Pax Steve!
 
One thing I would like to mention is that by speaking 12 languages, you
must already have the metacognition (learned intrinsically?) needed to
recognize and imitate sounds from different languages. I myself have
studied several languages (alas I cannot "speak" any of them well), and
in that process I have come to learn how to change the configuration of
my speech processes to make "foreign" sounds.
 
Some of my students have studied several languages, but most are working
on that most difficult language to learn: their first "second" language,
and thus have difficulty understanding the physical difference between
speaking any two languages. And I must also add that since I believe it
is more a physical process (and not entirely mental), practice, as
always, is the only route to better pronunciation. And therefore, I
agree that any activity that will allow the student to hear and use a
new sound will be helpful.
 
But I also think that working with students one-on-one on particularly
difficult individual sounds, for whatever reason (physical/mental), is
the quickest route to limiting, or even eliminating, those problems.
 
Martin E. Senger
Adult ESL Teacher
GECAC / The R. Benjamin Wiley Learning Center
Erie, Pa
814-490-8510
 
-----Original Message-----
From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Steve
Kaufmann
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 2:50 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2517] Re: Response to Wayne Hall's
Question
 
I speak 12 languages including 4 Asian ones. I do not think it is useful
to focus too much on the specific differences in breathing or phonemic
exposure of different language groups. I have found that dealing with
pronunciation as an integral part of the imitation and emulation of the
language behaviour of the target language group is more helpful than
isolating pronunciation as a problem. 

Learners often acquire a preoccupation with accent or pronunciation,
when more often it is unnatural usage that causes communication
problems.It is not helpful, in my experience, to cater to that
preoccupation.

Massive listening exposure to, at first, a limited range of content via
an MP3 player, then followed by more extensive listening to content of
interest, will usually lead to an acceptable level of pronunciation in
time. The listening, if combined with a program of reading and
vocabulary study based on the reading, and then writing and speaking,
will improve all language skills at the same time, including
pronunciation.





-- 
Steve Kaufmann
www.lingq.com
1-604-922-8514
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