Email about Google Drive File Sharing

Pronunciation in ELT

• Pronunciation is an essential component in ELT, but its relevance in the past depended on each approach and method.
• There are two different approaches to teaching pronunciation: traditional and research-based.
• Traditional approach focuses on teaching sounds, with phonetic descriptions as a primary component, and affect is not viewed as important.
• Research-based approach emphasizes teaching pronunciation communicatively, with the teacher providing students with phonetic descriptions only when they are helpful.
• Affect is critical in pronunciation instruction, and students learn specific relaxation activities to lower anxieties and resistance to improving pronunciation.

Factors Affecting Pronunciation

• Phonetic ability: the ability to recognize and produce sounds, stress, and intonation patterns.
• Personality: attitude towards the target language, culture, and native speakers.
• Motivation and concern for good pronunciation: desire to be integrated into the target language and culture.
• Mother tongue influence: transferring the sound pattern, stress, and rhythm of the first language into the second language.
• Age: Lenneberg's Critical Period Hypothesis states that there is a biological or neurological period ending at the age of 12, and after that, there is a progressive decline in the ability to acquire native-like pronunciation.
• Exposure to the target language: greater exposure to the target language makes it easier to acquire good pronunciation.

Teaching Pronunciation

• Teaching pronunciation covers several aspects, including rhythm, stress, intonation, and morphology.
• Stress and Morphology: stress patterns, content and function words, and grammatical categories.
• Intonation Types: statements, commands, wh-questions, yes/no questions, questions tags, choices, and conditional sentences.

Discussion: Native Speakers and Non-Native Speakers

• The relevance of being a native speaker of the target language for a teacher.
• Whether native speakers should be trained in ELT to work as teachers or not.
• Whether non-native teachers should have a near-native accent or not.

Grammar in ELT

• Grammar could be roughly defined as the way words are put together to make sentences.
• There are two different approaches to teaching grammar: inductive and deductive.
• Inductive approach focuses on meaning first and form second, and helps learners discover the rule through communication and context.
• Deductive approach focuses on form first and then on meaning, and assumes all responsibility for student learning.

Three-Dimensional Grammar Framework

• The framework includes form, use, and meaning.
• Form refers to the structure of the language.
• Use refers to when and why the language is used.
• Meaning refers to the semantics and pragmatics of the language.

Teaching Vocabulary

• Vocabulary knowledge includes the mastery of various aspects, such as meaning, form, and use.
• There are various techniques to teach vocabulary, including gap filling, vocab scrabble, multiple choice, word scramble, flashcards, and many more.### Vocabulary Learning
• Vocabulary learning can be intentional (explicit) or incidental (implicit)
• Intentional learning involves explicit vocabulary exercises
• Incidental learning involves picking up words while focusing on other activities, such as reading, watching TV series, playing video games, or browsing the web

Word Knowledge

• Word knowledge involves several aspects, including:
  • Meaning(s)
  • Written form
  • Spoken form
  • Grammatical behavior
  • Collocations
  • Register
  • Associations
  • Frequency
• Understanding these aspects is crucial for effective vocabulary learning

Vocabulary Errors

• Common vocabulary errors include:
  • Using incorrect forms of words (e.g., "writing" instead of "write")
  • Misusing words with negative connotations (e.g., "vent" instead of "express")
  • Using formal or archaic words in informal contexts (e.g., "extolment" instead of "praise")
  • Using incorrect grammatical structures (e.g., "suggest" instead of "suggest to")

Teaching Pragmatics

• Pragmatics involves understanding how language is used in social contexts to communicate effectively
• Teaching pragmatics involves raising awareness of pragmatic aspects, such as:
  • Using language for different purposes (e.g., greeting, informing, demanding)
  • Changing language depending on the listener or situation
  • Following rules for conversation and storytelling
  • Using gestures and body language
• Pragmatic awareness is essential in multilingual and multicultural contexts

Gestures and Body Language

• Gestures and body language can vary across cultures and can have different meanings
• Examples of cultural differences in gestures and body language include:
  • Nodding up and down to signify agreement or approval (not universal)
  • Using eye contact to show interest or respect (not universal)
  • Tugging earlobes to indicate tasty food (Portuguese) or sexual connotations (Italians)
  • Waving goodbye (can be interpreted as "no" in some cultures)
  • Sitting cross-legged (common in North America and some European countries, but viewed as disrespectful in some Asian and Middle Eastern cultures)

Forms of Address

• Forms of address vary across cultures and languages
• Polite forms of address depend on factors such as politeness, respect, familiarity, and formality
• Learning different forms of address is essential in social and professional contexts
• Examples of forms of address include:
  • Using titles and surnames (e.g., Mr./Ms./Mrs./Dr. + surname)
  • Using first names or nicknames (e.g., mate, dude, bruv)
  • Using affectionate terms (e.g., darling, babe, sweet, love)### Vocabulary for Addressing People
• Family members: mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, siblings
• Friends and acquaintances: friends, boyfriend, girlfriend, special friend
• Authorities: GP or doctor, teachers
• Other: special friend

Forms of Address

• Factors determining forms of address: politeness, familiarity, respect
• Differences between English and own language: to be discussed with partner

Teaching Pragmatics

• Role-playing exercises for complaining in English
• Situations:
  • Receiving a low grade on an English presentation
  • Dealing with a loud neighbor
  • Waiting for a long time at a restaurant
  • Dealing with late students who don't do their homework
• Complaints and requests:
  • Low grade: "Why is the grade so low?" "Explain the grade"
  • Noisy neighbor: "The music is too loud" "Stop or turn it down"
  • Long wait at a restaurant: "We've been waiting for a long time" "Bring our order now"
  • Late students: "You're always late and don't do your homework" "Arrive on time and do your homework"

Pronunciation in ELT

• Pronunciation is considered an important component in ELT, but its relevance in the past depended on each approach and method.
• Different teaching methods have varying emphasis on pronunciation:
  • Grammar-translation method: ignored or irrelevant
  • Reform movement: important but not the major focus
  • Direct Method: essential
  • Audio-lingual and situational language teaching: essential
  • Cognitive: important but not the major focus
  • Silent Way: ignored or irrelevant
  • Communicative language learning: essential
  • Communicative language teaching: essential

Approaches to Teaching Pronunciation

• There are two different approaches to teaching pronunciation: traditional and research-based.
• Traditional approach:
  • Goal is to acquire native-like pronunciation
  • Primary emphasis is on teaching sounds
  • Affect is not viewed as important in instructional activities
• Research-based approach:
  • Goal is to gain sufficient pronunciation skills so that the quality of pronunciation will not inhibit communication
  • Emphasis of instruction is on teaching pronunciation communicatively
  • Affect is critical in pronunciation instruction

Factors Affecting Pronunciation

• Several factors affect pronunciation:
  • Phonetic ability
  • Personality
  • Motivation and concern for good pronunciation
  • Mother tongue influence
  • Age
  • Exposure to target language
• Lenneberg's Critical Period Hypothesis: a biological or neurological period, ending at the age of 12, affects language acquisition.
• Yates (2002): there is a progressive decline rather than a strong drop-off after puberty in language acquisition.

Discussion

• TESOL is one of the largest and most influential organizations in ELT.
• The relevance of being a native speaker of the target language is debatable.
• Should native speakers be trained in ELT to work as teachers or not?
• Should non-native teachers have a near-native accent or not?

Teaching Pronunciation

• Covers several aspects apart from sound, such as stress, intonation, etc.
• Rhythm:
  • Stress-timed rhythm (e.g., English)
  • Syllable-timed rhythm (e.g., Spanish)
• Stress:
  • Content words (e.g., nouns, verbs, adjectives) are stressed
  • Function words (e.g., articles, prepositions, conjunctions) are unstressed
• Stress and Morphology:
  • Compounds: stress on 1st syllable (e.g., laptop, bookshop)
  • Prefixes: stress falls on the following syllable (e.g., prepare, forget)
  • Suffixes (1): stress on the last syllable (e.g., millionaire, referee)
  • Suffixes (2): stress on the preceding syllable (e.g., conclusion, elastic)
• Intonation types:
  • Falling: statements, commands, wh-questions
  • Rising: yes/no questions, questions tags that show uncertainty
  • Choices: do you speak French or English?### Grammar in ELT
• Grammar can be roughly defined as the way words are put together to make sentences.
• There are two different approaches to teaching grammar: INDUCTIVE and DEDUCTIVE.
  • Deductive approach: teacher explains the rule to the learners and then they use it, focuses on form first then on meaning, drills students to learn the rule mechanically, and assumes all responsibility for student learning.
  • Inductive approach: students use the rule through different examples, then they learn the rule, focuses on meaning first and form second, and helps learners discover the rule through communication and context.

Three-Dimensional Grammar Framework

• The framework consists of three dimensions: FORM, MEANING, and USE.
• FORM: How is it formed? Structure.
• MEANING: What does it mean? Semantics.
• USE: When and why is it used? Pragmatics.

Modals, Possessive, and Phrasal Verbs

• Modals: MUST and HAVE TO.
• Possessive: 's or s', possession, relationship, part/whole, origin/agent, and 's vs possessive determiner.
• Phrasal Verbs: verb + particle, literal, figurative, and multiple meanings.

Teaching Vocabulary

• According to I.S.P. Nation (2001), word knowledge by ESL learners includes the mastery of the following vocabulary-related aspects:
  • Meaning/s: What does the word mean? Are there multiple meanings or connotations?
  • Written form: What does the word look like? How is it spelled?
  • Spoken form: What does it sound like? How is it pronounced?
  • Grammatical behavior: In what patterns does it occur?
  • Collocations: What words are often used before or after the word?
  • Register: Is the word formal or informal? Where can you expect to hear or use it?
  • Associations: How does this word relate to other words? What words could we use in place of this one?
  • Frequency: Is this word common or rare? Is it new or old-fashioned?

Vocabulary Mistakes

• Examples of vocabulary mistakes made by a student:
  • intermission for ‘break’
  • writing - writing one t
  • difficultness -> difficulty
  • to give vent to my feelings but vent my anger ‘vent’ has negative connotation
  • valuability -> value
  • advices is uncountable -> advice
  • every step of the work -> every step of the way
  • it comes without speaking -> it goes without saying
  • rouses a deep sense of -> too formal
  • sagely (adv) -> sage (adj)
  • extolment is formal and archaic
  • guys - informal
  • bye for now - informal

Intentional and Incidental Learning

• Word learning can be INTENTIONAL (explicit) or INCIDENTAL (picked up while the learner’s attention is not specifically focused on vocabulary learning).
• Both aspects are essential, for example reading usually involves incidental word-learning, and vocabulary knowledge is widely accepted as a key predictor to reading success.
• It is estimated that readers need to know approximately 98% of the words in an oral or written text to comprehend it.### Intentional vs. Incidental Learning
• Intentional learning: learners actively engage in learning a language with a specific goal in mind
• Incidental learning: learners pick up language skills unintentionally, often through exposure to authentic materials (e.g., TV series, movies, songs, conversations)

Examples of Incidental Learning

• Watching TV series with subtitles in another language
• Browsing the internet or playing video games in English
• Social networking and interacting with others online

Vocabulary Learning

• Repetition: learners need to encounter words multiple times to remember them
• Spaced repetition: reviewing words at increasingly longer intervals to solidify learning
• Manipulation: engaging with words in different contexts and activities to deepen understanding
• Writing: using words in writing tasks to reinforce learning
• Discussion: interacting with others to discuss word meanings and usage
• Groups: working in groups to share knowledge and exchange information about words

Pragmatics in ELT

• Pragmatic competence: the ability to use language appropriately in different contexts
• Teaching pragmatics: often overlooked in the classroom, despite its importance in effective communication
• Aspects of pragmatics: discourse organization, speech acts, sociolinguistics, implicature, conversation management, and structure

Pragmatic Awareness

• Helps teachers and students improve communication and avoid problems
• Essential in multicultural classrooms or when teaching abroad
• Includes awareness of gestures, body language, and cultural differences

Gestures and Body Language

• Nodding: can have different meanings in different cultures (e.g., agreement, disapproval, or ignorance)
• Eye contact: expected in some cultures, but avoided in others
• Hand gestures: can have different meanings or connotations in different cultures
• Seating positions: can be viewed as respectful or disrespectful in different cultures

Forms of Address

• Vary across cultures and regions
• Depend on factors such as politeness, respect, familiarity, and formality
• Teaching forms of address is a pragmatic activity

Teaching Pragmatics

• Includes role-playing exercises to practice different forms of address and complaint
• Helps students develop pragmatic awareness and effective communication skills