teachers, scholars, administrators, and teachers-in-training with the tools they require to develop their students’ pronunciation abilities. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to using empirical evidence to guide pronunciation instruction in second language students Comprehensive explorations of the integration of pronunciation instruction into second language education Practical discussions of perception training in pronunciation instruction and the importance of L2 segmental and suprasegmental contrasts in pronunciation learning In-depth examinations of classroom research for pronunciation and the use of technology to explore L2 pronunciation Perfect for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students studying TESOL, applied linguistics, and second language acquisition, Second Language Pronunciation: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Teaching will also earn a place in the libraries of researchers, scholars, and teachers of language and education.

Introducing Second Language Acquisition

Introducing Second Language Acquisition PDF

Author: Muriel Saville-Troike

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2012-04-05

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 1107010896

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A clear and practical introduction to second language acquisition, written for students encountering the topic for the first time.

Teaching Pronunciation

Teaching Pronunciation PDF

Author: Marianne Celce-Murcia

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1996-10-13

Total Pages: 470

ISBN-13: 9780521406949

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This course includes an overview of current theory and practice. The paperback edition offers current and prospective teachers of English a comprehensive treatment of pronunciation pedagogy, drawing on current theory and practice. The text provides an overview of teaching issues from the perspective of different methodologies and second language acquisition research. It has a thorough grounding in the sound system of North American English, and contains insights into how this sound system intersects with listening, morphology, and spelling. It also contains diagnostic tools, assessment measures, and suggestions for syllabus design. Discussion questions encourage readers to draw on their personal language learning/teaching experiences as they assimilate the contents of each chapter. Follow-up exercises guide teachers in developing a range of classroom activities within a communicative framework.