Pronunciation training in foreign language teaching
[Summary generated by ChatGPT] Overview: This issue of Babylonia is dedicated to the teaching of pronunciation in foreign language education—a topic rarely treated in depth despite its centrality to oral communication. Celebrating the journal’s 20th anniversary, this special issue addresses a lo...
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| Format: | Article |
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| Language: | German |
| Published: |
Association Babylonia Switzerland
2011-08-01
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| Series: | Babylonia |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://babylonia.online/index.php/babylonia/article/view/682 |
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| Summary: | [Summary generated by ChatGPT]
Overview:
This issue of Babylonia is dedicated to the teaching of pronunciation in foreign language education—a topic rarely treated in depth despite its centrality to oral communication. Celebrating the journal’s 20th anniversary, this special issue addresses a long-neglected aspect of language teaching and learning: the development of phonetic awareness and pronunciation skills in L2 contexts.
Key Contributions:
The editorial highlights a paradox: even as language teaching has shifted toward oral communication, phonetics and pronunciation have been increasingly marginalized. The issue arises from growing awareness that successful spoken interaction depends not only on fluency, but on intelligibility, phonological awareness, and training tailored to learners' linguistic backgrounds.
The introduction identifies key challenges: insufficient teacher training in phonetics, lack of adapted materials for diverse learner profiles, and underdeveloped assessment tools. Several contributors (e.g., Krause, Hirschfeld, Smuha) call for integration rather than isolation of pronunciation in the curriculum.
Krause and Hirschfeld offer theoretical foundations, linking phonetics with grammar and communicative competence. Smuha proposes that pronunciation be embedded from the first lesson and throughout vocabulary, grammar, and even literature teaching. Her didactic supplement provides hands-on activities and worksheets.
Assessment receives particular attention: Chudoba critiques the CEFR's insufficient pronunciation descriptors and offers an adapted scale. Kara shares insights from Finnish secondary education, proposing detailed assessment criteria for reading aloud tasks.
Practical classroom approaches abound:
Moraz uses role-playing film scenes to foster intonation and accent adaptation.
Tomé leverages technology, including telecollaboration between Spanish learners and French native speakers.
Blanc analyzes common L2 difficulties in French.
Niebisch and Hunold evaluate the presence (or lack thereof) of pronunciation training in DaF textbooks, with suggestions for improvement.
Articles by Marks and Dobrenov-Major reflect on pronunciation norms in English language teaching—should "native-like" models prevail, or is intelligibility the real goal in global communication?
Reinke explores how accents influence perceptions of personality, and Neuber closes the issue with a call to enhance phonetic competence in teacher training.
Conclusion:
Babylonia 2/2011 restores pronunciation training to its rightful place in language education. It calls for a shift in attitude, methodology, and teacher preparation, offering both theoretical grounding and concrete strategies. The issue invites educators to let “Cinderella” join the language-teaching ball—finally recognizing pronunciation as a key to meaningful and effective oral communication.
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| ISSN: | 1420-0007 2673-6454 |