Phonetics in pronunciation teaching for modern foreign languages

Author: Patricia Ashby© Patricia Ashby

Abstract

Set against the history of the relationship between phonetics and pronunciation teaching, this paper outlines the needs of both the teacher and the learner in terms of phonetic knowledge in today’s multilingual classrooms. It suggests sources of information for consultation by teachers and refers to established research demonstrating the value of phonetics in pronunciation teaching and learning. It concludes by recommending an ideal case scenario and offers a number of useful web addresses with brief annotations for the benefit of teachers and learners.

Phonetics and modern language teaching

Much modern phonetic practice began a century ago in foreign language teaching classrooms. Courses mushroomed across Europe, directed by specialists such as Tilly and Vitor (Germany), Passy (France) and Jones (UK). Development was market-led, responding to requests for language-specific phonetics courses from students themselves.

Phonetics is not an instant remedy for all pronunciation problems; it offers the means to develop good pronunciation through enhanced awareness of relevant aspects of speech. How good will depend on motivation and long term goals.

The specific needs of all engaged in pronunciation teaching are encompassed by a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical skills: sufficient general phonetic theory, some comparative phonetics and phonology, practical phonetics (transcription skills, ear-training, production-training – see Shockey, Phonetics on this site).

Phonetics and the modern language teacher

Teachers need: a (good) grasp of articulatory phonetics; a well-trained ear; knowledge of the phonology (contrasts, major allophones, processes and prosodies) of both the mother tongue(s) (today’s language classes increasingly take place in multilingual classrooms) and the target language.

Teachers will anticipate likely problems arising from the interface between first and target languages (utilising knowledge of comparative phonetics and phonology), notice and analyse actual problems as they occur (using practical phonetic skills derived from ear-training experience), remedy the situation with bespoke exercises (applying knowledge of articulatory phonetic theory and pedagogy).

For articulatory phonetics Ashby 1995, Ladefoged 2001 and Wells & Colson 1971 are recommended; for in-depth English phonetics, readers are directed to Cruttenden 2001. Other language-specific literature will need to be individually researched depending on requirements, but access to a dictionary with reliable pronunciation information is imperative for all languages with non-phonetic spelling; yardsticks here are Wells 2000 or Crowther 1995. There are many (often anglocentric) conventional and electronic sources with ideas on pedagogy in pronunciation teaching, including Avery & Erlich 1992, Baker & Goldstein 1990, Dalton & Seidlhofer 1994, Kenworthy 1987, MacCarthy 1978 (whose list of exercise types remains unrivalled) and Rudd 1971.

Phonetics and the modern language learner

The amount of phonetic knowledge appropriate is age-dependent. School-age learners need guiding (virtually no theory but lots of carefully structured, phonetically-informed practice); older learners need guiding and informing (facilitating self-help, including use of interactive websites). The effectiveness of ear-training (based on knowledge that hearing and recognition of sounds must precede attempts to make them, see Jones 1948) is supported by Pisoni, et al. 1994, Rvachew & Jamieson 1995, etc.; the value of theoretical understanding as part of the learning process is convincingly illustrated by Catford & Pisoni 1970. Additionally, the ability to read transcription is essential to access information in a pronouncing dictionary for languages without phonetic spelling (French, Russian, English, etc.); pronunciation must be learnt in parallel with meaning and use for every new word.

Good practice in pronunciation teaching

Teachers must be well informed about articulatory phonetics and the phonetics of the mother tongue(s) and target language of learners; target languages cannot be addressed in isolation.

At tertiary level, I recommend beginning any language programme with a short induction course in articulatory phonetics, covering the ground outlined above. Then (ideally in parallel with ongoing general phonetic ear-training and production practice), phonetic knowledge and skills can fully benefit spoken language instruction.

Bibliography

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Avery, P. and S. Erlich (1992) Teaching American English Pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Baker, A. and S. Goldstein (1990) Pronunciation Pairs. An Introductory Course for Students of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Catford, J.C. and D.B. Pisoni (1970) ‘Auditory vs Articulatory Training in Exotic Sounds.’ in Modern Language Journal. 54/7, pp 447-81.

Crowther, J., Ed. (1995) Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Phonetics Editor, M.G. Ashby.

Cruttenden, A., Ed. (2001) Gimson’s Introduction to the Pronunciation of English. London: Arnold. 6th edition.

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