scholarly journals BRAZILIAN EFL LEARNERS’ AWARENESS ABOUT L2 PHONES: IS MALL PRONOUNCED AS ‘MAL’?

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 235-258
Author(s):  
Hanna Kivistö-de Souza
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Phonological Awareness ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Lower Sensitivity ◽  
Classroom Context ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Pronunciation Instruction ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper was to examine the extent of non-verbalizable knowledge L1 Brazilian Portuguese (BP) learners of English possess about the segmental inventory of the L2. The study had two aims: i) to determine to what extent L1 BP EFL learners are aware of contrastive and non-contrastive L2 segments, ii) to determine which type of segments present the lowest level of awareness. To the date, little research has been carried out about the non-verbalizable aspect of L2 phonological awareness, most studies having relied on participants’ verbalization of the acquired knowledge (e.g., KENNEDY & TROFIMOVICH, 2010; WREMBEL, 2011). Whereas language learners are frequently taught grammar explicitly, pronunciation of the L2 is rarely addressed in the foreign language classroom. Moreover, phonology is in nature less susceptible to conscious processing than other aspects of L2 learning, making the noticing, and especially the explicit explanation, of phonological aspects difficult. Nevertheless, high L2 phonological awareness is beneficial for L2 pronunciation (KIVISTÖ-DE SOUZA, 2015), making its examination a priority in the foreign language classroom context. The participants of the study were 71 advanced EFL learners and 18 native speakers of American English. Participants performed a perception test which presented English segments spoken by native and non-native speakers. The ability to identify pronunciation deviations in the non-native speaker trials was taken as a measure for phonological awareness. The results showed that the L1 BP participants manifested a significantly lower sensitivity to English segmental phonology than the native English speakers (F[1, 87] = 40.56, p <.001, η2=.31). Pronunciation deviations involving consonants were identified to the greatest extent (52%), whereas the trials involving short-lag VOTs were identified the poorest (33%). The results reveal a need for explicit pronunciation instruction and the employment of consciousness-raising activities in the Brazilian EFL classroom.

scholarly journals Pluricentriciteit in het DaF-onderwijs : Duitse, Oostenrijkse en Zwitserse varianten van het Duits in lesmateriaal

2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-49
Author(s):  
Juliane Schopf ◽  
Beate Weidner
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Geographical Region ◽  
Teaching Material ◽  
Everyday Talk ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
German Speaking ◽  
German Speaking Country

Abstract Foreign language didactics is committed to teach the variety of language that is actually used in everyday life. In this article, we study possibilities of working with authentic German dialogues in teaching contexts of German as a Foreign Language. By focusing on regional and national varieties of German in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, we examine current textbooks that claim to follow a pluricentric approach and show how they deal with the fact that spoken German is not a homogenous variety. The analysis of the teaching material reveals the problems, that working with artificial dialogues entail under a pluricentric perspective, including phonetics, prosody, lexis, grammatical and interactional structures. Thus, we plead for the use of authentic dialogues in order to create awareness for a pluricentric view on language among students of German as a Foreign Language. Especially for learners, who plan to spend time in a German-speaking country, the work with authentic dialogues from a certain geographical region can have a highly motivating effect as they learn to understand native speakers in their everyday talk. To this end, we present a database that provides audio material in the different national varieties of spoken German, which can be used for didactic purposes in the foreign language classroom.SamenvattingDe vreemdetalendidactiek streeft ernaar om die taalvariëteit aan te leren die in het alledaagse leven wordt gebruikt. In dit artikel gaan we na welke mogelijkheden er zijn om met authentieke Duitse dialogen te werken in een onderwijscontext van het Duits als Vreemde Taal. Met een focus op de regionale en nationale variëteiten van het Duits in Duitsland, Oostenrijk en Zwitserland onderzoeken we recente tekstboeken die een pluricentrische benadering beweren te volgen en we laten zien hoe ze omgaan met het feit dat gesproken Duits geen homogene variëteit is. De analyse van het onderwijsmateriaal brengt enkele problemen aan het licht die het werken met artificiële dialogen vanuit een polycentrisch perspectief met zich meebrengt, waaronder fonetiek, prosodie, woordenschat, grammaticale en interactieve structuren. We pleiten dus voor het gebruik van authentieke dialogen om studenten Duits als Vreemde Taal bewust te maken van een pluricentrische kijk op taal. In het bijzonder voor leerders die van plan zijn om enige tijd in een Duitstalig land door te brengen, kan het werken met authentieke dialogen uit een welbepaalde geografische regio bijzonder motiverend zijn omdat ze zo de alledaagse taal van native speakers leren begrijpen. We stellen ook een database voor waar audiomateriaal in verschillende nationale varieteiten van gesproken Duits te vinden is, dat voor didactische doeleinden kan worden gebruikt in de vreemde talenklas.

scholarly journals Learning factors in a foreign-language classroom context

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 113-127
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Tovar Viera ◽  
Jhonny Tapia Calama
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Classroom Context ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
Las Mujeres ◽  
Learning Factors

La motivación es uno de los factores de aprendizaje que influye considerablemente no solo en las actitudes de los estudiantes hacia el lenguaje, sino también determina el grado de ansiedad del estudiante. El presente estudio examina los factores que inciden en el aprendizaje de inglés como lengua extranjera (LE). El cuestionario basado en el modelo de Gardner (1985), AMTB fue el instrumento que identificó: actitudes (idioma inglés y situación de aprendizaje), motivación (intrínseca y extrínseca) y ansiedad. 295 estudiantes de LE del Centro de Idiomas de la Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi, Ecuador, fueron encuestados, 160 mujeres y 135 hombres. El análisis de datos realizados con el software SPSS revela que la mayoría de los estudiantes, independientemente de su género, tienen una actitud positiva hacia el idioma inglés y su aprendizaje. Por lo que la motivación intrínseca reporto un incremento significativo. Asimismo, un gran número de los estudiantes de LE manifestaron sentir ansiedad por el lenguaje, sin embargo; las mujeres indicaron tener más confianza. 

scholarly journals The forbidden fruit: using the mother tongue in a Bogota university EFL programme

2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Fortune
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Student Activity ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom ◽  
L1 Use

The current debate on the use of the mother tongue in the foreign language classroom has led to a wide array of literature being written onthe subject. While this can be enlightening, it can also cause confusion and anxiety among teachers when faced with the question of whetheror not it is acceptable to use the L1 in class. This paper analyses current perceptions and practices in terms of L1 use among teachers andstudents in the EFL and ESL settings, based on the hypothesis that the use of the L1 to some degree could be beneficial to EFL learners.Teacher and student activity and opinions are analysed through surveys and interviews before being compared and contrasted with classroomreality through live observation. The findings confirm that L1 use could indeed be beneficial to EFL learners, particularly at the lower levels oflanguage proficiency, but that teachers may need to revisit their reasons for using the L1, as well as their repertoire of pro-L2-use strategies.

scholarly journals Professores reflexivos em processo de mudança na sala de aula de língua estrangeira

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-71
Author(s):  
Solange Maria de Barros Ibarra Papa
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
Reflective Teaching ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Discursive Practices ◽  
Classroom Context ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Foreign Language Classroom

This study aims at investigating the discursive practices of a reflective teacher in the foreign language classroom, as well as to verify whether reflective teaching practice contributes or not to the process of (self)emancipation and social transformation. The main concern is to understand what she says, as well as what she really does in the classroom context. In the analysis I used recordings of interviews and classroom interaction based on SFG and CDA.

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