Two Phonetic-Training Procedures for Young Learners: Investigating Instructional Effects on Perceptual Awareness
Abstract:
Abstract:
This study investigated the effect of two distinct computer-based phonetic training procedures administered in an English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classroom with young learners. Students’ perceptual awareness of the occurrence of an English schwa in an unstressed position in content words was tested in two experimental groups, which underwent differentiated training regimes (auditory discrimination/identification practice and listen-and-repeat practice), and a control group, which received no phonetic treatment. A training effect was shown by the significant improvement in the perception abilities of the two experimental groups only. In addition, both experimental groups exhibited comparable improvement in all the variables analyzed. Training effects were also found for the word-familiarity variable, which was mitigated after treatment. Results suggest a positive impact of both aural and imitation computer-based phonetic training on L2 sound perceptual awareness in classroom settings with young learners.
Résumé :
Cette étude examine l’effet de deux procédures distinctes de formation phonétique par ordinateur en classe d’anglais langue étrangère (EFL) avec de jeunes apprenants. On y analyse la conscience perceptive des élèves envers la présence du schwa anglais en position non accentuée dans des mots lexicaux au sein de deux groupes expérimentaux, soumis à deux méthodes d’apprentissage distinctes — des exercices de discrimination/identification auditive d’une part, et d’autre part des exercices d’écoute et répétition — ainsi qu’au sein d’un groupe témoin qui ne reçut aucune formation phonétique. L’effet de l’apprentissage fut attesté par l’amélioration significative des capacités de perception dans les seuls groupes expérimentaux. En outre, l’amélioration y fut comparable dans toutes les variables analysées. L’effet des exercices fut également sensible dans la variable de familiarité avec les mots, qui fut atténuée dans les deux groupes expérimentaux. Les résultats démontrent l’impact positif de la formation phonétique par ordinateur — qu’elle soit basée sur la discrimination orale ou sur la répétition — sur la conscience perceptive des sons de la L2 dans des classes de jeunes apprenants.
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Canadian Modern Language Review
Volume 70 • Number 4 • November 2014
Pages: 500 - 531
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© 2014 The Canadian Modern Language Review/La Revue canadienne des langues vivantes.
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Published online: 1 January 2014
Published in print: November 2014
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