Browsing by Subject "pronunciation ability"

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Open Access
A closer look at pronunciation learning strategies, L2 pronunciation proficiency and secondary variables influencing pronunciation ability
(2008) Berkil, Gülçin
It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the influence of the use of learning strategies on second language proficiency. So far, however, there has been little discussion about the relationship between second language pronunciation proficiency and pronunciation learning strategy use. In addition, no research has been found that surveyed the relationship between pronunciation ability and the particular pronunciation learning strategy use. The main objectives of this study were to a) give a detailed picture of the pronunciation learning strategy use of Turkish university students learning English; b) examine the relationship between pronunciation learning strategy use and pronunciation ability; c) look for patterns of variation in the use of each strategy by pronunciation proficiency level; d) investigate the relationship between pronunciation ability and several variables, including self-perception of pronunciation ability, perceived importance of pronunciation, gender, out-of-class exposure to English, length of English study and age at beginning of English study; and e) examine how some of these variables (self-perception of pronunciation ability, perceived importance of pronunciation, gender and out-of-class exposure to English) may relate to pronunciation learning strategy use. The study gathered data from 40 students of the English Language and Literature Department at Dumlupınar University (DPU) in Kütahya, Turkey. The data concerning pronunciation learning strategy use were collected through a Strategy Inventory for Learning Pronunciation (SILP). Learners’ pronunciation abilities were assessed via two pronunciation elicitation tasks, read-alouds and extemporaneous conversations. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, one-way analyses of variances (ANOVAs), Pearson chi-square tests and independent samples t-tests. Statistical analyses of the quantitative data revealed that there was no significant relationship between pronunciation learning strategy use and pronunciation ability. The analyses at the individual strategy item level showed that only three of the 52 SILP items varied significantly or near-significantly by pronunciation proficiency level. The remaining 49 items of non-significant variation were categorized according to the mean frequency of use on a three-point scale to show their relative popularity in spite of their having no effect in distinguishing proficient pronouncers from less-proficient ones (bedrock strategies). While no relationship was observed between pronunciation ability and four of the secondary variables, two remaining variables, length of English study and age at beginning of English study, varied significantly among the pronunciation ability groups. In investigating the relationship between pronunciation learning strategy use and some of the secondary variables (self-perception of pronunciation ability, perceived importance of pronunciation, gender and out-of-class exposure to English), it was seen that strategy use varied significantly only by gender. This study suggested the use of all strategy items of either significant or nonsignificant variation, or that are used popularly by high proficiency learners, based on the rationale that some strategies may contribute to more proficient pronounciation even though they are ineffective in improving the pronunciation abilities of less-proficient ones. Further, the use of all types of pronunciation learning strategies in concert with one another may increase their effectiveness upon learners’ second language pronunciation ability.
Open Access
The relationship between cultural identity and pronunciation of non-native speakers of English in an EFL setting
(2011) Pullen, Elizabeth
Many factors are known to influence the pronunciation of English by speakers of other languages, including: the speaker’s L1, age of beginning English, length of study, gender, motivation, aptitude, and personality. Other socio-cultural factors, such as ethnic group affiliation and desire of the speaker to identify themselves through their accent are also believed to influence a speaker’s pronunciation. However, there is at present a lack of research into the relationship between the degree of a speaker’s self-identification with their own culture and that speaker’s pronunciation accuracy in an EFL context. This study addresses the following two questions: 1) What are the relationships among cultural identity, the degree of accentedness, and attitudes toward pronunciation of non-native speakers of English in an EFL context? and 2) What are the attitudes of non-native speakers of English in an EFL context toward their pronunciation of English? The participants of the study were advanced Turkish speakers of English at two English-medium universities in Ankara, Turkey. The participants responded to a questionnaire about cultural identity, attitudes toward pronunciation, and language background. Then a selection of participants who had completed the questionnaire provided a pronunciation sample based on three tasks, which were then scored for degree of accent by five native speakers of English. The questionnaire, and the pronunciation ratings provided by the native speaker judges were analyzed for reliability. The language background information factors and attitude ratings were compared individually with the identity and pronunciation scores to determine which factors were related to each. It was found that age of beginning English study and residence of three or more months abroad were significantly related to both the identity and pronunciation scores; therefore, these factors were controlled for in the partial correlation analysis of the relationship between cultural identity and pronunciation. The results of the study did not reveal a direct relationship between cultural identity and degree of accentedness. Moreover, the qualitative data revealed that the majority of participants did not believe that their pronunciation was related to their cultural identity. However, the data did reveal a significant relationship between cultural identity and how important native-like pronunciation of English was perceived to be. For this reason, it is felt that more research into the relationships between cultural identity, pronunciation attainment and attitudes toward native-like pronunciation is needed. It can be concluded, based on the attitudes expressed by the participants, that native-like pronunciation of English should not be ruled out as a goal for learners, especially in that most did not feel that this would be a threat to their cultural identity. Individual preferences and goals need to be taken into consideration in pronunciation instruction, but it should by no means be neglected on the basis of the claim that trying to change pronunciation is interfering with identity