Englishville: a Multi-Sensorial Tool for Prosody
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18778/1731-7533.20.2.04Keywords:
prosody, L2 learners of English, multi-sensorial input, EnglishvilleAbstract
Research has shown that prosody plays an important role in the intelligibility, comprehensibility and accentedness of non-native discourse (Munro and Derwing, 1995, 1998). Yet prosody is deemed difficult to teach (Setter et al., 2010). Previous studies have used software such as PRAAT (Setter et al., 2010, Olson, 2014, Imber et al., 2017,) but they can be complex to use (Setter et al., 2010; Setter and Jenkins, 2005). Could a more comprehensive tool be useful to L2 learners? Englishville is a website where it is possible for the learner to see a real-time 3D spectrogram.
An experiment was set up to determine whether multi-sensorial input, available via Englishville can help learners of English. Eight French students enrolled in a BA in English took part in this initial trial experiment (2 per group). They were divided into four groups. The corpus is divided into 2 parts. The first focuses on lexical word stress (72 words) and the second on intonation in 30 short sentences. The corpus was recorded by a female native British speaker. All participants had one trial at the beginning of the experiment to familiarise themselves with the tool and they all read and recorded the words and phrases as they appeared on the screen. The first group only had access to this text (no input) before recording their own productions whereas the other 3 groups received supplementary input. Group 2 read the text and heard the corresponding audio (audio input), group 3 read the text and saw the corresponding 3D spectrogram (visual input) and group 4 read the text, heard the audio and saw the corresponding 3D spectrogram (multi-sensorial input).
An auditive analysis leads us to believe that both hearing speech and seeing the corresponding spectrogram is beneficial, especially for intonation. Positive results came from the students’ feedback; they generally found the tool useful, easy to use, fun and interesting.
References
Boersma, Paul. 2001. PRAAT, a System for Doing Phonetics by computer. Glot International, 5, 341--345.
Chabert, Evelyne. 2018. Bien Prononcer L’anglais – Manuel d’anglais Oral Pour les Francophones. Génération 5.
Chafcouloff, Michel. 2004. Voir la Parole. Travaux Interdisciplinaires du Laboratoire Parole et Langage d’Aix-en-Provence (TIPA), 23, 23-65.
Colantoni, L., Marasco, O., Steele, J., and Sunara, S. 2014. Learning to Realize Prosodic Prominence in L2 French and Spanish. In Miller RT, et al (eds.), Selected Proceedings of the 2012 Second Language Research Forum. Cascadilla Proceedings Project, 15-29. http://www.lingref.com/cpp/slrf/2012/paper3082.pdf
de Bot, K. 1983. Visual Deedback of Intonation: Effectiveness and Induced Practice Behavior. Language and Speech, 26, 331–350. https://doi.org/10.1177/002383098302600402 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002383098302600402
Derwing, Tracey M., and Munro, Murray J. 2005. Second Language Accent and Pronunciation Teaching a Research-Based Approach. TESOL Quarterly, 39, 379-397. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588486 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3588486
Derwing, Tracey M., and Rossiter, Marian J. 2003. The Effects of Pronunciation Instruction on the Accuracy, Fluency, and Complexity of L2 Accented Speech. Applied Language Learning, 13, 1-17.
Englishville: https://demo.englishville.ovh/
Ginésy M. 1998. Mémento de Phonétique Anglaise, Nathan.
Gorjian, Bahman, Hayati, Abdolmajid, and Pourkhoni, Parisa. 2013. Using Praat Software in Teaching Prosodic Features to EFL Learners. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 84, 34-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.06.505 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.06.505
Guierre, Lionel. 1979. Essai sur L’accentuation en Anglais Contemporain : Eléments pour une Synthèse. Thèse de doctorat, Université Paris-VII.
Halliday, M.A.K., and Greaves, William S. 2008. Intonation in the Grammar of English. London: Equinox.
Hardison, Debra M. 2004. Generalization of Computer-Assisted Prosody Training: Quantitative and Qualitative Findings. Language Learning and Technology, 8, 34–52.
Hardison, Debra M. 2010. Visual and Auditory Input in Second-Language Speech Processing. Language Teaching, 43(1), 84-95. https://doi:10.1017/S0261444809990176 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444809990176
Hirst, Daniel. (1998) Intonation in British English. In Hirst, D., and Di Cristo, A. (Eds). Intonation Systems: A Survey of Twenty Languages, 56-77. Cambridge University Press.
Hirst, Daniel, and Di Cristo, Albert. (eds). 1998. Intonation Systems: A Survey of Twenty Languages. Cambridge University Press.
Jenkins, Jennifer. 2000. The Phonology of English as an International Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Imber, Brenda, Maynard, Carson, Parker, Maria. 2017. Using Praat to Increase Intelligibility through Visual Feedback. In M. O’Brien M. and J. Levis (eds.), Proceedings of the 8th Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference, 195-213.
James, E. Flege. 1976. The Acquisition of Prosodic Features of Speech Using a Speech Visualizer. IRAL, 14(3), 227-243. https://doi.org/10.1515/iral.1976.14.3.227 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/iral.1976.14.3.227
Komissarchik, Edward, and Komissarchik Julia. 2000. BetterAccent Tutor – Analysis and Visualization of Speech Prosody. Proceedings of InSTILL, 86‒89.
Kartushina, et al. 2015. The Effect of Phonetic Production Training with Visual Feedback on the Perception and Production of Foreign Speech Sounds. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 138(2), 817-832. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4926561 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4926561
Munro, Murray J., and Derwing, Tracey M. 1995. Foreign-Accent, Comprehensibility, and Intelligibility in the Speech of Second Language Learners. Language Learning, 45(2), 73-97. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1995.tb00963.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1995.tb00963.x
Munro, Murray J., and Derwing, Tracey M. 1998. Evidence in Favor of a Broad Framework for Pronunciation Instruction. Language Learning, 48(2), 393-410. https://doi.org/10.1111/0023-8333.00047 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/0023-8333.00047
Offerman, Heather M., and Olson, Daniel J. 2016. Visual Feedback and Second Language Segmental Production: The Generalizability of Pronunciation Gains. System, 59, 45-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2016.03.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2016.03.003
Olson, Daniel J. 2014. Phonetics and Technology in the Classroom: A Practical Approach to Using Speech Analysis Software in Second Language Pronunciation Instruction. Hispania, 97(1), 47-68. https://doi.org/10.1353/hpn.2014.0030 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/hpn.2014.0030
Setter, Jane, and Jenkins, Jennifer. 2005. Pronunciation: State-of-the-Art Review Article. Language Teaching, 38(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1017/S026144480500251X DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S026144480500251X
Setter, Jane, and Stojanovik, Vesna, and Martínez-Castilla, Pastora. 2010. Evaluating the Intonation of Non-Native Speakers of English Using a Computerized Test Battery. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 368-385. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-4192.2010.00253.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-4192.2010.00253.x
Tench, Paul. 1996. The Intonation Systems of English. London: Cassell.
Vaissière, Jacqueline. 1991. Rhythm, Accentuation and Final Lengthening in French. In J. Sundberg, L. Nord, and R. Carlson (eds.), Music, Language, Speech and Brain, 108-120. Macmillan Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12670-5_10 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12670-5_10
Wells, John C. 2007. English Intonation: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
