Week-8

Pronunciation is always my favorite topic about the English teaching. I will have a further investigation about the pronunciation teaching and learning in my final paper. So, I was so excited when I come across this article. And in the passage the author really talk about some issues that may have serious implications for ELT pedagogy. After illustrating the current background of the overall view of the pronunciation role in ELT field and his own view of the teaching English pronunciation as international language rather than foreign language, the author begins to demonstrate his research model and the analysis of it. And then the author gives us his proposal for ELT pronunciation teaching: a syllabus of NNS focusing pronunciation teaching.

These days we talk a lot about taking English as an international language. In the beginning of the passage, the author introduces the changing circumstances and changing pronunciation goals. It is the fact that English is now spoken by a considerable greater number of NNSs than NSs. In Mckay’s book we know that the English users in outer and expanding circles take more percentage among the whole international English circumstance. It is obvious that recent study has begun to shift from NSs based to NNSs based research. The scholars believed that “language teaching would benefit by paying attention to the L2 user rather than concentration primarily on the native speaker.” The author also shows us a clear distinguish between taking English as EIL and EFL. In this case, it will be helpful to clarify his position as regard the appropriateness of regional accents in ELT.

When I begin to learn English, I remember my teacher put a lot emphasis on the pronunciation, and we try really hard to imitate the native-like pronunciation. I think, it is ok to learn standard pronunciation at the initial position since the learners have no input before. However, you will find that we have a very serious problem to correct the wrong or fallacy pronunciation if the speakers have already own their individual pronunciation system. And to my surprise, sometimes, the imperfect pronunciation won’t be a problem for communication. This will probably happen when they talk to native speakers. Happily, I found that author also has similar idea appear in the passage and the research data also prove the situation. This remained me of the teachers’ certification in China. These years, there state a new policy for Chinese teachers who want to gain the certificate or those have already got the certificate. The entire teachers have to pass the exam of psychology, pedagogy and standard mandarin. This can be really funny in the case for those experienced teachers or professors. It really doesn’t matter if they are math or chemistry teachers even thought they are lack of standard pronunciation of mandarin. And for those who have already in their forties or fifties. How can you improve or change their accent easily? But it is still important for those teachers who will teach mandarin especially in primary and middle schools. The requirement for standard mandarin becomes severe these years due to the low level of mandarin for those Cantonese teachers working in the south part of China.

I appreciate the last part of the passage. The proposal shows me a more concrete plan to improve the level of pronunciation with the direction of these theories and ideology.