The study is based on an observation of the pronunciation of a group of undergraduate students of English as a Second Language （ESL） whose mother tongue is Arabic and who have no formal training in the spoken variet...The study is based on an observation of the pronunciation of a group of undergraduate students of English as a Second Language （ESL） whose mother tongue is Arabic and who have no formal training in the spoken variety of English other than that received in the classroom. The study of acquisition of pronunciation of consonant clusters at morphological, particularly at the morphophonological levels indicates that the learners are sensitive to the syllabic structure viz., cccv type and cccvcc type, at the word-initial, medial and final positions. Samples of words with different consonant clusters were tested with a homogeneous group of students. Words of identical morphological categories were used as the data to test the students＇ level of perception. These were analyzed using Speech Analyzer Version 2.5. The data includes consonant clusters like plosive-fricative, plosive-plosive, fricative-fricative and plosive-fricative-trill/liquid combinations. The results varied according to the perceptual and articulatory abilities of the learners. It was observed that the plosive perception and acquisition of three-consonant clusters of plosive-plosive word initially, plosive-plosive combinations word finally and plosive-fricative type, posed more difficulty for the learners. The tendency to drop one of the consonants of the cluster was more pronounced with syllables ending in plural morphemes and those ending in -mp, -pt, -kt, -nt, -bt, etc. Difficulty was also noticed with the initial plosive＋/r/, plosive＋/1/combinations, especially in word initial positions. Across the syllable boundaries, these clusters are almost inaudible with some speakers. The difficulty in the articulation of these consonant clusters can be accounted for the mother tongue influence, as in the case of many other features. The results of the analysis have a pedagogical implication in the use of such words with consonant clusters, to teach reading skills to the students of undergraduate level in the present setting and promote self-learning through the use of speech tools.展开更多
Teachers often feel unsure about English language teaching in intercultural dimension because they think the courses they took before are language knowledge oriented. Even though they hear about language-culture teach...Teachers often feel unsure about English language teaching in intercultural dimension because they think the courses they took before are language knowledge oriented. Even though they hear about language-culture teaching theory and practice in the classroom, they are lack of confidence in trying to introduce a cultural dimension. The purpose of the article is to discuss how to integrate the theory of English teaching in intercultural dimension with its practical application in the classroom and to what extent the in-service teacher training course designed for middle school English teachers in Xinjiang can contribute to promoting their acquisition of intercultural communicative competence. The innovation requires changes in teachers' self-concept, in their professional qualifications, in their attitudes and skills towards English learning and teaching. Some activities for the course are presented and some ideas may serve suggesting approaches to teacher training.展开更多
文摘The study is based on an observation of the pronunciation of a group of undergraduate students of English as a Second Language （ESL） whose mother tongue is Arabic and who have no formal training in the spoken variety of English other than that received in the classroom. The study of acquisition of pronunciation of consonant clusters at morphological, particularly at the morphophonological levels indicates that the learners are sensitive to the syllabic structure viz., cccv type and cccvcc type, at the word-initial, medial and final positions. Samples of words with different consonant clusters were tested with a homogeneous group of students. Words of identical morphological categories were used as the data to test the students＇ level of perception. These were analyzed using Speech Analyzer Version 2.5. The data includes consonant clusters like plosive-fricative, plosive-plosive, fricative-fricative and plosive-fricative-trill/liquid combinations. The results varied according to the perceptual and articulatory abilities of the learners. It was observed that the plosive perception and acquisition of three-consonant clusters of plosive-plosive word initially, plosive-plosive combinations word finally and plosive-fricative type, posed more difficulty for the learners. The tendency to drop one of the consonants of the cluster was more pronounced with syllables ending in plural morphemes and those ending in -mp, -pt, -kt, -nt, -bt, etc. Difficulty was also noticed with the initial plosive＋/r/, plosive＋/1/combinations, especially in word initial positions. Across the syllable boundaries, these clusters are almost inaudible with some speakers. The difficulty in the articulation of these consonant clusters can be accounted for the mother tongue influence, as in the case of many other features. The results of the analysis have a pedagogical implication in the use of such words with consonant clusters, to teach reading skills to the students of undergraduate level in the present setting and promote self-learning through the use of speech tools.
文摘Teachers often feel unsure about English language teaching in intercultural dimension because they think the courses they took before are language knowledge oriented. Even though they hear about language-culture teaching theory and practice in the classroom, they are lack of confidence in trying to introduce a cultural dimension. The purpose of the article is to discuss how to integrate the theory of English teaching in intercultural dimension with its practical application in the classroom and to what extent the in-service teacher training course designed for middle school English teachers in Xinjiang can contribute to promoting their acquisition of intercultural communicative competence. The innovation requires changes in teachers' self-concept, in their professional qualifications, in their attitudes and skills towards English learning and teaching. Some activities for the course are presented and some ideas may serve suggesting approaches to teacher training.
