2. Optimising L2 Utterances Using Web-based Resources - Mr.S.Shaik Khader Nawaz & Dr. A. Munian

Introduction

With a target of imparting the four language skills, second language teaching requires a holistic learning environment. A number of methods have evolved over the course of time from Form-based, Audio-lingual, cognitive and communicative approaches. Recently, teachers have been adding T to the standard LSRW skills where T stands thinkingand the discussion on critical thinking in language classrooms have begun. This article is about – Pronunciation. Mr. David F Daltonrecalls from his instructor, in his article for ESL [1] that teaching pronunciation has become the ‘Cinderella of English Language Teaching’. Pronunciation is inclusive of language teaching and considering the fact that we are addressing the digital natives, we can make use of this trait to impart the skill effectively.

Teaching Pronunciation in Target Language

ELT in India has been undergoing changes over the last decade and with the inception of English for specific purposes, for technologists, scientists, engineers, functional English and other variants, teaching pronunciation have gone oversight. The quantity of time spent on teaching L2 pronunciation has considerably reduced. The fact that prosody of a language helps in better production of its sounds has been recorded in literature [2].

Learning stress and intonation and putting it to proper use accounts for the correctness and the intelligibility of the speech produced. These patterns are also some of the challenging features of a language being studied. Listening to the sounds of target language helps in retaining, identifying and producing them. We need a strategic way of bringing in the Phonetics and Phonology in language classrooms for which we can use free web-based resources.

Phonology and Phonetics in Language Classrooms

Studies on contrastive analyses of sounds in L1 and L2 have been carried out. Production and perception of L2 sounds have been extensively studied. Research on the perception of sounds in L2 and not in L1 has been carried out among different learner groups. Further, it is documented that students’ perception of L2 sounds which are not in L1 have been better [3]. Sound discrimination tasks, reading out the words and production tasks have been used for this purpose. It is also categorically important that teachers listen to the learners, transcribe and evaluate the L2 sounds.As non-native speakers, near accurate pronunciations and optimized utterances will be readily appreciated. Introduction and use of IPAin language classes needs intense attention and hence curriculum revamping.

Web-based Resources

The advent of virtual classrooms like Edmodo and online MOOCs like edx, Stanford’s Coursera and others has helped taking lessons beyond the scope of classrooms. It empowers the teachers and learners to participate, learn and contribute at comfortable pace.

We are addressing the generation z who use internet profoundly. Planning a pronunciation lesson for these digital natives will only keep it all the more interesting. Listen and Practise, compare and contrast the sounds, identify the vowel/consonant sound, stress/intonate and other such activities can be planned well ahead and with the objectives effectively met.Renowned universities across the world have developed software to analyse speaking with respect to various prosodic characteristics of a language. Of these some of them are available for public on the internet. A prerogative of language teaching is that we can convert any source – an audio file, a video clip, a brochure, a pamphlet, a newspaper and others into material base for class activity. Mobile learning scenarios being the recent addition to ELT, some of the exclusive resources available for use are Podcasts, Vocaroo (Voice Robot) etc., Countless language class activities with communicative significance can be planned based on them.

Podcasts

Podcasts are an evolved variant of Radio which is based on internet. A series of information on specific titles are available for download. Pronunciation podcasts [4] are immensely useful for listen and practice exercises. Mandy’s podcasts on pronunciation are inevitable for teachers and learners of English language.

Vocaroo

It is a voice robot as they call it. A user can speak and record his speech as an audio journal which can be downloaded or have the journal sent to an email [5]. The founders state that it is a beta version that is still being developed. An online program, ATDOP (Access Teacher Development Online Program)was offered to ACCESS (Scholarship Program run by Regional English Language Office -RELO) teachers where the course instructors used vocaroo to listen to course participants’ audio journals and provided valuable feedback. It contributed a substantial learning curve where a student gets to introspect his/her own speaking. The teacher’s feedback will help in identifying insufficient or incorrect stress, intonation or sound. Apart from these, exclusive pronunciation websites are available which can help with speech pattern analysis. Speech-to-text and text-to-speech converter apps are freely available which will assist in discourse analysis.

Conclusion

We acknowledge the fact that technology is here to stay, so we may adapt to them and put them to good use. A myriad spectrum of free resources isavailable on internet – which we can employ to strike an amicable balance of pedagogy and technology.Renowned Professor in English, M.S. Natarajan (Head (Retd.,), Dept. of English, University of Madras) said in one of his conference inaugural addresses that the living voice of a teacher is necessary to lead the students through the vast extent of online resources. Our objective is to create the persuasive environment that English language teaching-learning needs in a non-native tempo.