Descripción y contextualización de la asignatura

The present course explores instruction on speech sounds as a relevant factor in the process of acquiring a second language, especially when this happens in formal learning contexts. It analyses the learning contexts, revises current L2 sound acquisition theories and presents empirical work conducted on the acquisition on L2 sounds both in laboratory and classroom settings. It also reviews pronunciation instruction historically and its state-of the art, promoting the discussion and exploration of pedagogical action and innovation.

The subject takes place during the second semester, contributing to the development of L2 sounds acquisition core concepts that have been presented in subject such The acquisition of Phonetics and benefitting from the knowledge on the development of pedagogical action gained in the 1st semester subject Introduction to Syllabus Design and Language Teaching.

Resultados del aprendizaje de la asignatura

The course will help the learner develop the following specific learning actions or outcomes (LO) and assessed in A to D forms/tasks (see Assessment Section below):



LO1: describe L2 sound instruction as an environmental factor in SLA (C)

LO2: analyse empirical research studies in the area (laboratory and classroom oriented) (A, B, C)

LO3: critically explore current pedagogical implementations of pronunciation instruction (A, C)

LO4: generate a didactic unit on pronunciation (D)

Convocatoria ordinaria: orientaciones y renuncia

Students will be assessed according to their performance in the following tasks:



A. Attendance and active participation in sessions 2, 3 and 4 (10%)

Students must contribute with the answers to the worksheets in session 2 and be ready to comment on the studies presented in oral sessions 3 and 4. Each student must have at least 4 oral contributions in these sessions



B. Oral presentation of a selected article (session 3 and 4): (20%)

i) Students provide an accurate overview of the selected piece of reading, showing that they have understood its main aspects

ii) Students successfully deliver the presentation by managing time constrains (15’), being clear and intelligible and keeping the audience’s attention



C. Contextualization of a selected quote (individual task) (40%)

Students must display their acquaintance with the aspect/s in the quote and exhibit their ability to critically relate it to the two facets that have been developed in class regarding instruction in L2 sound acquisition. The assignment will be assessed in terms of:

I. The student’s ability to successfully relate and explain the aspect in the quote with reference to instruction as a factor in SLA research. (15%)

II. The student’s ability to critically reason and consider the aspect in the quote with reference to current pronunciation pedagogical issues. (15%)

III. Adequate use of English. (10%)



D. *Teaching pronunciation: Didactic Unit proposal (30%)

Students can propose a Didactic Unit which developed aspects addressed in the empirical research sections (1 and 2) and the methodological knowledge reviewed in section 3 to integrate pronunciation in a language learning experience.

*This is an optional task. The assessment criteria for those students who do not wish to develop a didactic proposal will be: A: 20%; B: 30%, C: 50%



Information on the use of resources and materials in exams and assignments:

Exam: The use of mobile or electronic devices, notes, books is not allowed

Home-assignments: the work submitted by the students must be their own work and must have been written completely by themselves. The students must identify and include the source of all facts, ideas, opinions and viewpoints of others through in-text referencing and the relevant sources should all be included in the list of references at the end of their work. Direct quotations from books, journal articles, internet sources or any other source must be acknowledged and the sources cited must be identified in the list of references.

Convocatoria extraordinaria: orientaciones y renuncia

The mark will be based on the same assignments as in the first call (convocatoria ordinaria) (100%). Those assignments which earned a passing grade in the first call may be kept in the second call.

Exam marking criteria: The same marking criteria apply as in the first call.

Temario

1.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Instruction as an environmental factor in Second Language Acquisition (SLA)

1.2 Factors affecting pronunciation in L2 speech acquisition

1.3 Assessing speech in the L2



2. EMPIRICAL RESEARCH ON EFFECTS OF L2 SOUND INSTRUCTION

2.1 Laboratory research on effects of L2 sound instruction

2.1.1 Perception training

2.1.2 Production training

2.1.3 Visual training

2.1.4 Perception and production training

2.2 Classroom research on effects of pronunciation instruction (quasi-experimental)

2.2.1 Adults: tailored courses

2.2.2 Explicit phonetic training and focus-on-form

2.2.3 The role of feedback

2.2.4 Young learners: perception vs. production segmental training

2.2.5 Segmental versus prosodic training

2.2.6 CALL: automatic corrective feedback (ARS); visual plus interface; apps etc…



3. PRONUNCIATION INSTRUCTION

3.1. Brief overview of pronunciation instruction along time

3.2. Pronunciation practices

3.3. State of the art: from Cinderella to renewed interest

3.4. Future directions

Bibliografía

Materiales de uso obligatorio

PART 1:







1. Lively, S. E., Pisoni, D. B., Yamada, R. A., Tohkura, Y., and T. Yamada. (1994). Training Japanese listeners to identify English /r/ and /l/ III. Long-term retention of new phonetic categories. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 96 (4), 2076-2087.



2. Bradlow, A. R., Pisoni, D. B., Akahane-Yamada, R., and Tohkura, Y. (1997). Training Japanese listeners to identify English /r/ and /l/: IV. Some effects of perceptual learning on speech production. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 101(4), 2299-2310.



3. Hazan, V. & Sennema, A. (2007). The Effect of Visual Training on the Perception of Non-Native Phonetic Contrasts. Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Congress of Phonetic Sciences (pp. 1585-1588). Saarbrücken, Germany.



4. Iverson, P., & Evans, B. G. (2007, August). Auditory training of English vowels for first-language speakers of Spanish and German. In Proceedings of the 16th international congress of phonetic sciences (pp. 1625-1628). Saarbrücken, Germany.



5. Thomson, R. I. (2012). Improving L2 listeners’ perception of English vowels: a computer‐mediated approach. Language Learning, 62(4), 1231-1258.



6. Leather, J. H. (1996). Interrelation of perceptual and productive learning in the initial acquisition of second-language tone. In James, A. and Leather, J. (Eds.). Studies on Language Acquisition [SOLA]. Volume 13: Second-Language Speech (pp. 75-101). Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.

Bibliografía básica

PART 2 (selected studies for presentations):



1. Saito, K. (2013). Reexamining Effects of Form-Focused Instruction on L2 Pronunciation Development. The role of Explicit Phonetic Information. Studies in Second language Acquisition 35, 1-29.

2. Derwing, T. M., Munro, M. J., Foote, J. A., Waugh, E., & Fleming, J. (2014). Opening the window on comprehensible pronunciation after 19 years: A workplace training study. Language Learning, 64(3), 526-548.

3. Cardoso, W. (2010). Teaching foreign sC onset clusters: Comparing the effects of three types of instruction. In Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on the Acquisition of Second Language Speech New Sounds. Adam Mickiewicz University (pp. 61-66).

4. Carlet, A. & Cebrian, J. (2015) Identification vs. discrimination training: Learning effects for trained and untrained sounds. In The Scottish Consortium for ICPhS 2015 (Ed.), Proceedings of the 18th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences. Glasgow, UK: the University of Glasgow.

5. Couper, G. (2006). The short and long-term effects of pronunciation instruction. Prospect, 21/1: 46-66.

6. Derwing, T. M., Munro, M. J., & Wiebe, G. (1998). Evidence in Favour of a Broad Framework for Pronunciation Instruction. Language Learning, 48 (3), 393-410.

7. Gómez Lacabex, E., Garcia Lecumberri, M.L., and M. Cooke (2009). Training and generalization effects of English Vowel reduction for Spanish Learners. In M. A. Watkins, A. S. Rauber, and B. O. Baptista (Eds.) Recent Research in Second language Phonetics/Phonology: Perception and Production. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

8. Huensch, A. (2016). Perceptual phonetic training improves production in larger discourse contexts. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 2(2), 183-207.

9. Hardison, D. M. (2005). Contextualized computer-based L2 prosody training: Evaluating the effects of discourse context and video input. Calico Journal, 175-190.

10. Neri , A., Mich, O., Gerosa, M. and Giuliani, D. (2008). The effectiveness of computer assisted pronunciation training for foreign language learning by children. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 21(5), 393-408.

11. Sundberg, R., & Cardoso, W. (2019). Learning French through music: the development of the Bande à Part app. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 32(1-2), 49-70.

12. Tejedor-García, C., Escudero-Mancebo, D., Cámara-Arenas, E., González-Ferreras, C., & Cardeñoso-Payo, V. (2020). Assessing pronunciation improvement in students of English using a controlled computer-assisted pronunciation tool. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, 13(2), 269-282.