Using recording technique for error correction in teaching pronunciation for first-year students at college of foreign languages, university of Danang

Nguyễn Dương Nguyên Trinh Tạp chí KHOA HỌC & CÔNG NGHỆ 83(07): 141 - 146 Số hóa bởi Trung tâm Học liệu – Đại học Thái Nguyên 141 USING RECORDING TECHNIQUE FOR ERROR CORRECTION IN TEACHING PRONUNCIATION FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS AT COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, UNIVERSITY OF DANANG Nguyen Duong Nguyen Trinh*, Nguyen Ngoc Nhat Minh College of Foreign Languages, University of Danang ABSTRACT This paper attempts to investigate the use of Recording technique (RT) for error correction in teaching pronunciation for first year-students at English Department, College of Foreign Languages, University of Danang. From the pilot research, some findings about the effectiveness of using RT to correct errors and typical types of pronunciation errors made by students (Ss') in speaking tasks are revealed. Clearly, RT proves to be helpful to improve 80% of errors in pronunciation among which there are common ones like mispronunciation, incorrect stress, failure in linked speech. In addition, participants and the author‟s opinions towards the advantages, problems as well as solutions to make effective use of RT are also verified. Lastly, the paper put forward some recommendations to teaching and learning activities to enhance students‟ pronunciation. Key words: recording technique, error correction, pronunciation, speaking task, nghiên cứu thực nghiệm/pilot research INTRODUCTION * It cannot be denied that many Vietnamese students who are competent in grammar and vocabulary fail to communicate effectively when conversing with foreigners because of their inaccurate pronunciation during their new language acquisition. This has implied that much more attention needs placing on teaching pronunciation at early years at university, otherwise mistakes would get fixed for students of higher years. However, with methods often used in the classroom (i.e. conventional methods), there are lots of mispronounced words are ignored and skipped . In many foreign countries, people have employed Recording technique to teach speaking skill especially pronunciation, and recently, some Asian countries like Korea, Japan or China have accessed this technique but it has not been used officially and has not become popular in the view of Vietnamese users. Therefore, its effectiveness has not been demonstrated in Vietnamese learning environment including that of Danang College of Foreign languages. As a result, this paper is carried out to analyze pronunciation errors made in freshmen‟ speaking tasks and suggests solutions to teaching problems as well as some recommendation for teaching and learning activities. MAIN CONTENTS 1.1. Literature review 1.1.1. Previous research on Recording technique * Winter (1969) explored the use of tape recorder to teach children English, especially the ability to use spoken English in daily conversation, pronunciation, rhythm and intonation through miming in “real-life” situations in classroom. He found out that learners “can participate actively in the program by recording their own voice” and the recorder can be used as a valuable aid blended with other materials and devices to help teach children a living language. Radosevich and Kahn (2006) admit that integrating recording software into pedagogy enhances the learning environment and promotes a dynamic, student-centered learning atmosphere where the emphasis is on learning by doing rather than learning by note taking. As Schneider (1993), RT offers solutions to other related problems faced by teachers including students not feeling responsible for learning, not making enough efforts, not speaking English in class, or using the native language. 1.1.2. Theoretical background Richards and Lockharts (1996) define this process as „a response either to the content of what a student has produced or to the form of the utterance‟. Hendrickson (1978) claims that three types of errors needing treatment in foreign language learning and teaching are: errors that impair communication significantly, errors that have highly stigmatizing effects on the listeners or readers, and errors that occur frequently in learners‟ production. However, Nguyen et al. (2003) recommends during practice stage, teachers Nguyễn Dương Nguyên Trinh Tạp chí KHOA HỌC & CÔNG NGHỆ 83(07): 141 - 146 Số hóa bởi Trung tâm Học liệu – Đại học Thái Nguyên 142 often insist on accuracy including pronunciation and form. Besides, Cathcart and Olsen (1976) find that students preferred pronunciation to be corrected when talking. In their findings, learners mispronounce certain words and therefore communication can be confusing. Based on who engages in correction, Edge (1989) divides error correction into 3 types: teacher correction, peer correction and self- correction. In terms of the moment of correction, Richards (1998) suggests error correction can be postponed till the end of the activity (delayed correction) or can be done immediately when speaking is in progress (immediate correction). 1.2. Research questions: - What are the common pronunciation errors made by first-year students when they conduct pair- work speaking tasks? - How effective is using recording technique for error correction at the CFL to enhance students‟ pronunciation in the classroom? 1.3. Methods and Procedures 1.3.1. Research methods - To collect reliable data, two data collection instruments employed are: Recording: students‟ performance for 7 pair-work speaking activities taken from Speaking 1 was recorded in two months; Questionnaires were given to both teachers and students. Students‟ questionnaires were divided into 2 parts: one for Group 1 (students‟ groups piloted with RT) and one for Group 2 (piloted with conventional methods). - The collected data were then analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. 1.3.2. Data analysis: All the collected data was categorized into two main parts: Recording data: + The data was compared based on the researcher‟s list of speaking criteria in terms of pronunciation. The sub-criteria were used to compare results achieved before and after the experiment to see whether Group 1 has made any progress compared with their performance before the experiment and with group 2; + The data were calculated and converted to percentage to find out: how many errors were improved for two groups and what kind of pronunciation errors students often made. Questionnaire data: Teachers and students‟ opinions towards: Advantages of RT in teaching pronunciation; Problems of RT in teaching pronunciation and suggested solutions. 1.4. Results and discussion Result of data analysis Table 1. Percentage of pronunciation errors improved and not improved in Group 1‟s performance (corrected with RT) Sub-criteria Percentage of errors made in students’ performance (spotted and corrected) Percentage of errors made after correction (not improved yet) Incorrect sounds/sound clusters (word/sentence level) 65% 25% Incorrect word stress 6% 2% Inappropriate intonation 9% 6% No linking sounds 20% 5% Total 100% 38% Improved errors: 62% Table 2. Percentage of pronunciation errors improved and not improved in Group 2‟s performance (corrected with conventional methods) Sub-criteria Percentage of errors made in Ss’ performance Errors made before correction (improved) Errors made after correction (not improved yet) Incorrect sounds/sound clusters (word/sentence level) 80% 30% 50% Incorrect word stress 5% 2% 3% Inappropriate intonation 5% 0% 5% Nguyễn Dương Nguyên Trinh Tạp chí KHOA HỌC & CÔNG NGHỆ 83(07): 141 - 146 Số hóa bởi Trung tâm Học liệu – Đại học Thái Nguyên 143 No linking sounds 10% 4% 6% Total 100% 36% 64% Common types of pronunciation errors: It can be said that pronunciation is the most troublesome language area to students. Specifically, they made mistakes with English sounds, stress, intonation and linked speech. However, in this article, merely some common types of pronunciation errors faced by first-year students are discussed. Clear and correct individual sounds in word as well as sentence level: More than 60 % students from both groups have encountered myriad problems with the production of English sounds including vowels, consonants and sound clusters. During the period of experimental observation, the author comes up with some findings: - Students mispronounced words because of the lack of knowledge of pronunciation, which is a common phenomenon currently. - Some freshmen did know the pronunciation of words but they were not able to pronounce those words correctly as native speakers do. After being corrected, some of them could improve themselves but others, especially those from Quang Binh province towards Northern cities and those from Quang Nam province, explained that they recognized the difference but could not imitate. - Students were able to pronounce clearly and correctly words individually but not in sentence level or in combination with other words. Additionally, students frequently pronounce inaccurately familiar vowels or consonants, ending sounds, difficult consonants that do not exist in the Vietnamese alphabet and sound system like /T/, /D/, /dZ/, /Z/, /tS/. Generally, because of the characteristics of individual articulation system, students tended to substitute the target sounds for orally-alike ones, which caused much trouble for the researcher in analyzing and processing the recordings. Besides, students missed or randomly added /s/very often to the end of the sound sequence of the individual word to facilitate their pronunciation. Linking sounds: Most students were not able to produce linked speech in connected speech, which can result from their deficiency of oral practice. For example, it is very popular for interlocutors to link the ending sounds /d/, /t/, /s/ of preceding words with /ju:/ in “you” of today English to make /dZju:/, /tSju:/, /Sju:/, but almost all students did not pay attention to these connected sounds which are pervasive in English-speaking movies or other dialogues in the self-study soft wares for learners of English. In my opinion, the more opportunities learners have to speak, the more fluent and natural performance they can give and linking sounds can happen as a result. Progressed Group 1 have made during the pilot research: Working with Group 1 (piloted with RT), the researcher could recognize a lot of errors, perhaps not all, on the basis of the sub-criteria agreed by both students and her. The recordings were paused whenever an error was spotted or there was something inaudible or ambiguous to listeners. This situation, however, was not the same for Group 2. The researcher listened carefully and took notes as many as possible and so did other pairs, then all of these errors were collected and corrected them in front of the class. At home, the researcher checked the recordings of these students‟ corrected performance and still, she could pick out many errors though students had been granted enough time to prepare and practice. Clearly, both the students and the researcher failed to identify and correct accurately all the errors in the speech. This may be due to the fact that the listener will skip many errors made by the speaker and just grasp what kind of information conveyed in the talk. In this way, Group 1, to a certain extent, has been better at English after the piloted period since most of their errors were corrected and improved (i.e. 62% of the total). This figure for Group 2 is Nguyễn Dương Nguyên Trinh Tạp chí KHOA HỌC & CÔNG NGHỆ 83(07): 141 - 146 Số hóa bởi Trung tâm Học liệu – Đại học Thái Nguyên 144 lower though some have still gained what they expect from being corrected with conventional methods (i.e. 36% errors were improved). Actually, we should take into consideration the real progress that students can make with the use of RT. Being corrected on the spot like in this research, students could correct many of their errors at once but they need more time to master this experience. Within two months, some students really produced better performance since the number of errors has been reduced from the beginning to the end of the piloted period (through Activity 1 to Activity 7). Still, there were some others who could not speak exactly what was adjusted, for which the reasons may be varied. In reality, if RT is used in the classroom environment frequently, learners of English can keep their progress not for short-term practice but for their long-term study. 1.4.1. Questionnaire results Advantages of Recording technique for error correction: Figure 1. Advantages of RT compared with conventional error correction methods A – Ss feel more excited because this technique is quite new B – Ss have more errors spotted and corrected so they are more motivated to practice speaking English C - Ss feel more relaxed and have more fun D - Ss gain more confidence because their speaking performance is not interrupted E – Both Ss and teachers can keep records of students‟ recordings for later use. F – Ss feel more interested in speaking lessons since they can share opinions about peer errors. G – Other advantages - Students feel more excited to learn English since the technique is new and challenging (33.3% students; 30% teachers) - Students have more errors spotted and corrected when their recordings are being played, which motivates them more in the classroom (33.3% students; 60% teachers). - Both teachers and students can store an array of recordings for later use. Particularly, learners can catch up with their progress if they listen to themselves at home. As for teachers, they keep a record of erroneous speech and can form a set of common pronunciation errors made by first-year students and notify them from early days at university (86.7% students; 50% teachers). - Students can share opinions about errors while listening to recordings and get more motivated to contribute to error correction in class (40% for both students and teachers). - Students‟ speech will not encounter any interruption, which helps to increase their motivation in practice speaking English (26.7% students; teachers: no idea). - Speakers are aware of being recorded so they try to limit Vietnamese and pause as less as possible in their recorded conversations, which boosts their fluency in the long run. Problems with using RT for error correction and solutions:  Possible difficulties arising from the use of RT for error correction - Students‟ discomfort of being recorded triggers poor performance (33.3% students and 60% teachers). - Incompatible partner may affect pair performance (5.9% students and 33.3% teachers). - Students‟ distraction by surrounding noise may interfere their recordings (23.5% students and 20% teachers). - Technical problems may emerge during correction process (35.3% students and 6.7% teachers).  Solutions help to solve above- mentionedBuilding a computer room installed with Recorder software (100% students; 33.3% teachers). Under the teacher‟s supervising, students form pairs and each pair occupies one Nguyễn Dương Nguyên Trinh Tạp chí KHOA HỌC & CÔNG NGHỆ 83(07): 141 - 146 Số hóa bởi Trung tâm Học liệu – Đại học Thái Nguyên 145 computer, recording themselves to submit to the teacher. In this case, students feel more relaxed when avoiding direct observation from their teacher. Besides, the aim and procedures of using RT for correction have to be informed to students at the beginning of the course so that students can get ready and less pressured to make contribution to the work. - Students‟ free choice of favorite partner, which inspires and motivates them more in practice (40% students; 26.7% teachers). - Pairs distance of 2-2,5m enables noise-background reduction (40% students; 6.7% teachers). This is acceptable but not important due to its insignificant effects on pair oral performance. In fact, the recording context simulates the current classroom situation: students have to keep quiet and listen to their friends‟ performance. - In this modern time, young students should be more proficient in dealing with technology. Besides, the Polderbit recorder software is very easy to use with simple instructions. IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES TO ENHANCE STUDENTS‟ PRONUNCIATION 1.5. In the classroom Group work RT can be applied in this kind of activity as the same as in pair-work tasks. In this way, many students can be recorded at the same time, granting more time for speaking practice to improve pronunciation. Individual presentation Certainly only some students can be recorded, sampling their errors for their follows to draw experience from. This makes it easier for the teacher to have an insight into individuals‟ phonetic problems. A mobile phone installed with advanced recorder software can be utilized to reduce speakers‟ pressure. 1.6. Outside the classroom or at home 1.6.1. Free conversations Pairs are encouraged to make free talks at anywhere with any kind of recorders they like provided that their recordings are endure to be clear. By doing that, students can feel freer, more natural and excited to speak to each other. 1.6.2. Pronunciation practice Learners seek an audio recording performed by a native enclosed a transcript on the Internet. Then they compare their own recorded speech with that of the native to see many differences in pronunciation aspects to adjust theirs to be more accurate and natural like the native‟s. CONCLUSION Every method has its pros and cons and Recording technique is not an exception. Broadly speaking, the advantages of RT outweigh the disadvantages, so its use for error correction in speaking classes should be approved of to bring a fresh breath to our learning environment, also as a tool of technologically-assisted language learning nowadays. To some extent, RT has really yielded fruitful outcomes during their piloted application. Throughout the research, problems and solution have been worked out to help enhance the quality of teaching and learning pronunciation when students can understand more deeply how to enunciate some mispronounced words, stress and take the first steps in making right intonation on vocabulary and sentences as well as linking sounds among consecutive words. Therefore, the technique is expected to be applied in our teaching environment to teach pronunciation, particularly in English and generally in other languages at College of Foreign Languages. REFERENCES [1] . Edge, J. (1989). Mistakes and Correction. London: Longman. [2]. Kluge, D., & Taylor, M. (2000). Boosting fluency through partner taping. The Internet TESL Journal. Retrieved October 17, 2010 from [3]. Radosevich, D. & Kahn, P. (2006). Using tablet technology and recording software to enhance pedagogy. Innovate [On-Line], 2 (6). Retrieved February 1, 2011 from &id=300 [4]. Richards, J. C. & C. Lockhart (1996). Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [5]. Richards, J. (1984). Error Analysis: Perspectives on Second Language Acquisition. Longman. Nguyễn Dương Nguyên Trinh Tạp chí KHOA HỌC & CÔNG NGHỆ 83(07): 141 - 146 Số hóa bởi Trung tâm Học liệu – Đại học Thái Nguyên 146 [6]. Schneider, P. (1993). Developing fluency with pair taping. JALT Journal, 15(1), 55-62. [7]. Winter, L. (1969). Using the Tape Recorder for English Teaching. ELT Journal, 13 (2), 129-132 . TÓM TẮT SỬ DỤNG KỸ THUẬT GHI ÂM ĐỂ SỬA LỖI TRONG DẠY PHÁT ÂM CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM 1 TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ, ĐẠI HỌC ĐÀ NẴNG Nguyễn Dương Nguyên Trinh*, Nguyễn Ngọc Nhật Minh Trường Đại học Ngoại ngữ - Đại học Đà Nẵng Bài báo này khảo sát việc sử dụng kỹ thuật ghi âm (RT) để sửa lỗi trong việc dạy phát âm cho sinh viên năm đầu tiên học tại khoa Anh, Trường Đại học Ngoại ngữ, Đại học Đà Nẵng. Từ các nghiên cứu thử nghiệm, một số kết quả về hiệu quả của việc sử dụng RT để sửa lỗi và các loại lỗi tiêu biểu của phát âm do sinh viên mắc phải trong hoạt động nói được phát hiện. Rõ ràng, RT chứng minh rằng có thể cải thiện tới 80% sai sót trong việc dạy phát âm trong đó có các lỗi thông dụng như: đọc sai, căng thẳng dẫn đến không chính xác, không thể hiện được nối âm trong ngữ lưu. Ngoài ra, ý kiến của sinh viên tham gia thử nghiệm và của tác giả đối với các lợi thế, các giải pháp sử dụng hiệu quả của RT cũng được đề cập. Cuối cùng, bài báo đưa ra một số khuyến nghị trong việc giảng dạy và học tập nhằm nâng cao hiệu quả trong việc phát âm của sinh viên. Từ khóa: tiếng Việt: kỹ thuật ghi âm, sửa lỗi, phát âm, họat động nói, thử nghiệm Số hóa bởi Trung tâm Học liệu – Đại học Thái Nguyên 147 [Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position the text box anywhere in the document. Use the Text Box Tools tab to change the formatting of the pull quote text box.]