从英语口语流利性的时间参数分析方法看其对口语教学的启示

A Study on the Temporal Measures of Oral English Fluency and Its Implications on Oral English Teaching

本文首先介绍了关于第二语言学习中英语口语流利性的定义和研究,之后主要介绍了北美某知名大学用Praat软件为工具进行的英语口语流利性时间参数分析方法及其研究成果。实验样本有61人,其中50人为参加口语测试后中国留学生不同分数段内的随机样本,3分组有18人、4分组有17人、5分组有15人;6分组有11人,他们都是以英语为母语人士。本文主要对比和比较各组的口语流利性有关参数如沉默时间、有声停顿时间、话语时间、语速、发音时间比等的描绘性统计数据,阐释了有关数据间差异的含义,进而讨论了中国学生口语中存在的问题,并分析了造成这些问题的原因。作者认为这主要是在教学中口语长期处于附属地位,中国学生对英语口语的认知不足等原因造成的结果。文章最后提出了开设英语口语课程、培养学生口语认知能力和重视语音教学等建议。

The paper first introduces the definitions of and the researches on English fluency in second language learning. Then the paper mainly introduces a Midwestern American University＇ s research studies and its statistic results on using temporal measures as indices of oral English fluency obtained by using Praat software. Among the 61 subjects, 50 are from the Chinese testees taking Oral English Proficiency Test with 18 selected randomly from the 3-point group, 17 from the 4-point group and 15 from the 5-point group. The other 11 subjects are native speakers of English. The paper mainly compares and contrasts the descriptive statistics such as the means of some temporal measures of oral English fluency among different groups, namely silent pause time, filled pause time, speech time, speech rate, phonation time ratio, etc. Then the paper discusses the major problems in Chinese students＇ oral English and then analyzes the causes of these problems. It is pointed out that the major cause is Chinese students＇ lacking of cognitive knowledge of oral English, which is due to the fact of oral English teaching being ignored in the teaching practice. Finally the author gives some constructive suggestions on oral English teaching, such as setting up an oral English course, cultivating students＇ cognitive ability of oral English and attaching importance to teaching English sounds, etc.