PART 1: Learning Pronunciation

"Pronunciation has been something of an orphan in English programs around the world. Why has pronunciation been a poor relation? I think it is because the subject has been drilled to death, with too few results from too much effort" (Gilbert 1994, p. 38).

Gilbert's opinion captures the frustration felt by many learners of English, particularly by those whose pronunciation has become fossilized (Selinker 1972), i.e. resistant to change. One way to overcome persistent pronunciation errors and to encourage second language acquisition is through 'noticing' (see for example Schmidt and Frota 1986). Noticing pertains to learners developing an awareness of the discrepancies between what they utter and the target pronunciation. Before being able to correct their pronunciation, learners must first attend to input and then compare this input with their output in order to notice a gap. The materials described in Part 2 attempt, in part, to facilitate this process.

The audio cassette materials hark back to Audiolingualism days when attention was focused on visual transcription systems, the repetition of modeled sounds and on minimal pair drills. International students who have studied pronunciation in their home countries are often familiar with this method. Students from Asian countries, in particular, usually know the International Phonetic Alphabet.

While learning the sounds (segmental aspects) of a language has obvious merit, it has become clear that accurate production of sounds alone will not necessarily render non-native speakers of English (NNSE) intelligible. In fact, it is believed that suprasegmental language features, such as stress and intonation, have a greater bearing on the ability of NNSE to make themselves understood (Celce-Murcia, Brinton & Goodwin 1996, Pennington 1996). Since native speakers of English (NSE) can discern meaning from context, errors in individual sounds tend not to be so disruptive for the listener. It is more difficult, however, for NSE to sort out incorrect stress and intonation patterns. The resources described below all include chapters on suprasegmental aspects of English. In addition to attention to sounds on the tapes, learners are instructed in and can listen to exercises dealing with stress and intonation patterns. The tapes allow time between examples for the learner to repeat the model.

Since the Clear Speech Works software offers similar content to the audiocassettes, a logical question is what advantages the CD ROM offers over existing media, in this case, the audio cassette. A salient benefit is that it offers users the opportunity to listen to a model and then to easily make and save recordings of themselves saying that utterance. Users can readily compare the model with their own speech. The opportunity for users to notice gaps between what the target speech sounds like and what they produce is facilitated. The easy record and play functions of the software make listening to one's progress less cumbersome than with a cassette player. This ease of use, along with novelty, may be motivating features of the medium in that they render the teaching/learning more appealing. Instructional materials that are more appealing are likely to increase time on task, which in turn, is likely to enhance learning. This suggests that increased motivation can translate into increased learning when it results in students actually working more (Schofield 1995).

To summarize, learners' awareness of differences between their own utterances and the target pronunciation is a first step in pronunciation improvement. The audio cassettes and CD ROM resources provide learners with the opportunity to hear controlled, standard English and subsequently, to focus their practice on this pronunciation.

• Celce-Murcia, M., D.M. Brinton, & J.M. Goodwin (1996). Teaching Pronunciation: A Reference for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Gilbert, J. B. (1994). Intonation: A Navigation Guide for the Listener (and gadgets to help teach it). In J. Morley (Ed.), Pronunciation Pedagogy and Theory (pp. 38-48). Illinois: TESOL, Inc.
• Pennington, M.C. (1996). Phonology in English Language Teaching. Essex, UK: Addison Wesley Longman.
• Schmidt, R. and S. Frota (1986). Developing basic conversational ability in a foreign language: A case study of an adult learner of Portuguese. In R. Day (Ed.), Talking to Learn (pp. 237-326). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
• Schofield, J. W. (1995). Computers and Classroom Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Selinker, L. (1972). Interlanguage. International Review of Applied Linguistics. 10, 209-231.

PART 2: Review of Instructional Materials for Pronunciation Practice

International students at the University of Toronto have asked about instructional materials to improve their pronunciation. This report outlines several resources currently available in UT libraries.

Potential advantages

• opportunity for self-paced practice
• development of awareness of weak areas through focused practice
• clear input

Potential Disadvantages

• repetition of incorrect sounds contributing to fossilization
• used independently, no feedback from a listener

*Clear Speech: pronunciation and listening comprehension in North American English, 2^nd ed. Judy B. Gilbert. Cambridge University Press, 1993. Student book, teacher book, two audio cassettes.

The primary focus of this resource is on rhythm. Attention to sounds is integrated with rhythm practice. The book is divided into four sections: Sounds, Words, Sentences and Conversations. Within these sections is instruction that deals with syllable stress, sentence stress, linking and intonation. Practice exercises include tapping, dictations, short dialogues, limericks and listening discrimination activities. Each unit ends with a review. There are particularly clear illustrations of the lips and tongue positions for producing various sounds.

Gilbert offers several effective and popular suggestions for pronunciation practice. One technique is to stretch a rubber band between thumbs in order to practice vowel length. This is intended to aid concentration. Although the technique is illustrated in the book and the target sounds are on the cassette, it has been my experience that this activity still requires teacher support.

There are activities to encourage learners to develop self-monitoring skills. An example of such an activity is "Check your progress: Record the dialogue 'Trouble at the Restaurant' in Exercise F. Did you lengthen the words that end with voiced sounds?" (p. 50). Without feedback, though, it may be difficult for the learner to discern if the target language is being accurately produced. The extensive pair practice activities, however, attempt to overcome this.

A caveat with Clear Speech is that it is designed for classroom use and has limited merit without teacher support. An indication of this is that answer keys appear solely in the Teacher's Manual and the book does not include a phonetic alphabet. While I like the contents of this resource, I would not recommend it for individual practice.

*Clear Speech Works Elizabeth R. Blackmer and Linda J. Ferrier. Royale Software (www.royalesoft.com), 1998. CD-ROM (requires a microphone for recording).

This CD ROM provides a user-friendly approach for non-native speakers of English, or speakers of 'non-standard' English, to improve the clarity of their speech. A useful feature of this software is a ready-made diagnostic tool that allows users to enter their native language so that the programme highlights problem areas for speakers of that language.

Lessons deal with vowel and consonant sounds, as well as with suprasegmental language features such as stress, linking and intonation. Each unit begins with a Quick Time video of a narrator explaining what will be taught. While watching the video, users can follow the written text on screen. Normally, observing the shape of the speaker's mouth as the different sounds are pronounced would benefit users. In this case, the narrator's lips and the soundtrack are not synchronized (at least not on my computer). A valuable opportunity for pronunciation learning is lost. Following the video, users can practice with discriminating sounds activities, first to raise awareness of areas in need of correction and then to produce the sounds. Practice activities progress from individual words to words within sentences, i.e. within context. It is not necessary to complete activities or units in sequence.

Each of the 24 units provides users with speech models that they can mimic and record. Recordings can easily be played back so that users may listen to the model and their own pronunciation without delay. Hearing the sounds in quick succession should assist users in developing an awareness of discrepancies between their pronunciation and the target pronunciation.

The units that deal with stress, linking and intonation are superficial and in at least one case, Unit 19, the explanation about linking is unclear. Users would need other resources to supplement their practice of these suprasegmental language features.

This CD ROM offers over 5,000 examples to practice from so users will not easily tire of repeated practice with this software.

*English Pronunciation for International Students Paulette Dale and Lilian Pons. Prentice Hall, Inc., 1994. Manual and two audio cassettes.

As with the Manual of American English Pronunciation (see below), this material is designed for either classroom or individual practice. Chapters are divided into the following six sections:

Pronouncing the sound: An explanation of how to pronounce the sound, with illustrations of where to place articulators (e.g. lips, tongue). Practice with a mirror is recommended.

Possible pronunciation problems: An explanation of why the sound may be problematic and the type of pronunciation difficulties one is likely to experience.

Hints: A series of guidelines for remembering when to produce the sound; explanations of English spelling patterns as a guide to pronunciation.

Exercises: Practice producing the sound as it occurs in words, common phrases and sentences.

Self-tests: Mini tests to evaluate ability to recognize and pronounce sounds in words, sentences and conversational activities; an answer key is included.

For an encore: Activities for using the target sound in daily life.

The content is primarily related to sounds but there are also chapters on stress, rhythm and intonation patterns.

This manual is not as complete as The Manual of American English Pronunciation. The explanations are simpler and there are fewer exercises. Nonetheless, the format is well-organized (e.g. exercises on tape are clearly indicated) and the text is easy to follow.

*Manual of American English Pronunciation 4^th ed. Clifford H. Prator, Jr. and Betty Wallace Robinett. Harcourt Brace & Company, 1985. Manual and three audio cassettes.

The materials are designed for either teacher-student work or individual student practice. The 18 chapters cover the salient aspects of pronunciation, including phonetics, word stress, sentence stress, intonation patterns and how knowledge of spelling patterns may improve pronunciation. In particular, there is extensive explanation and analysis of consonant and vowel sounds with respect to position, length, substitutions and clusters.

The book offers an Accent Inventory as a starting point. Students record themselves reading a diagnostic passage. The instructor analyzes the recording and indicates problems on a checklist. Students focus their practice on the areas identified. Students working independently can select the areas they believe need improvement.

The text is dense and possibly intimidating for those who seek simpler clarification. Each chapter offers detailed explanations of the points discussed, often with phonetic transcriptions, and exercises with increasing challenge. Many of these exercises are on tape but the book does not indicate which these are. The tapes, however, do reference corresponding page numbers. There is no answer key for the exercises.

The phonetic alphabet used is one of the less common ones. Even though the sounds are explained, this is a potential source of confusion for students who have learned a more common phonetic alphabet.

*Pronounce it Perfectly in English Jean Yates. Barron's Educational Series, 1995. Manual and three audio cassettes.

The manual is divided into four parts: vowel sounds, consonant sounds, stress patterns and intonation patterns. The units on sounds begin with a section introducing the sound. This is followed by examples and exercises dealing with contrasting sounds, recognition and dictation. Emphasis is also placed on how an awareness of English's capricious spelling may improve pronunciation. Both the manual and the tapes provide answers to the exercises. The units on stress and intonation contain concise explanations and examples of the various patterns. In the section on stress, I found the units on affixation particularly clear and much of the vocabulary used in the examples would be useful for people in an academic environment.

Sounds are indicated with the International Phonetic Alphabet but the manual also includes five equivalent guides to phonetic symbols that are used in popular dictionaries. This is a quick and useful reference.

The instructional text has been recorded onto the tapes. One can, therefore, use the tapes without the manual. The advantage of the manual, however, is the intonation diagrams and the illustrations of the shape of the mouth and position of the articulators.