Pronunciation challenges

When it comes to teaching a second language, there are some key factors that must be considered by the teacher. They influence the pronunciation achievement and the processes by which learners master a number of aspects of L2. We are talking about age, personality, sociocultural factors, aptitude, exposure, role of the L1 and attitude/motivation, according to Pamela Rogerson-Revell, author of the book English Phonology and Pronunciation Teaching.

The author says that, according to scientific studies, adults are as capable as children when it comes to the acquisition of a new language. Even though, they usually claim that it´s difficult to learn a second language. The author defends that maybe it´s due to social and linguistic factors and interference of L1, as well as neurological factors. Personality is another factor to be considered, but its level of importance is still unclear. It is more likely that a motivated student will learn more quickly than an unmotivated one. How introverted and extroverted the student is also counts when it comes to learning, in accordance with the author.

Sociocultural factors also play an important role in a L2 student. The accent is a very clear form of showing who we are and where we come from. Therefore, the fact that the student has a strong desire to preserve his/her own cultural identity may reduce his/her motivation to lose the foreign accent, says the author. About the aptitude of the student, the author states that it "hasn´t been proved either, although some teachers refer intuitively to the notion of a ‘good ear’. What may exist is a good phonological short term memory". The exposure to the new language, on the other hand, is a critical factor in pronunciation acquisition. "Conversations with a native speaker, a variety of multimedia channels such as TV, radio, DVD or online chat are crucial for the student’s development and proficiency", points the author. Suter (1976) suggested that the role of L1 would be the most important factor of influence over pronunciation achievement. It’s easy for an L1 English speaker to recognize Spanish or Russian accented English, for example. But it’s also known that teachers are the most important tool that will help neutralize this factor. If the teacher provides the student with the correct models and examples of pronunciation, the students will be able to have an intelligible accent and to communicate well.

In conclusion, the most influential key factor is the student´s attitude and motivation, in my opinion. Of course that all the factors represent an interference in the learning process at some point. They can´t be set aside, but if the student really wants to learn, he/she will make all the effort to achieve his/her goal, which is to communicate in English, regardless all these factors.

Source:  English Phonology and Pronunciation Teaching, Pamela Roger-Revell, Continuum, 2011.

I´m sorry, you said that the ship is "thinking"?

Teaching another language is a challenge. As teachers, we have to deal with the students´ insecurities and difficulties with the new language. The fact that there are some phonemes in English that don’t exist in Portuguese causes a lot of trouble. In my opinion, the [θ] sound is the most difficult one for Brazilian students, as in "think"/"sink", "thank"/"sank" or "three"/"tree". I think that the [ð] is also difficult, because the students usually say "doze" instead of "those" and "dough" instead of "though". The /t/ and /tſ/ are also very confusing for Brazilian students, because they mix "two"/"chew", "tip"/"chip" and "tease"/"cheese", for example.

As a teacher, I always try to correct my students´ pronunciation by saying the words more slowly or exaggerating the sounds. I say "guys, it´s 'THere', not 'dare'. I also try to show them where the sound is produced, the place of articulation. Of course that I don´t tell them the formal names, so I don´t scare them, but I say, for example, "put your tongues between your teeth and say 'thank you'”, or “put your hand on your throat” as in 'how' or 'home', to feel if it vibrates or not. As for intrusive vowels, I write the word on the board and say "pretend that the letter 'e' doesn´t exist", for example, 'lived, closed, loved'. I get my marker and cut the letter "e" off. It has been working so far!

The Phonetics and Phonology course has been very helpful throughout the semester and I believe that the knowledge that´s being acquired will last forever. It´s so important for ESL teachers like me. I believe that the most helpful content so far has been "Brazilian Portuguese Speakers´ Difficulties with American English Consonants". In my opinion, it is so because it applies perfectly to our reality in the classroom. It shows the difficulties that Brazilian students have, how it affects semantics causing communication problems and how we, as teachers, can help them.

Mistakes such as mixing "thank and sank, math and mass, three and tree, through and true, they and day, though and dough, home and Rome, hose and rose, Pam and pan, rum and run, two and chew, tip and chip, ship and chip, shop and chop" are very, very common in all levels and ages. I´m already applying the newly-gained knowledge by pointing the students´ mistakes. Sometimes I exaggerate the word; sometimes I even show the phonetic symbol to help the students understand the difference between one word and the other, and how it may cause trouble in communication. I also tell them that, if they open the dictionary, they will see some symbols that will help them pronounce the word correctly. Then I show the difference between some symbols, for example, [t], [d], [θ], [ð]. 

To conclude, being able to understand the English language better and to pass this understanding on to the students is extremely important. It helps us teachers to comprehend our students´ difficulties better and to help them solve their pronunciation problems, in order to achieve clearer communication.