33.2743, Review: Applied Linguistics: Levis, Derwing, Sonsaat-Hegelheimer (2022)

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Subject: 33.2743, Review: Applied Linguistics: Levis, Derwing, Sonsaat-Hegelheimer (2022)

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Date: Thu, 08 Sep 2022 18:12:37
From: Carrie Ankerstein [c.ankerstein at mx.uni-saarland.de]
Subject: Second Language Pronunciation

 
Discuss this message:
http://linguistlist.org/pubs/reviews/get-review.cfm?subid=36821597


Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/33/33-1330.html

EDITOR: John M. Levis
EDITOR: Tracey M. Derwing
EDITOR: Sinem  Sonsaat-Hegelheimer
TITLE: Second Language Pronunciation
SUBTITLE: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Teaching
PUBLISHER: Wiley
YEAR: 2022

REVIEWER: Carrie Ankerstein, Saarland University

GENERAL SUMMARY

The volume editors John M. Levis, Tracey M. Derwing and Sinem
Sonsaat-Hegelheimer address the fact that many language teachers feel that
pronunciation instruction is important but they are unsure of how to teach it
and what to focus on. The intended audience includes teachers-in-training,
in-service teachers, and researchers. 

Levis, Derwing and Sonsaat-Hegelheimer note that interest in pronunciation
teaching is growing as evidenced by increasing numbers of PhD candidates,
dedicated journals, books and conferences and technology focussed on issues
surrounding pronunciation. They also note, however, that language pedagogy is
slow to change and may be based on non-empirically supported traditional
methods such as reading aloud and imitating native speaker models. Today,
research-informed pronunciation teaching focuses on intelligibility over
nativelikeness; teaching both segmentals and suprasegmentals; addressing both
production and perception; and integrating pronunciation with other language
skills.

In the edited volume, leaders of the field and upcoming experts provide an
overview of the issues at hand, the current research and offer practical
guidance, materials and further reading. Each chapter is around 20 pages long
and is clearly structured with the headings: ‘Critical Issues’, ‘Pedagogical
Implications’, and ‘Practical Resources for Pedagogy and Research’. 

CHAPTER BY CHAPTER SUMMARY

In Chapter 1 ‘Bridging the Research-Practice Gap in L2 Pronunciation’, Tracey
M. Derwing, John M. Levis and Sinem Sonsaat-Hegelheimer present their
impressive volume stating their main goal of addressing concerns that some
instructors may have about pronunciation teaching and they briefly introduce
the chapters which cover the range of how to integrate pronunciation into
teaching; how to teach perception; how to address segmentals; how to address
suprasegmentals; the research in L2 pronunciation teaching; new technology;
the coaching-model; how to give effective feedback; how to assess
pronunciation; how to teach pronunciation in varied contexts; EFL
pronunciation teaching in K-12; teaching in the laboratory, classroom and
online; pronunciation models; and research-based teaching materials. Their
chapter also briefly outlines some activities instructors can use to address
suprasegmental features, i.e. stress and intonation, noting that there is an
existing range of activities for segmentals widely available. 

John M. Levis and Andrea Echelberger’s very practical Chapter 2 ‘Integrating
Pronunciation into Language Instruction’ addresses pronunciation teaching with
a focus on teaching immigrants and refugees in Adult Basic Education (ABE)
programs in the US. Such contexts have a number of unique constraints, such as
different native languages and varying degrees of proficiency and literacy
within the class. In addition there are often testing requirements, many of
which do not assess pronunciation, meaning that it may be left out to
prioritize language skills that will be tested. In this context, Levis and
Echelberger advocate for consistent and planned pronunciation teaching that is
integrated with other skills rather than as a stand-alone lesson and provide
sample lesson plans and clear ideas for how pronunciation can be integrated
into textbook activities that do not address it. Also included is an appendix
with a diagnostic test for assessing pronunciation needs, including a sample
rating scale for segmental and suprasegmental features. 

The importance of perception in pronunciation is the focus of Ron I. Thomson’s
Chapter 3 ‘Perception in Pronunciation Training’, which is beautifully framed
with fitting anecdotes of his toddler’s early productions of “Elliort” and
“Canonivirus” instead of “Elliot” and “Coronavirus”. Thomson notes that in
instructed contexts, perception is sometimes ignored with the focus being
largely on production, even though it is an important precursor to production
in L1 and L2 learning. The training technique for perception with the most
evidence-based support is High Variability Pronunciation Training (HVPT) in
which a number of speakers produce a sound or a word for learners to
discriminate, often by clicking a symbol, letter or word. Thomson recommends
incorporating activities like HVPT in the classroom and focusing particularly
on sounds that have the greatest functional load, i.e., those that are
particularly important for meaning distinctions. Thomson ends with practical
resources including the freely available HVPT resource ‘English Accent Coach’
(englishaccentcoach.com), which Thomson himself created.

In Chapter 4 ‘Making the Teaching of Segmentals Purposeful’, Joshua Gordon
presents best practice ideas for teaching segmentals, i.e., consonants and
vowels, using the intelligibility principle. Gordon provides several tables
and figures outlining the features used to describe English vowels and
consonants. There is also a discussion of phonemes and allophones,
phonotactics, the functional load principle, the importance of perception
training, and the importance of integrated pronunciation teaching and
theoretical models that explain learners’ various struggles with these
phenomena. Gordon gives several clear ideas for segmental teaching in the
class room starting with controlled pronunciation-focused instruction and
moving towards integrated exercises focusing on other language skills.

Following the chapter on segmentals is Mary Grantham O’Brien’s Chapter 5
‘Making the Teaching of Suprasegmentals Accessible’. O’Brien acknowledges that
many language instructors feel particularly unprepared to teach
suprasegmentals, which are often important meaning distinguishing features of
pronunciation. Like other chapters before her, O’Brien’s chapter argues that
teaching should start early and focus on production and perception in explicit
instruction and move on to integrated activities that mimic communicative
activities that learners are likely to encounter. O’Brien also offers clear
examples for teaching suprasegmental features such as lexical stress, tone,
pitch accent, phrasal stress, intonation, and rhythm in various languages. She
ends her chapter with links to Audacity and Praat for visualizing speech,
talking dictionaries and YouGlish for listening to multiple speakers, and
text-to-speech apps such as Natural Reader and iSpeech.

In Chapter 6 ‘Classroom Research for Pronunciation’, Veronica G. Sardegna and
Alison McGregor provide a general review of the pronunciation teaching
literature. The most important factors in effective pronunciation training are
the focus on both segmental and suprasegmental features, feedback, and the
nature of the oral production in exercises and tests. For example,
decontextualized activities show improvement for speech at the controlled
level but communicative activities show improvement for not only controlled
but also spontaneous speech. Following clear selection criteria, they identify
15 studies (including two of their own) and they examine them according to
theoretical framework, instructional approach, instructional components,
pronunciation targets, outcome measures and outcomes. This chapter will likely
be useful for instructors who are considering publishing their classroom
research; here they make suggestions for further research and list important
considerations in study design and dissemination, for example calling for the
inclusion of more detailed methods and analysis. 

Dorothy M. Chun and Yan Jiang present Computer Assisted Pronunciation Teaching
(CAPT) tools in Chapter 7 ‘Using Technology to Explore L2 Pronunciation’. Chun
and Jiang note that technology can be especially useful for providing visual
representations of speech, pronunciation models, recording pronunciation
practice, collecting and responding to learners’ recorded practice and
providing independent practice. They give an overview of some freely available
technologies and others that require purchase or licensing and include ideas
for how to implement them in the classroom. Chun and Jiang note that CAPT
tools should be selected in terms of learning objectives, quality and
accuracy, and practicality of use and cost. Freely available CAPT tools
include: Audacity and Praat for visualizing speech, TED Talks and YouGlish for
listening and repeating, and Golden Speaker Builder, which records the
learner’s speech and provides a native model for the learner that mirrors
their own voice but with a native accent. 

In Chapter 8 ‘Beyond Controlled, Guided, and Free Practice’, Donna M. Brinton,
Michael Burri and Amanda A. Baker offer a holistic coaching-oriented model for
pronunciation teaching. It combines two frameworks, one from research on
pronunciation teaching and a second framework from psychology and research on
the needs of coaches. The model is used to help learners move from language
awareness to controlled practice, guided practice and free practice. Using a
specific classroom-based example, Brinton, Burri and Baker show how the
coaching model can work in two plausible scenarios: an American university
with a mixed-L1, mixed-proficiency class and a relatively free curriculum and
a Japanese junior high school with a shared L1, similar proficiency class and
a strict curriculum. The chapter concludes with practical resources including
special interest groups (e.g., CATESOL’s Teachers of Pronunciation, TESOL’s
Speech Pronunciation Listening Interest Section, and IATEFL’s PronSig), and
blogs and podcasts (e.g., Hancock McDonald ELT and English Global
Communication). 

Graeme Couper presents a framework for providing feedback in Chapter 9
‘Effective Feedback for Pronunciation Teaching’, arguing that such feedback is
best integrated into teaching through planned diagnostics and activities.
Couper argues for a conceptual approach which works by aligning learners’
current concepts of L2 phonology more towards the target language, noting
that, for example, the concept of lexical stress may be different for a French
speaker and an English speaker. The conceptual approach led to two teaching
methods: Critical Listening (CritL) and Socially Constructed Metalanguage
(SCM), which is a learner-centered approach in which the instructor and
learner negotiate ways of understanding phonological concepts which can later
be used in giving feedback. Couper exemplifies this approach with a clear
example for teaching lexical stress to undergraduates with different L1s.
Couper also provides a link to the particular lesson materials used in the
example (pronunciationteaching.wordpress.com).

In Chapter 10 ‘Pronunciation Assessment in Classroom Contexts’, Daniel R.
Isbell and Mari Sakai delve into the importance of assessment and its
relevance as a teaching tool and, as in all other chapters, note that the
focus is on intelligible pronunciation not nativelikeness. They argue for
classroom-based assessment (CBA) oriented toward learning. Isbell and Sakai
provide clear guidance on designing various types of CBA, e.g., diagnostic
assessment, achievement testing, performance assessment, progress tests and
quizzes, self-assessment, and embedded assessment. Isbell and Sakai end their
chapter citing freely available online supplemental materials
(pronunciationforteachers.com) for instructors to use as a model.

In Chapter 11 ‘Pronunciation in Varied Teaching and Learning Contexts’, Mark
Tanner and Lynn Henrichsen focus on the challenges that different
instructional and institutional contexts present in pronunciation teaching.
They discuss the specific contexts of English as a Second Language (ESL),
English as a Foreign Language (EFL), English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), and
English for Special Purposes (ESP). The final part of the chapter focuses on
five case studies with a different setting and contextual variables, with the
idea that the reader identifies the key variables and comes up with an
instruction plan based on the context. Questions for the reader are provided
to prompt comparison of the different cases and solutions. The sources of the
original case studies are given for the reader to consult. 

Elina Tergujeff addresses English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Chapter 12
‘Pronunciation Teaching in EFL K-12 Settings’. Her focus is on pedagogical
solutions for younger learners, but she notes that these can be adapted for
ESL contexts, other age groups and L2s. Tergujeff calls for pronunciation
teaching training in EFL programs as a core part of initial teacher training
and as a part of professional development for in-service teachers. She notes
the particular situation of many EFL learners is that they will most likely
use English with other non-native speakers and argues for the use of varied
English accents in the classroom and for the general acceptance of
accentedness, noting, like others, that intelligibility is more important than
nativelikeness. She recommends tending to shy learners with group rather than
individual activities, integrating pronunciation into other activities, and
keeping learning varied and playful. In addition to other suggestions,
Tergujeff mentions the kazoo method for teaching suprasegmentals in which
learners speak into a kazoo and create stress and intonation patterns without
the potential embarrassment of accented production. (Your reviewer can only
imagine a class of 25 twelve-year olds with kazoos). Tergujeff also lists
resources and further reading for teachers who lack training in pronunciation
instruction. 

Ines A. Martin and Solène Iceoglu delve into the critical issues of teaching
in the laboratory, classroom and online in Chapter 13 ‘The Laboratory, the
Classroom and Online’. They note that while laboratory teaching/research is
highly controlled, classroom teaching is not. However, laboratory findings can
be applied to the classroom. For example, HVPT was developed in the lab but is
also now used in perceptual training in the classroom and online. They also
discuss online instruction, noting that they mean fully virtual courses rather
than hybrid formats and that as of yet there are few research findings, but
there are some suggestions that it can be effective for improving
comprehensibility. They offer a list of resources including online resources
and some textbooks that include pronunciation instruction for English, French,
German and Spanish.

Lucy Pickering and Meichan Huang focus on different accents of English and
point out that many English users may never speak with a native speaker of
English thus highlighting the common theme of the importance of
intelligibility over nativelikeness in Chapter 14 ‘Teaching Pronunciation in
the Context of Multiple Varieties of English’. They discuss what
intelligibility means and present Jenkins’s (2000) Lingua Franca Core (FLC)
which is similar to the functional load principle in that it sets priorities
for segmentals and suprasegmentals for learners of English. Pickering and
Huang note that among teachers and learners there is a strong preference for
either standard American or British English as “correct English” and they call
for raising awareness of using accents beyond these “Inner Circle” models.
They make some suggestions for how to do this including the use of prominent
non-native speakers of English such as Kofi Annan, Javier Bardem and Ken
Watanabe. They end with resources including ELF corpora and other research.

In Chapter 15 ‘Research-informed Materials for Pronunciation Teaching’ Sinem
Sonsaat-Hegelheimer and Shannon McCrocklin offer instructors criteria to keep
in mind when selecting teaching materials including: the inclusion of a range
of segmentals and suprasegmentals to promote intelligibility; a range of
communicative activities; exposure to multiple voices and contexts; the
promotion of learner autonomy; and adequate support of teachers of various
backgrounds. They include lists of materials and indicate how they address
these five issues. They also provide a rubric for evaluating materials and
apply it to a well-known North American pronunciation book, Well Said, 4th
Edition (Linda Grant). They end with resources including recommended materials
and further reading for professional development.

EVALUATION

What I really like about this edited volume are the clear, classroom-ready
examples and links to resources, such as englishaccentcoach.com,
pronunciationforteachers.com and YouGlish. I can imagine that many readers,
teachers-in-training and experienced in-service teachers will greatly
appreciate this aspect too. This is an excellent case of truly bridging the
gap between research and teaching giving clear, explicit evidence-based
examples and suggestions for language instructors. There is a general bias
towards teaching English, but many sources and suggestions are adaptable to
other L2s.

I also appreciate the depth and breadth of issues covered. For example a wide
range of learners and teaching contexts are considered: basic language
classes, classes with different L1s, classes with shared L1s, learners with
different levels of literacy, K-12 EFL learners, undergraduate EFL learners
and more. I think that any language teacher will find some of the chapters
very valuable. 

Given this range and the general nature of edited volumes, it is unlikely that
the average reader will read the book cover to cover. Instead they are likely
to focus on the chapters of particular interest. The chapters are written as
stand-alone texts, making within volume citations where appropriate. For those
who read the book cover to cover, like your reviewer, repetition of a number
of issues will become noticeable. These often repeated issues include: the
need to focus on both segmentals and suprasegmentals; the need to address
perception and production; the concept of functional load for identifying
important pronunciation features; the importance of  intelligibility and
comprehensibility over nativelikeness; the importance of feedback and the type
of feedback that is most helpful; the use of integrated exercises in which
pronunciation is included with other language skills; and the need to start
with a diagnostic assessment. Given this repetition throughout the book, I
think it would have been helpful if the editors had addressed these common
themes in the introductory chapter, briefly presenting them and citing the
chapters in which they come up. This would provide readers new to the research
in pronunciation teachers with an overview of key issues. Instead of this
general thematic overview, the editors use the final part of their
introductory chapter to list a number of activities for addressing
suprasegmentals which, though they are excellent suggestions, seems somewhat
odd given that suprasegmental teaching is covered in Chapter 5 ‘Making the
Teaching of Suprasegmentals Accessible’. 

There is also a repetition of studies cited throughout the volume. For
example, Celce-Murcia, Brinton, Goodwin and Griner (2010) is cited by 10 out
of the 15 chapters and Levis (2018) is cited by 9 out of 15 chapters. All
chapters provide links to resources and materials and further reading, and it
might have been nice to create a list of the most commonly cited sources in
the introductory chapter for the reader so that they could easily identify the
most influential texts and materials. For the further reading cited in each
chapter, it might have also been helpful to highlight which of these are open
access, as many language instructors may not have access to academic journals,
an important consideration for a volume that explicitly addresses the gap
between teaching and research.

A wonderful range of issues is addressed here, but the ordering of the
chapters does not seem to have a pattern. For example, Chapter 6 ‘Classroom
Research for Pronunciation’ provides a literature review of current research
in effective pronunciation teaching and might have been better as the first
chapter after the introduction to set the stage for a volume on bridging the
gap between research and teaching. Chapter 7 ‘Using Technology to Explore
Pronunciation’ might have been better following Chapter 4 ‘Making Teaching of
Segmentals Purposeful’ and Chapter 5 ‘Making the Teaching of Suprasegmentals
Accessible’ as it gives clear examples and resources for teaching segmentals
and suprasegmentals using CAPT tools. In addition, issues regarding specific
learner groups, such as immigrant/refugee populations in ESL classes and K-12
EFL learners, are addressed in Chapter 2 and Chapter 11, respectively. Given
the focus on the particular issues regarding specific learner groups, one
might expect these chapters to be closer to each other. However, this is a
minor issue and perhaps only noticeable to those who read the volume cover to
cover and I acknowledge that given the inter-disciplinary nature of each
chapter, it might have been difficult to group them.

In summary, I can highly recommend this volume to all language instructors who
incorporate pronunciation training in their classes. The depth and breadth
covered here is excellent, and readers will become acquainted with the most
influential research and the most effective teaching materials and resources.

REFERENCES

Celce-Murcia, Marianne, Donna M. Brinton, Janet M. Goodwin, and Barry Griner.
2010. Teaching pronunciation: a course book and reference guide (2nd ed.).
Cambridge University Press.

Levis, John, M. 2018. Intelligibility, oral communication, and the teaching of
pronunciation. Cambridge University Press.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Carrie Ankerstein, PhD, is a senior lecturer in English Linguistics at
Saarland University, Saarbruecken, Germany, where she teaches pronunciation,
academic writing, general linguistics, psycholinguistics and applied
linguistics. Her research interests include second language acquisition and
explicit and implicit processes in L1 and L2 language processing.





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