Humanising Language Teaching
Year 2; Issue 6; November 2000

Understanding and Empowering the Learner-Teacher in Pronunciation Instruction: key issues in pronunciation course design

Camilla Dixo Lieff
Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, Brazil
milla.tln@terra.com.br
Elizabeth Pow
Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo,Brazil
Sociedade Brasileira de Cultura Inglesa São Paulo, Brazil
pow@hydra.com.br

"I believe that it is of primordial importance to learn more every year than the year before. After all, what is education but a process by which a person begins to learn how to learn ?" ( Peter Ustinov 1998)

As educators and as language teachers, with a special interest in English Phonology and pronunciation instruction, we have been facing many challenges over the last years, in our attempt to improve our educational practice and design more meaningful, effective and pleasant pronunciation courses for the learner-teachers who are involved in in-service programmes.

The main challenge lies in the fact that, for most teachers, English Phonology input, (when there is any) provided by college education programmes, generally does not equip them with the necessary tools for transforming, reorganising or adapting the course content to their needs as language users and as English teaching professionals. In our own non- native setting, we have found that, on the one hand, most teachers - both novice and experienced - aspire to a near-native accent and have high expectations towards their command of the language (Duarte,1996) . On the other hand, teachers do not feel prepared or confident enough to carry out speech work with their own students. In this respect, we seem to share the problems raised by experts in English-speaking countries (Bradford & Kenworthy, 1991), (Jenkins, 1996) and non-English speaking countries ( Walker, 1999).

As non- native users of English , we share common ground with our learners :

a) We have been or still are learners of English to a certain extent. What are our strengths and weaknesses as learners of English? How do we learn best? How have we dealt with any shortcomings ?

b) How can we draw on the knowledge and experience we have of L1 to enhance our pronunciation teaching skills? What similarities and differences between Portuguese and English can either contribute to or hinder communication? In most cases , learners tend to feel that all speech features are new because they are not aware of similarities or differences between both languages.

What are the implications of these main needs for pronunciation course–designers ?

Identifying possible directions to meet teachers' pronunciation needs has been a special concern of ours as educators and pronunciation teachers. Speech improvement may require long-term, systematic work, and time is something few teachers have on hand. Yet, we will have to start somewhere.

In our view, short pronunciation modules in an in-service programme, (hour-load varying between 20-24 hours) designed "to start the learner on their own journey towards self-knowledge and self- reliance" (Ellis and Sinclair, 1989) can be a starting point. A proposed pronunciation module would include the following key components :

1. Preparation for language learning : the beginning of awareness

2. Skills development

In Preparation for Language Learning, the establishment of good teacher-learner, learner-learner interaction and the development of an anxiety / judgement-free atmosphere, are crucial to laying the ground for pronunciation instruction. From the very beginning, learners are engaged in tasks which help raise self-esteem and build self-confidence.

Learners are continuously encouraged to:

• discover their inner resources and to maximize them
• recall and rely on previous successful learning experiences and on what they already know or are familiar with from their L1 ( Brazilian Portuguese)
• focus on the process of learning ( HOW they learn or prefer to learn) in addition to WHAT they learn, so that they become aware of the wide range of alternative strategies available to them for pronunciation learning .

In the Skills Development component, participants are encouraged to pursue improved intelligibility and develop pronunciation teaching skills in a series of tasks designed to help them :

• make sense and make use of the new phonological system and understand its role for communication purposes;
• look at pronunciation under a more comprehensive view, integrated with Listening and Speaking;
• perceive the similarities between L1 and L2 phonological systems which can favour intelligibility and raise the learner's confidence;
• continuously assess their progress by taping or writing reflective notes in which they will report on the various learning steps for sustained motivation;
• continuously re-design new study plans which can cater for learner-teacher needs, so that they take control over their learning towards more independent learning.

Learning to teach pronunciation entails more than providing teachers with a "how-to" bag of tricks to be replicated in the classroom. It requires some basic understanding of affective non-native speaker issues which may be of great help in empowering pronunciation learner-teachers to become intelligible and acceptable language users, while acquiring pronunciation knowledge and teaching skills.

References :

• Bradford, B. & Kenworthy, J. (1991) "Phonology on Teacher Training Courses". Speak Out! Newsletter of the IATEFL Phonology Interest Group. No 9 December.
• Duarte,V.L.C.(1996)"Aprendendo a Aprender. Experienciar, Refletir e Transformar: um processo sem fim". PHD dissertation. Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo.
• Hubbarb, E. (1998) For My Teacher. Sayings Edited by Margaret Lannamann. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
• Jenkins, J.(1996) "Changing Priorities" in Speak Out ! Newsletter of the IATEFL Pronunciation Special Interest Group. No 18.
• Lieff, C.D. & Pow, Elizabeth. (2000) "Awareness in Pronunciation Instruction: - taking a step further" in As We Speak , the TESOL Speech/Pronunciation Interest Section Newsletter Vol 3, No. 1 January
• Sinclair, B. & Ellis. G. ( 1989) Learning to Learn English. CUP
• Ustinov, P (1998) For My Teacher. Sayings Edited by Margaret Lannamann. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
• Walker, R. (1999) "Proclaimed and Perceived Wants and Needs Among Spanish Teachers of English" in SPEAK OUT Newsletter of the IATEFL Pronunciation Special Interest Group. Issue 24.

Camilla Dixo Lieff- M.A. in Applied Linguistics. Teacher / teacher trainer at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, Brazil. Research interest : English Phonetics / Phonology, Teacher Development. IATEFL Pronunciation SIG Committee Member, former TESOL Speech/Pronunciation Steering Committee member, Co-ordinator of BRAZ-TESOL Pronunciation SIG. She has published articles in various national and international journals.