my 1st draft pronunciation study spanish version

7/31/2019 MY 1st Draft Pronunciation Study SPANISH VERSION

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LA INFLUENCIA DE LA METODOLOGA EN

LA ENSEANZA DE LA PRONUNCIACIN

DE INGLES EN LAS INSTITUCIONES

EDUCATIVAS.

por

MICHAEL PETER YARNOLD BROWN

Licenciatura en Educacin Especialidad de Ingls

Universidad Nacional Federico Villareal - EUDED

Lima, Per

2012

Proyecto de tesis presentado como cumplimiento parcialde los requisitos para obtener el grado de

LICENCIATURA EN EDUCACIN ESPECIALIDADDE INGLSDecember 2012


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Page

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................1

1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................1

1.2 Background to the Study ....................................................................................2

1.3 Aim of the Study ................................................................................................2

1.4 Problem Sentence...............................................................................................2

1.5 Sub-Problems .....................................................................................................3

1.6 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................3

1.7 Assumptions .......................................................................................................4

1.8 Limitations .........................................................................................................41.9 Key Terms ..........................................................................................................4

Chapter II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ......................................................................7

2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................7

2.2 Overview of Pronunciation ................................................................................7

2.3 The Reasons Why Pronunciation is Ignored ......................................................7

2.3.1 Theoretical Framework into which the problem fits.............................8

2.4 Researchers Perceptions on Pronunciation Problems.......................................9

2.4.1 Intonation ...............................................................................................9

2.4.2 Stress and Rhythm .................................................................................9

2.5 Related Studies...................................................................................................9

2.5.1 Related Literature on Pronunciation Practice in English Courses .........9

2.5.2 Related Literature on Students Attitude to English Pronunciation .....11

2.6 Current Ideas about Pronunciation ...................................................................122.6.1 Current Thinking about Pronunciation ..................................................9

2.7 Conclusion .......................................................................................................13

III. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................15


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3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................15

3.2 Research Design...............................................................................................15

3.3 Participants .......................................................................................................16

3.4 Research Questions ..........................................................................................213.5 Data Collection Procedure ...............................................................................21

3.6 Data Analysis Strategies ..................................................................................11

Chapter Page

CHAPTER IV. FINDINGS .........................................................................................31

4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................31

4.1.1 Problem Sentence .......................................................................................314.1.2 Sub-Problem Sentences .............................................................................31

4.2 Findings about the Research Questions (part1) ...............................................31



4.5 Results of Variance Analysis ...........................................................................31

4.6 Overall Results of Variance Analysis ..............................................................31

CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION ...................................................................................31

5.1 Summary of the Study .....................................................................................31

5.2 Discussion of the Findings ...............................................................................41

5.3 Recommendations for Teaching Pronunciation ...............................................41

5.4 Directions for Future Research ........................................................................41

5.5 Conclusion .......................................................................................................41

BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................41

APPENDICES .............................................................................................................41


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Appendix A Questionaire ....................................................................................33

Appendix B ............................................................................................................41


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LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1 Frequency of Participants ......................................................................................16


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Table Page

Continue your List of Tables here if you need more than one page. If you do not needmore than one page, place your cursor on the previous page after the last typed word andpress delete until you see the List of Figures page directly below. Make sure the List of

Figures page below has a 2 margin before continuing.This template is best used for directly typing in your content. However, you can paste

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

1...................................................................................................................................1


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Figure Page

Continue your List of Figures here if you need more than one page. If you do not needmore than one page, place your cursor on the previous page after the last typed word and

press delete until you see the Chapter 1 page directly below. Make sure the Chapter 1page below has a 2 margin before continuing.

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CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

Language comprehension and production are quite complex issues incorporating the interaction

between elements of semantics, phonetics, syntax, pragmatics and discourse. For this reason, we

should consider the perception and production of speech sounds as an integral part of

understanding language. Teachers should therefore give as much attention to teaching

pronunciation as to other linguistic features such as grammar and vocabulary. Non-native

speakers who have a large vocabulary base and command of the grammar of a language will find

it difficult to communicate effectively if their pronunciation ability is at a low level.

Michael and Wong (1993) argue that pronunciation is even more important when we consider the

connection between pronunciation and listening comprehension. Students need to be able to

employ patterns of rhythm and intonation to communicate effectively in English. They also need

to know how speech is ordered and the meaning of the intonation patterns in order to understand

what is being said.

Therefore, it is more than learning pronunciation; learning about pronunciation, and this develops

learners' abilities to understand how spoken English is comprehended. Also, Wong demonstrated

that a first and second language (Guiora& Schomberger, 1990). Additionally,, pronunciation can

also cause different reactions on behalf of the listener and, along with errors in other linguistic

elements, sound production, and perception errors can lead to misunderstanding. Lack of

knowledge of pronunciation could even affect the way listeners read and write.

English has become the most important language of intra- European communication; however,

there are discrepancies between northern and southern European countries (Hoffman, 1998).

English is in contact with other languages, and for many, bilingual and multilingual European

English is one of the languages in their linguistic repertoire. (Cenoz& Lecumberri, 1999).

There are common native varieties of English (British and American English) including

numerous different accents, Received Pronunciation (RP) and General American (GA) (Wells

1990; Trask 1996). Therefore, the English language frequent reveals a lack of inconsistency

between sound and spelling. This makes pronunciation one of the more difficult and complex


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areas in terms of the acquisition of pronunciation as a foreign language. On the other hand, the

incorrect production of sounds is unlikely to produce an obstacle as the listener usually relies on

other clues so as to comprehend the meaning.

In relation to second language teaching, pronunciation is becoming more important in language

classes and teaching materials (Filzpatrickl995; Laroy 1995). Problems in the acquisition of

pronunciation have shouldered the main arguments to support the critical age hypothesis by

Krashcn (Singleton 1989), as it has been asserted that most adult learners of a second language

keep a foreign accent (Fleege 1987; Major 1987a).

1.2 Background to the study.

I have observed that pronunciation of English in Per varies considerably from almost

native, to hardly understandable.

1.3 Aim of the study.

To determine whether there is an explanation for such a wide variation by analyzing the

answers given in the questionnaire about students attitude to pronunciation.

1.4 Problem Sentence.

En este estudio, cul es el punto de vista de los estudiantes con respecto a la

metodologa utilizada en la enseanza de la pronunciacin de ingls en las Instituciones

Educativas?

1.5 Sub-Problems.

1. What effect do the following have on the students wish to study English?


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Gender Nationality Reason for studying

2.

The attitude of students towards the definition of good pronunciation?

3. Students attitude towards having their pronunciation corrected.

1.6 Significance of the study.

As the status of English has increased in every aspect of life, it is inevitable to discover ways of

measuring how efficient our use of it is. Obviously, pronouncing the sounds of a language

properly increases the efficiency of our use of that language. Therefore, some benefit is to be

gained by investigation of the attitudes of students in terms of how much phonological awareness

they have, but before this, we need to understand what exactly, phonological awareness is and

why it is important in language learning.

Varying factors such as pronunciation and the attitude of the students play an essential role in the

language learning environment. Phonological awareness doesn't only mean having knowledge of

the vowels and consonants of a language. Joseph K. Mansfield remarked that it is most

commonly defined as one's sensitivity to, or explicit awareness of, the phonological structure ofwords in one's language. In short, it involves the capability to notice, think about, or manipulate

individual sounds in words. Acquiring phonological awareness actually involves learning about

those words that can be divided into segments of sound smaller than a syllable, and learning

about individual phonemes.

It is important to have phonological awareness as it advocates learning how words in a language

are represented in print. This representation approximates the phoneme level in English, therefore

English is an alphabetic language.Learners who understand the relationships between letters and

phonemes will be better learners than those who do not acquire this skill (Adams, 1990; Beck &

Juel, 1995).


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1.7 Assumptions

It is assumed that the students who participated in this study have answered the questionnaire

truthfully. It is also assumed that the statistics presented in this study are flawless and creditable.

1.8 Limitations

1. The study is limited to students of The University National Mayor de San Marcus andUniversidad National Federico Villarreal Escuela Universitaria de Educacin a

Distancia who are not necessarily studying English at this point in their University

Course.

2. The study is limited to the "Case Study of Students Attitudes About Pronunciation" thatis used to identify the attitudes of students of The University National Mayor de San

Marcus and Universidad National Federico Villarreal Escuela Universitaria de

Educacin a Distancia towards pronunciation by the process of collecting data.

1.9 Key Terms

Affective Filter: Stephen Krashen offers three 'affective variables' that have beenidentified as being related to language-acquisition : these are 'motivation1, 'self-

confidence' and 'anxiety, and It's worth noting that none of these can be considered as

totally independent variables : success in learning may heighten motivation and self-

confidence while lowering anxiety.

Aptitude: Its original sense of reciprocity between person and situation andappropriateness of person- situation fit is restored.( Richard E. Snow- Aptitude Theory,

Stanford University)


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Approximation: An approximation is an inexact representation of something that is stillclose enough to be useful. The quality or state of being close or near to the truth. An

amount, figure, etc., that is almost correct and is not intended to be exact : an

approximate amount, figure, etc.

Critical Period: A "critical period" in developmental psychology and developmentalbiology is a time in the early stages of an organism's life during which it displays a

heightened sensitivity to certain environmental stimuli, and develops in particular ways

due to experiences at this time. It has identifiable beginning and ending points. It also has

intrinsic and extrinsic components. Intrinsic components are inherent properties and

extrinsic components are external motivation.

Overgeneralization: Probably the most common mistake we make in our automaticthinking is overgeneralization. Each of us has to think about new experiences in terms of

old experiences. The process of extending the application of a rule to items that are

excluded from it in the language norm, as when a child uses the regular past tense verb

ending -ed of forms like I walked to produce forms like *I goed or *I rided.

Phoneme: In human language, a phoneme is the smallest unit of speech that distinguishesmeaning, and phonemes are not the physical segments themselves, but cognitive

abstractions of them, (www.wikipedia.com). A phoneme is the smallest contrastive unit

in the sound system of a language.

Prosodic unit: In linguistics, a `prosodic unit`, often called an `intonation unit` or`intonational phrase`, is a segment of speech that occurs with a single prosodic contour

(pitch and rhythm contour). Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosodic_un

Received Pronunciation: Often referred to as the Queen's (or King's) English, onthe grounds that it is spoken by the monarch, and It is also sometimes referred to

as BBC English, because it was traditionally used by the BBC, yet nowadays

these notions are slightly misleading. Queen Elizabeth II uses one specific form of
http://www.wikipedia.com/http://www.wikipedia.com/http://www.wikipedia.com/http://www.wikipedia.com/


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English, whilst BBC presenters and staff are no longer bound by one type of

accent, nor is "Oxbridge" (the universities of Oxford and Cambridge).

Traditionally, there have been certain occupations most typically associated with

an RP accent and they include barristers (attorneys in the superior courts)

stockbrokers and diplomats. Up until the 1970s this was the accent that was

required to be considered an announcer on the nationally broadcast BCC (British

Broadcasting Corporation) television and radio stations, hence the term "BBC

English." As discussed in the general sociolinguistic issues section, RP is an

accent that is not localizable but is very recognizable as being the standard,

neutral accent of the society. It is not, however, used by a large percentage of the

population.

Wells (1991) has identified some characteristics of popular accents that have been

resisted by RP and also some changes that have been accepted into RP. He asserts

that it is important not to lose sight of the fact that "accents, and more generally

varieties of language, are not objective entities so much as mental constructs" and

that is preference is for a "sociolinguistic definition of RP, which entails

recognizing the possibility of change. Some of those changes can reasonably be

attributed to influence from Cockney often overtly despised, but covertly

imitated."

Voice Setting Features: A term used to describe those 'features of accent that result fromthe characteristic disposition and use of the articulatory organs by speakers of a particular

language, and which affects the production of all the individual sounds common to that

language' (Thornbury 193:127). What used to be called sounds, accent, rhythm and

intonation has been analysed and re-structured under the following terms:

Segmentals - speech sounds (vowels, consonants) / phonemes Suprasegmentals - rhythm (stress, pausing) and intonation, i.e. prosody Voice quality (voice-setting features) Body language in oral communication (non-verbal)


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CHAPTER II - REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 Introduction

In this chapter, we attempt to explain what pronunciation is and the related research on English

pronunciation on theoretical basis.

2.2 Overview of Pronunciation

The term Pronunciation is often used to refer to the production of the phonetic/ phonemic

sounds of a language. What teachers and students usually have in mind is that masteringpronunciation is a simple matter of perfecting the production of an inventory of consonants and

vowels. Whilst there is no refuting the fact that phonetics at the segmental level is certainly

crucial in pronunciation, Suprasegmental, or prosodic features of language, such as stress and

intonation, are of equal importance. The difficulty in teaching these aspects of pronunciation is

probably because English does not have straightforward rules about Suprasegmental and stress

compared to many other languages; Spanish for example.

According to Pennington and Richards (1986), effective teaching of pronunciation must include

segmental features, voice-setting features, and prosodic features. Segmental features are the

minimal phonetic units in a language, the phonemes, which, along with their allophones, make up

the sound inventory of a language.

2.3 The reasons why Pronunciation is often ignored.

Pronunciation plays a crucial role in any language curriculum; therefore, both learners and

teachers ought to attach importance to pronunciation. "Pronunciation should be taught in all

second language classes through a variety of activities. (Scarcella &Oxford, 1994). According to

Marley (1991), the main concern is what should be taught in a pronunciation class and the

manner in which it should be taught, instead of asking whether pronunciation should be taught.


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2.3.1 The Theoretical Framework into which the Problem falls

Morley (1991) identified 7 significant changes in theoretical paradigms in learning, linguistic and

instructional models.

Change 1 -In the acquisition of language, the role of the learner transfers from being a passive

learner to being an active one.

Change 2- There is also a transfer from group focus to the focusing on learner differences and

individual learning styles and strategies (Naiman, Fronlich& Todesco, 1978; O' Malley &

Chamot, 1989; Oxford, 1990; Rubin ,1995; Stern, 1983).

Change 3- To satisfy the communicative needs of users, there is a transfer from a formal system

to a functional one.

Change 4- There is an interest in semantics, pragmatics, discourse, and speech act theory instead

of only grammar at the sentence level.

Change 5- From an instructional focus on linguistic form and correct usage to one on function

and appropriate communicative use.

Change 6- A shift from an orientation of linguistic competence to one of communicative

competence.

and

Change 7- There is a useful model that amalgamates numerous viewpoints into one linguistically

oriented and pedagogically useful framework; (a) grammatical competence, (b) sociolinguistic

competence, (c) discourse competence.


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2.4 The Researchers Perception on Pronunciation Teaching Strategies

It is useful to revise the strategies that are influential in teaching different components of

pronunciation according to various researchers. We shall proceed in order of the pronunciationteaching features stated below:

2.4.1 Intonation

Intonation plays a fundamental role in teaching English pronunciation. According to Gilbert

(1994), "helping the listener to follow" is the purpose of using intonation. Most L2 Students

attach importance to sounds, vocabulary and grammar when listening to English. (Lin,Fan and

Chen, 1995). Hence, it should not be surprising to see that the English of many students' sounds

monotonous.

2.4.2 Stress and Rhythm

According to Lin. Fan and Chen (1995), it is possible to divide this topic into several steps.

1. Word Stress2. Sentence Stress3. Linking4. Consonants5. Vowels

2.5 Related Studies

2.5.1 Related literature on Pronunciation Practice in English Courses

Marcus Otlowski (1998) conducted a series of investigations into whether all students can do well

in learning the pronunciation of a foreign language. He found that it is possible to expect all

students to do well in learning the pronunciation of a foreign language as long as the teacher and

student participate together in the total learning process. He demonstrated that success can be

achieved if each has set, respectively, individual teaching and learning goals. Pronunciation must


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be viewed as more than correct production of phonemes: it must be viewed in the same light as

grammar, syntax, and discourse, which is a crucial part of communication.

Some research has shown and current pedagogical thinking on pronunciation maintains that

'intelligible pronunciation is seen as an essential component of communicative competence '

(Morlcy, 1991:513). Bearing this in mind, the teacher must then set achievable goals that are

applicable and suitable for the communication needs of the student. The student must also

become an integral part of the learning process, actively involved in their own learning. The

content of the course should be incorporated into the communication class, the content of which

draws attention to the teaching of Suprasegmentals, linking pronunciation with listening

comprehension, and allowing for meaningful pronunciation practice.

With the teacher acting as a 'speech coach, rather than as a simple reviewer of pronunciation, the

feedback given to the student can encourage learners to improve their pronunciation. Otlowski,(1998) showed that if these criteria are met, all students, within their individual goals, can be

expected to do well learning the pronunciation of a foreign language.

The view that 'little relationship exists between teaching pronunciation in the classroom and

attained proficiency in pronunciation' was supported by research done by Suter (1976:233-53)

and Suter and Purcell (1980:286) on twenty variables believed to have an influence on

pronunciation. They concluded that pronunciation practice in class had little effect on the

learner's pronunciation skills and, moreover that the attainment of accurate pronunciation in a

second language is a matter substantially beyond the control of educators'. They qualify their

findings by stating that variables of formal training and the quality of pronunciation training

could affect the results, as would the area of pronunciation that had been emphasized, that is

segmentals (individual sounds of a language) or Suprasegmentals.

Pennington (1989:203-227) questions the validity of Suter and Purcell's findings as, the factors of

formal pronunciation training and the quality of the teaching, if not taken into account, could

affect the results of any research. He stated that there was no firm basis for unconditionally

declaring that pronunciation is not teachable or that it is not worth spending time on ...'(p.20). Itis quite clear from the research mentioned above that the role played by pronunciation training in

the learner's language development is widely debated, with researchers such as Suter, Purcell, and

Madden (1983:69-80) all of them arguing that pronunciation training is relatively ineffective, and

in opposition researchers such as Pennington believing that teachers, with formal training in


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pronunciation and teaching of Suprasegmentals in a communicative language program, can make

a difference.

Amongst these opposing views, Stern (1992:112) states There is no convincing empirical

evidence which could help us sort out the various positions on the merits of pronunciation

training'. If the above views represent the split in the teaching of pronunciation, what can the

teacher do to improve their students' pronunciation, if improvement can be obtained?

2.5.2 Related Literature on Student Attitude toward English

Pronunciation

Jasone Cenoz and Luisa Garcia Lecumberri (1999) describe learners views on the acquisition of

the phonetic component of English in " The acquisition of English Pronunciation: learners'

views". The findings of the study identify that pronunciation is a difficult and important skill for

all learners. The results indicate that learners regard contact with native speakers and ear training

as the most influential factors in the acquisition of pronunciation. The study also notes that all

learners tend to share the same awareness of difficulty, importance of, beliefs about and attitudes

towards different accents apart from their first language.

Another study of the attitudes of a group of ESOL learners toward pronunciation in their

language learning experience found large differences between groups of students, but found in

general that students attach importance to pronunciation as a key element of instruction. Students

asked for intensified correction to their pronunciation both in and out of the classroom.

Furthermore, it was found that the students wanted more emphasis placed on pronunciation. (Matt

Madden and Zena Zonne (1995))

The study found that there were no minor discrepancies between male and female responses with

the specific group learners. However, men displayed a slightly increased level of anxiety about

pronunciation. More of them were not satisfied with their own level of proficiency. Others

remarked that their pronunciation irritated native speakers, and others were reluctant to have theirpronunciation corrected out of the classroom. Furthermore, the study found that the most chose

"personal growth" as their reason for studying English. It is surprising that there was little

difference in the time spent on pronunciation at both the early stages of instruction and at later

stages, probably indicating a lack of knowledge on the instructor's part or limited teaching time.


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Derwing and Rossiler (2002) examined the awareness of 100 adult ESL learners from a variety

of L1 backgrounds relating to their pronunciation difficulties and the strategies which they

employ when faced with a communication breakdown. The vast majority of pronunciation

problems identified by students were segmental, yet their most commonly used strategies when

they were misunderstood were paraphrase, self-repetition, writing/spelling, and volumeadjustment. Their responses were analyzed according to first language (L1) groups and

proficiency levels. Students were also asked to indicate whether their accents were affected by

context, and whether or not they felt they had any control over their pronunciation.

2.6 Current Thinking about Pronunciation

Changing attitudes towards language learning and teaching have prompted a move from teacher

centered to student centered classrooms. Simultaneously, there has been a shift from specific

linguistic competence to broader communicative competence as goals for both teachers and

students (Morley, 1991:481-520). Morley states the need for integrating pronunciation with oral

communication, a change of emphasis from segmentals to Suprasegmentals, more emphasis on

individual learners needs, meaningful task-based activities, development of new-teacher

strategies for teaching, and introducing peer correction and group interaction. (Castillo, 1991:4)

Research has shown that teaching phonemes isn't sufficiently adequate for intelligibility in

communication (Cohen. 1977:71-7).

With the emphasis on meaningful communication and Morley's (1991:488) premise, that

'Intelligible pronunciation is an essential component of communication competence' teachers

should include pronunciation in their courses and expect students to do well in them. Without

adequate pronunciation skills the learner's ability to communicate is severely limited. Morley

considers that not attending to a student's pronunciation needs, 'is an abrogation of professional

responsibility (1991:489)'.

Other research gives support to Morey's belief in the need for 'professional responsibilitywhenthe results show that 'a threshold level of pronunciation in English such that if a given non-native

speaker's pronunciation falls below this level, he or she will not be able to communicate orally no

matter how good his or her control of English grammar and vocabulary might be'(Celce-Murcia,

1987:5).


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Gilbert (1984:1) believes the skills of listening comprehension and pronunciation is

interdependent: 'If they cannot hear English well, they are cut off from the language...If they

cannot be easily understood; they are cut off from conversation with native speakers.'

It has also been suggested by Nooteboom (1983:183-94) that speech production is affected by

speech perception; the hearer has become an important factor in any communication discourse.

This illustrates the need to integrate pronunciation with communicative activities; to give the

student situations to develop there pronunciation by listening and speaking. Current research and

the current trend of a thought reversal about the status of pronunciation indicate a consensus that

a learner's pronunciation in a foreign language needs to be taught in conjunction with

communicative practices for the learner to be able to communicate effectively with native

speakers.

2.6.1 Pronunciation and Communicative Language Teaching

Morley (1991:496), found that students can be expected to do well in pronouncing English if the

pronunciation class is taken out of isolation and develops as an 'integral part of oral

communication' class. The aim of pronunciation should be changed from the attainment of

'perfect' pronunciation to the more realistic goals of developing functional intelligibility,

communicability, increased self-confidence, the development of speech monitoring abilities and

speech modification strategies for use beyond the classroom (Morley, 1991:500).

The overall aim of these goals is for the learner to develop spoken English that is easy to

understand, serves the learner's individual needs, and allows a positive image of himself as a

speaker of a foreign language. The learner needs to develop awareness and monitoring skills

that will allow learning opportunities outside of the classroom environment. The communicative

approach to pronunciation teaching requires methods and objectives which include 'whole-

person learner involvement'(Morley, 1991:501).

Morley maintains three important dimensions the teacher should accommodate in any

pronunciation program;

1. The learner's intellectual involvement.2. Affective involvement, and3. Physical involvement.


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The learner's involvement in the learning process has been noted as one of the best techniques

for developing learner strategies, that is, the processes used by the learner to develop his

language learning (Morley, 1991:506).

It is the teacher's responsibility to develop the learning process to give the learner a better

chance to develop the learning strategies that are the unique property of each individual.

Teachers also have a specific role to play in the communicative learning program, a role that

Morley describes as one of'speech coach or pronunciation coach' (1991:507). Rather than just

correcting the learner's mistakes, the 'speech coach supplies information, gives models from

time to time, offers cues, suggestions and constructive feedback about performance, sets high

standards, provides a wide variety of practice opportunities, and overall supports and

encourages the learner' (Morley, 1991:507). It can be seen as such, that the teacher's role is not

only to 'teach' but to facilitate learning by monitoring and modifying English at two levels,

speech production and speech performance.

2.7 Conclusion

The teaching of pronunciation did not attract attention of the four basic skills of pronunciation,

stress, rhythm, and intonation in English. In audio-lingual methodology, pronunciation was

regarded as a crucial factor of English language teaching in the 1940s and 50s and the early

60s. (Morley, 1991).

Richards and Rodgers (2001) indicate that correct pronunciation, stress, rhythm, and intonation

are emphasized. Those years were the positive period for pronunciation teaching. However, in

the late 1960s it was doubtful whether pronunciation could be taught directly at all. Many

researchers started to work on it and suggested emphasis on classroom practice. Then after the

mid-1980s, pronunciation gained power again in English language teaching.

According to Michael (1998), there still remain 4 basic needs for the study of pronunciation.

1. The need to equip teachers with a precise background in applied English phonetics andphonology, giving detailed attention to Suprasegmentals and voice-quality features, their


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forms and functions by interactive discourse and stresses the application in a

communicative approach to pronunciation teaching.

2. The relentless need for pronunciation enhancement activities, tasks and techniques.3. The need for more tangible assessment methods.4. As part of the specific teaching process, the need for controlled studies to identify the

students' changes in pronunciation

5. A continuing need for research on aspects of second language phonology.


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CHAPTER III - METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

It was considered that a study of this nature would be of advantage to understanding the current

thinking of students towards pronunciation and would usefully supplement and extend current

knowledge on this subject.

I have divided this chapter into four main sections.

Section 3.2. Describes the research design and the instrument used in data collection. Section 3.3. Describes participants and how it was chosen for the study. Section 3.4. Presents the research questions. Section 3.5. Presents the procedures to be followed in conducting the questionnaires, and Section 3.6. Describes the analytical procedures of the data.

3.2 Research Design and the Instrument Used in Data Collection

Current trends in pronunciation pedagogy have been affected by disciplines like psychology,

neurolinguistics, sociology, semiotics and computer technology to a great extent. In our times, the

dominant tendency is adopting an interdisciplinary approach which makes use of the findings of

neurolinguistics, takes into account personality factors (i.e. promoting or impeding pronunciation

mastery, such as age, the studentsexposure to the target language, aptitude, the students attitude

and motivation, the influence of the native language, amount and type of prior pronunciation

instruction) as well as psychological factors (i.e. anxiety, excitement, etc.), stresses the


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importance of nonverbal aspects of communication (i.e. auditory, visual, kinesthetic and tactilemodalities) and benefits from the use of computer technology.

The objective of this paper is to make some preliminary observations about the attitudes of a

group of non-native English speakers towards pronunciation in their language learning

experience. The opinion of non-native speakers of English about learning are rarely solicited in

current research.

3.3 Participants

Table1. Frequency of Participants

Frequency Percent

Female

Male

Total

The participants consisted of N university students, N1 male (N1 %) and N2 female (N2 %). All

the students indicated their gender. All N subjects, who were from two different universities -

University National Mayor de San Marcus and Universidad National Federico Villarreal Escuela

Universitaria de Educacin a Distancia - were respondents to a survey questionnaire. The age of


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the first group was between A & B, and the second group was between C & D. The students in

the groups were all L1 Spanish speakers.

3.4 Research Questionnaire

The aim of the study was to investigate students' experiences in pronunciation and their

perceptions of the definition and importance of good pronunciation. A secondary goal was to

discover possible differences between groups, such as gender, age and nationality amongst others.

3.5 Data Collection

A pilot questionnaire was drafted and administered to two groups of each students who are

studying at different subjects at different universities and with different reasons for their need

to speak English. A modified questionnaire, designed with four categories, became the data-

collecting instrument (See Appendix).

The first part aims at identify biographical information. The second part of the questionnaire dealt with students' language learning

backgrounds.

The third part of the questionnaire elicited students personal attitudes aboutpronunciation, including their opinions of a definition of good pronunciation and theirpersonal judgements and native speaker's judgements of their pronunciation

proficiency.

The fourth part asked questions about the students opinion concerning correction, bothinside and outside the classroom


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3.6 Data Analysis


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CHAPTER IV - FINDINGS

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Begin typing or pasting the rest of your chapter 4 text here.

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the document, but use caution as pasting can produce varying results.


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CHAPTER V - CONCLUSION


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REFERENCES


These pages are where you type in text of your references. To best preserve the properformatting and margin alignment, you should do this one section at a time. You can typein the title of each reference over the placeholder text if necessary. However, on thisfirst page, you should only add enough content to fill this first page. If you typed orpasted in too much content so that it created another page, delete this content on thesecond page and backspace until you are back on the first page. If you do not do this, the

margins may be incorrect on the following pages.





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APPPENDIX A: QUESTIONAIRETOWARDS A CASE STUDY OF STUDENTS ATTITUDE TOWARDS ENGLISH

PRONUNCIATION

English today is the native language of nearly 400 million people and the second language of

many others scattered all over the world.

As English becomes an international language in the business world, the emphasis of

pronunciation teaching will probably move away from trying to make learners sound like native

speakers and toward helping them to become more intelligible in speaking both with native and

with non-native speakers of English.

Please briefly answer the following questions:

GENDER Male / Female EMPLOYMENT

NATIONALITY NATIVE

LANGUAGE

AGE GROUP < 1515-20

21-2526-30

31-35

35-40

> 40

HAVE YOU EVER STUDIED

ENGLISH?

Yes / No

IF YES ARE YOU STUDYING

ENGLISH NOW?

Yes / No

LEVEL OF COMPETENCE IN

ENGLISH

Beginner / IntermediateUpper Intermediate / Advanced

HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU

STUDIED AT THESE LEVELS?

Beginner

IntermediateUpper IntermediateAdvanced

WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR

STUDYING ENGLISH?

ResearchUniversity studiesCareer / JobPersonalOther


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(please explain)

WHERE HAVE YOU STUDIED

ENGLISH?

CollegeBritannicoICPCNASelf-taughtOther (explain)

HOW MUCH CLASS TIME WAS/IS

ALLOCATED FOR STUDYING

PRONUNCIATION?

_________Hrs_________Mins

WHICH OF THESE ASPECTS ARE

TAUGHT?

SOUNDS (Vowels & Consonants)

STRESS (Emphasis & Word difference)INTONATION (Questions? &Exclamations!)

DO YOU TRY TO LEARN THECORRECT STRESS FOR ENGLISH

WORDS?

ALWAYSSOMETIMESNEVER

ARE YOU AWARE OF THE

IMPORTANCE OF STRESS IN A

SENTENCE?

YES / NO / NOT SURE

THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES

HAVE THE SAME WORDS BUT

DIFFERENT STRESS.

CAN YOUEXPLAIN THEDIFFERENCES IN THE MEANING

OF EACH SENTENCE?

(The STRESSED word has beenhighlighted.)

I love you

I LOVE you

I love YOU

ARE YOU AWARE OF THEIMPORTANCE OF INTONATION

IN ENGLISH SPEECH?

Yes / No

IS ENGLISH INTONATION

DIFFICULT FOR YOU?

Yes / No(If YES explain why)


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HOW WERE YOU TAUGHT

PRONUNCIATION?

PATTERN

DRILL

Teacher models,Student repeats

EXERCISES In language labOTHER(please specify)

IS / WAS USE MADE OF ANYFORM OF PHONETIC ALPHABET

WHEN LEARNING

PRONUNCIATION?

(If YES please specify)

IF YES WAS IT HELPFUL TO

YOU?

Yes / No

WOULD YOU DEFINE GOOD

PRONUNCIATION AS..?

1. Not like a native speaker but beingeasy to understand what is beingsaid.-or-

2. Speaking like a native speaker.HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU

THINK PRONUNCIATION IS FOR

BECOMING A GOOD ENGLISH

SPEAKER?

Very / Quite / Not very / Not important

DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLEWITH YOUR CURRENT

PRONUNCIATION?

Yes / No

DO YOU FEEL THAT NATIVE

SPEAKERS FIND DIFFICULTY IN

UNDERSTANDING YOUR

PRONUNCIATION?

Never / Rarely / Sometimes / OftenDont know.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEND

MORE TIME STUDYING

PRONUNCIATION?

Yes / No

DO YO LIKE TO HAVE YOUR

PRONUNCIATION CORRECTED?

YES / No(Explain why)

IS/WAS YOUR TEACHER A

NATIVE SPEAKER OF ENGLISH?

Yes / No

DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO

UNDERSTAND A NATIVESPEAKER OF ENGLISH?

Yes / No

IF THE ANSWER TO THE LASTQUESTION WAS YES, EXPLAIN


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WHAT YOU FEEL IS THE CAUSEOF THIS DIFFICULTY.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU LISTEN TO

SPOKEN ENGLISH?

Never / Occasionally /Often / Daily

DO YOU WATCH ENGLISH

FILMS/TV. AND LISTEN TO

ENGLISH SPOKEN ON THE

RADIO?

Yes / No

IF YES DO YOU FIND IT

USEFUL?

Yes / No

DO YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH

ENGLISH SPELLING PATTERNS?

For example -OUGH in:TOUGH/ENOUGH (uff)

OUGHT/BOUGHT (or)ALTHOUGH/DOUGH (oh)

Yes / No

IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE

MAJOR OBSTACLE TO

LEARNING CORRECT ENGLISH

PRONUNCIATION?

FINALLYHOW DO YOU

BELIEVE WOULD IMPROVE THE

TEACHING OF

PRONUNCIATION?

Thank you for giving your valuable time to answering this questionnaire.


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Begin typing , pasting, or inserting the rest of your appendices here.

Note: You may use a 1 top margin throughout the rest of your appendices.




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VITA

Type Full Name Here

Candidate for the Degree of

Master of Science/Arts

Thesis: TYPE FULL TITLE HERE IN ALL CAPS

Major Field: Type Field Here

Biographical:

Education:

Completed the requirements for the Master of Science/Arts in your major atOklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma in December, May or July,Year.

Completed the requirements for the Bachelor of Science/Arts in your major atUniversity/College, City, State/Country in Year.

Experience:

Professional Memberships:

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*--Delete this sentence before submitting.


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ADVISERS APPROVAL: Type Advisers Name Here

Name: Type Name Here Date of Degree: December, May, July, Year*

Institution: Oklahoma State University Location: OKC or Stillwater, Oklahoma

Title of Study: TYPE FULL TITLE HERE IN ALL CAPS

Pages in Study: ### Candidate for the Degree of Master of Science/Arts

Major Field: Type Field Here

Scope and Method of Study:

Findings and Conclusions:

Delete this sentence and the following instructions and example before submitting:

*After you enter your month and year of graduation on date of degree above make surethe text is aligned and flush on the right side. Example below:

Name: Type Name Here Date of Degree: December, 2009

Institution: Oklahoma State University Location: OKC or Stillwater, Oklahoma

The abstract can only be one page in length!

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before submitting.

my 1st draft pronunciation study spanish version

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