Dear Virtual Friends!
Happy Week three learning!
It has been mainly found in my own context and the
context of second and foreign language contexts, that in the pronunciation
class, the teacher has been observed following the stress, intonation, and
rhythm patterns, or even tutoring the pronunciation of segmental and supra-segmental
pronunciation. But the case is quite contrary in rest of the classes.
The research of Moyer
(2007) and that of Shively (2008) in the context of Spanish is also quite
relevant and very much valid. The major factors pointed out for native like
accent has been pointed out as "exposure to the language, amount of formal
instruction in Spanish, residence in a Spanish speaking country, amount of
out-of-class contact with Spanish, and focus on pronunciation in class".
The lesson plans attached in the week three, include interesting and workable
activities supported with latest technology, however, I think better and more
modern tools like Skype and video calling on Facebook should have been
introduced, which I think more useful to improve accent. Besides, while interacting with some native speakers, or listening to BBC and CNN or some
clips of videos, I hardly have found the accent (stress, intonation, or rhythm)
as impeding my intelligibility, but what I found confusing and embarrassing
were the idiom and colloquial words.
Another aspect of teaching
pronunciation needs to be emphasized that in EFL contexts, here Pakistani
context, where English is taught as the knowledge of language instead of
practical communication. The emphasis has been over reading, and writing as
highly useful skills, instead of speaking and listening. Hence, pronunciation
is taught just for the sake of knowing the accurate pronunciation and to have a
pronunciation competence, instead of pragmatic application.
CA (Contrastive Analysis) Hypothesis
is one other important strategy. The stress timed and syllable timed difference
of languages have different pronunciation differences in vowel and consonant
stress and intonation, will be an exclusive strategy and hence the appropriate
lesson planning is required. In this regard the check list given in the pdf
attachment of week three is highly recommended. While the last item that is
"Nuclear (tonic) stress" is a must to teach in my context particularly.
For this the lead exercises are better ones.
The story of the discovery of an other tool: Delicious. It is almost all delicious about it. Admittedly, I could not succeed in my
early attempts at accomplishing my own delicious account, perhaps because of
the difference of browsers. The browser used in the guidelines was perhaps
Mozilla Firefox, while I am using chrome, hence the misunderstanding and
consequent delay. All my efforts stopped at the stage seven. I could not make
out what does it mean dragging it to the bar.
Eventually I rise above the hindrances. I have a delicious account, here
it is. The concept of delicious is
impressive and useful, new one for me at least. Believe me prior to this I used
to write useful pages on a word page, and it often was lost with passage of time. Delicious is a delicious tool as it is user-friendly,
it adds to convenience, convenient to add a website so far visited and share
with the concerned, besides checking it online, anywhere, whenever. Rightly
held that the fund of knowledge multiplies by sharing, delicious is the tool
that shares the knowledge in a real way. I can share, while watching the webs
others use and recommend.
very sincerely yours,
Ali
Pakistan
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