Effects of Integrated and Holistic Pronunciation Instruction on Students' Explicit Knowledge about English Phonology and Oral Performance

Abstract

本研究探討科技大學工學院學生施行發音教學之必要性，並提供全方位之發音教學法，使學生明白並熟悉目標語言之音段和超音段的特性。二百四十位科技大學工學院一年級學生參與此研究。作者於英語聽講課程中融入一系統性建構之發音教學綱要，並融入電腦輔助發音教學一藉由發音教學軟體及作者自編之學習網站，以使學生浸潤於大量的目標語言及溝通的環境中。實驗前、後皆進行問卷調查以暸解學生是否具備音韻學之知識及概念，並檢視和語言學習相關之情意變數及學習動機。同時並施行紙筆測驗及錄音作業以評估學生進步之工具。研究結果顯示學生已具備音韻學之知識和概念，且其實際發音上的音段及超音段部分有顯著進步，語言學習之動機及信心亦相對提升。因此建議發音教學應融入英語聽講課程，以改善學生的發音並使學生具較高度的語言(覺察)意識。本文並提出一些教學建議及未來研究方向。

This study addresses the issut: and the need of Pronunciation Instruction (PI) for technology-based college students and provides an integrated and holistic PI approach for learners to become familiar with and acquire both the segmental andsuprasegmental features of the target language. Two hundred forty first-year engineering students at a technology-based college participated in this study. Systematic and structured PI was designed and incorporated into an English listeningand speaking course. In order for the students to receive additional linguistic and cornmunicative exposure, modern technology- computer-assisted pronunciation (CAP), was incorporated by means of CD-ROMs and a self-authored website. Tests and tape recordings were adopted to investigate students' progress, and a questionnaire, administered before and after the experiment, was used to elicit students' knowledge of phonological features. Affective variables related to language learning were also examined. The results showed that students experienced improvements in their oral performance and in their explicit knowledge of English phonology. Their attitude towards English pronunciation was also more positive. Given careful planning, PI can be integrated into a listening and speaking class to help students improve their pronunciation and achieve higher language awareness.