This article examines some phonological explanations for pronunciation difficulties experienced by learners of English and Chinese. Rules of accommodation, rules of distribution and alternation, voicing, and morphophonemic rules are examined. (Contains six references.) (JL)

Examines an approach (story squares) to teaching Spanish pronunciation utilizing contextual supports and extralinguistic aids to comprehension. (11 references) (GLR)

Discusses the possible use of automatic speech recognition (ASR) for training students to improve their accents in a foreign language. Principles of good language training as well as the limits of the use of ASR and how to deal with them are discussed, and an example from the Carnegie Mellon FLUENCY system is used to show how such a system may…

Proposes a model for the inclusion of a pronunciation teaching unit within second language/foreign language teacher preparation programs. A pilot course was offered at the University of Kansas in 1998. It was expected that this component would give prospective language teachers the requisite background for making decisions concerning pronunciation…

This study examines the reliability of automatic speech recognition (ASR) software used to teach English pronunciation, focusing on one particular piece of software, "FluSpeak, as a typical example." Thirty-six Korean English as a Foreign Language (EFL) college students participated in an experiment in which they listened to 15 sentences…

This digest reviews the current status of pronunciation instruction in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes. The current focus on communicative approaches to ESL instruction and the concern for building teamwork and communication skills in an increasingly diverse workplace are renewing interest in the role that pronunciation plays in…

A person or a group's accent includes not only vowel and consonant articulations, but also a predictable pattern of rhythmic stress placement and tonal or pitch contours, and a combination of configurational features that constitute voice quality setting. English as a second language (ESL) teachers should make their students aware of the habitual…

In order to master English pronunciation, a student must be able both to articulate a sound and to determine when to use the sound. A program to teach this skill combines conventional orthography and insights of generative phonology in the notion "vowel quality pattern." (CHK)

Gives practical hints for teaching pronunciation with special attention to accent: 1. Teaching of pronunciation should take place in a "meaningful context." 2. Mimicry drills form the basis for teaching pronunciation. 3. Discrimination drills are a prerequisite for successful teaching of pronunciation. 4. Speaking in chorus is a useful method for…

To determine the utility of the commonly taught phonics rule "if the only vowel in a word is at the end of that word, it usually stands for a long sound," a study evaluated all of the single syllable entries in the "New Grolier Webster International Dictionary of the English Language." When the letter "y" was considered a vowel, 72 words were…

To determine the usefulness of two commonly taught phonics rules concerning the pronounciation of two-syllable words, a study analyzed more than 138,000 words in the "New Grolier Webster International Dictionary of the English Language." The rules state that (1) a vowel is short when the only vowel in a syllable is not the last letter in…

This transcript and guide of a two-cassette course is designed to assist immigrants from the Asian-Pacific areas of China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam eliminate their foreign accents. The course is appropriate for both individual and group study. The guide includes narrative and taped demonstrations of American English that pinpoint typical…

Second language pronunciation and listening comprehension are inherently linked. Furthermore, they are bound by a system in which the individual sounds are related. The focus of second language instruction should be the framework of intonation within which the sounds are organized. Instruction should be based on the way English speakers depend on…

THIS BASIC COURSE IN SHONA, ONE OF THE TWO PRINCIPAL LANGUAGES OF RHODESIA AND PARTS OF ADJACENT MOZAMBIQUE, IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE THE STUDENT WITH DIALOG THAT RELATE TO SOME OF THE SITUATIONS IN WHICH HE IS LIKELY TO USE THE LANGUAGE, AS WELL AS PROVIDE HIM WITH SYSTEMATIC PRACTICE ON ALL MAJOR POINTS OF GRAMMAR. THE TEXT CONSISTS OF 49 UNITS OF…

THIS TEACHER'S MANUAL HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR TEACHERS WHO ADOPT THE TEXT--"FIRST LEVEL ARABIC, ELEMENTARY LITERARY ARABIC FOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS." VARIOUS TECHNIQUES FOR APPLYING THE AUDIOLINGUAL APPROACH WERE DISCUSSED UNDER THE HEADINGS OF (1) HELPING STUDENTS TO MEMORIZE THE BASIC DIALOG SENTENCES, (2) HELPING STUDENTS USE BASIC DIALOG…