Promoting EFL Learners’ Listening Fluency Through Web-Based Prosody-Focused Practice

Luu Thi Mai Vy, Andrew Lian

Abstract


With the implementation of Computer-Assisted Language-Learning (CALL) in language learning and teaching, learners can work at their own pace, in their own time, in their own space, and when they feel motivated to do so. These affordances are crucial for developing listening fluency because the listening process is an internal, personalized activity and fluency development requires a certain repetition. Research has shown that it is of importance to promote learners’ listening fluency for effective communication. Having said that, in the study reported here, an openly available computer-assisted prosody-based listening platform was built in an attempt to develop the listening fluency of 65 Vietnamese college students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the beginner level. After a ten-week intervention, students in the experimental group working with this autonomous, teacherless platform outperformed in their listening performance those in the control group taught listening with a traditional, teacher-led, classroom-based approach. The results indicate the effectiveness of an ensemble of related listening activities based on perceptual development (using a verbotonal approach), shadowing techniques, and other exercises for fluency development. Qualitative data collected from participants’ written journals and semi-structured interviews show that learners had positive opinions about the implementation of this self-access listening platform despite a few challenges. Further pedagogical implications and recommendations are also discussed.

Received 19th September 2021; Revised 15th February 2022; Accepted 19th March 2022


Keywords


Listening Fluency; Automaticity; Prosody; Verbotonal Approach; Filtered Speech.

References


Alazard, Charlotte, Astésano, Corine and Billières, Michel. 2010. "The implicit prosody hypothesis applied to foreign language learning : From oral abilities to reading skills." Speech Prosody 2010: 1–4.

Alderson, J. Charles. 2005. Diagnosing foreign language proficiency: The interface between learning and assessment. New York: Continuum.

Anckar, Joanna, and Veivo, Outi. 2019. "Fluency in L2 listening" pp. 49-62 in Fluency in L2 learning and use, edited by P. Lintunen, M. Mutta, and P. Peltonen. Multilingual Matters.

Asp, Carl W. 2006. Verbotonal speech treatment. Oxford: Plural Publishing.

Billières, Michel. 2019. Acting effectively on the accent and pronunciation of learners in fle, yes it is possible! Retrieved August, 2019 (https://www.emdl.fr/fle/dernieres-actualites/agir-efficacement-sur-laccent-et-la-prononciation-des-apprenants-en-fle-oui-cest-possible)

Boureux, Magali. 2016. "Communication orale et prononciation". France Magazine.

Buck, Gary. 2001. Assessing listening. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Carreira, Junko Matsuzaki. 2014. "How can we enhance EFL learners’ listening fluency? Teaching connected speech to Japanese university students using songs." pp. 297-211 in Exploring EFL fluency in Asia, edited by T. Muller, S. Herder, J. Adamson, and P. S. Brown. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Chan, Marsha J. 2018. "Embodied pronunciation learning: Research and practice." CATESOL Journal 30: 47–68.

Chang, Anna and Millett, Sonia. 2016. "Developing L2 listening fluency through extended listening-focused activities in an extensive listening programme." RELC Journal 47: 349–362.

Chang, Anna, Millett, Sonia and Renandya, Willy Ardian. 2019. "Developing listening fluency through supported extensive listening practice." RELC Journal 50: 422–438.

Chen, Li Mei and Zhang, Ruiming. 2011. "Web-based call to listening comprehension." Current Issues in Education 13: 1–24.

Christiansen, Morten H. and Chater, Nick. 2015. "The Now-or-Never bottleneck: A fundamental constraint on language." Behavioral and Brain Sciences 39: 1–72.

Cohen, Jonathan, Servan-Schreiber, David and McClelland, James L. 1992. "Approach To Automaticity." Psychology 105: 239–269.

Condon, W. S. and Ogston, W. D. 1966. "Sound film analysis of normal and pathological behavior patterns." The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 143.

Cook, Susan Wagner, Yip, Terina Kuang Yi and Goldin-Meadow, Susan. 2010. "Gesturing makes memories that last." Journal of Memory and Language 63: 465–475.

Córdoba Zúñiga, Eulices and Rangel Gutiérrez, Emerson. 2018 . "Promoting listening fluency in pre-intermediate EFL learners through meaningful oral tasks." Profile: Issues in Teachers´ Professional Development 20:161–177.

Creswell, John. 2009. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. London: Sage Publications.

Dumais, Sue T., Shiffrin, Richar M. and Schneider, Walter. 1982. "Automatic/control processing and attention." Varieties of Attention: 1–27.

Fonseca, Rochele Paz, Scherer, Lilian Cristine, Oliveira, Camila Rosa de and Parente, Maria Alice de Mattos Pimenta. 2009. "Hemispheric specialization for communicative processing: Neuroimaging data on the role of the right hemisphere." Psychology & Neuroscience 2: 25–33.

Frommer, Judith. 2006. "Wired for sound: Teaching listening via computers and the World Wide Web." pp. 67-94 in Changing language education through CALL, edited by R. P. Donaldson and M. A. Haggstrom. New York: Routledge.

Garcia, Xose Padilla. 2018. "Remarks on Verbo-Tonal phonetics for a communicative context." Normas 8: 259-265.

Goh, Christine C.M. 2014. "Second language listening comprehension: Process and pedagogy." in Teaching English as a second or foreign language, edited by M. Celce-Murcia, D. Brinton and M. A. Snow. Heinle & Heinle.

Gullberg, Marianne. 2008. "Gestures and second language acquisition." pp. 276–305 in Handbook of cognitive linguistics and second language acquisition, edited by P. Robinson and N. C. Ellis. London: Routledge.

Hamada, Yo. 2017. Teaching EFL learners shadowing for listening: Developing learners’ bottom-up skills. London and New York: Routledge.

He, Bi. 2014. "Improving the English pronunciation of Chinese EFL learners through the intergration of CALL and verbotonalism." Phd dissertation, School of Foreign Languages, Suranaree University of Technology, Thailand.

Hull, Rachel and Vaid, Jyotsna. 2005. "Clearing the cobwebs from the study of the bilingual brain: Converging evidence from laterality and electrophysiological research" pp. 480-496 in Handbook of bilingualism: Psycholinguistic approaches, edited by J. Kormos. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Joaquin, Anna Dina L. 2018. "Automaticity in listening." The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching: 1–7.

Khoshsima, Hooshang. 2017. "The effect of computer-assisted language learning on Iranian upper- intermediate EFL learners’ listening skill." Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research 4: 81–91.

LaBerge, David and Samuels, S. Jay. 1974. "Toward a theory of automatic information processing in reading." Cognitive Psychology 6: 293–323.

Lebedeva, Maria Yu., Koltakova, E.V., Khaleeva, Olga N. and Rusetskaya, M.N.. 2016. "Computer-assisted language learning for the development of listening skills: A case study of pre-university Russian as a foreign language." International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature 6: 257-263.

Lee, Bradford J. 2020. "Enhancing listening comprehension through kinesthetic rhythm training." RELC Journal.

Mayor, María Jesús Blasco. 2009. "CALL - enhanced L2 listening skills - Aiming for automatization in a multimedia environment." Indian Journal of Applied Linguistics 35: 107–120.

McAndrews, Mark. 2021. "The effects of prosody instruction on listening comprehension in an EAP classroom context." Language Teaching Research.

McGilchrist, I. 2019. The master and his emissary: The divided brain and the making of the Western world. Yale University Press.

Meyer, Martin, Steinhauer, Karsten, Alter, Kai, Friederici, Angela D., Von Cramon and D. Yves. 2004. "Brain activity varies with modulation of dynamic pitch variance in sentence melody." Brain and Language 89: 277–289.

Munro, Murray J. 1995. "Nonsegmental factors in foreign accent: Ratings of filtered speech." Studies in Second Language Acquisition 17: 17–34.

Murray, Denise E. 2007. "Creating a technology-rich English language learning environment." pp. 747-762 in International handbook of English language teaching, edited by J. Cummins and C. Davison. New York: Springer.

Nagle, Stephen J. and Sanders, Sara L. 1996. "Comprehension Theory and Second Language Pedagogy."TESOL Quarterly 20: 9-15.

Nation, Paul. 2018. "Developing fluency." pp. 11- 25 in Exploring EFL fluency in Asia, edited by T. Muller, S. Herder, J. Adamson and P. S. Brown. New York: Routledge.

Nation, Paul and Newton, Jonathan. 2009. Teaching ESL / EFL listening and speaking. New York and London: Routledge.

Nord, James R. 1980. "Developing listening fluency before speaking: An alternative paradigm." System 8: 1–22.

Perkins, Judy M., Baran, Jane A. and Gandour, Jack. 1996. "Hemispheric specialization in processing intonation contours." Aphasiology 10: 343–362.

Rançon, Julie. 2018. "La méthode verbo-tonale. Quel intérêt pour l’école d’aujourd’hui." Les Langues Modernes.

Reinders, Hayo, and Hubbard, Philip. 2013. "CALL and learner autonomy: Affordances and constraints." pp. 359-376 in Contemporary computer-assisted language learning, edited by M. Thomas, H. Reinders and M. Warschauer. London: Bloomsbury.

Rost, Michael. 2014. "Developing listening fluency in Asian EFL settings." pp 281-296 in Exploring EFL fluency in Asia, edited by T. Muller, S. Herder, J. Adamson and P. S. Brown. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Schrauben, Julie E. 2010. "Prosody’s contribution to fluency: An examination of the theory of automatic information processing." Reading Psychology 31: 82–92.

Segalowitz, Norman. 2010. Cognitive bases of second language fluency. New York: Routledge.

Shiffrin, Richard M. and Schneider, Walter. 1977. "Controlled and automatic human information processing: II. Perceptual learning, automatic attending and a general theory." Psychological Review 84: 127–190.

Tsai, Ya-Chin. 2014. "Does autonomous listening increase fluency?" pp. 312-327 in Exploring EFL fluency in Asia, edited by T. Muller, S. Herder, J. Adamson, and P. S. Brown. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Vahdat, Sedigheh and Eidipour, Maryam. 2016. "Adopting CALL to improve listening comprehension of Iranian junior high school students." Theory and Practice in Language Studies 6: 1609–1617.

Van Han, Nguyen and van Rensburg, Henriette. 2014. "The effect of computer assisted language learning (CALL) on performance in the test of English for international communication (TOEIC) listening module." English Language Teaching 7: 30–41.

Vo, Yen Ingrid. 2010. "Developing extensive listening for EFL learners using Internet resources." Hawaii Pacific University TESOL Working Paper Series 11: 29–55.

Wolf, M. C., Muijselaar, M. M. L., Boonstra, A. M., and de Bree, E. H. 2018. "The relationship between reading and listening comprehension: shared and modality-specific components." Reading and Writing.

Yang, Yan. 2016. "Improving the phonological working memory and English speaking skills of Chinese primary EFL learners with a verbotonal-based approach." PhD dissertation, School of Foreign Languages, Suranaree Univeristy of Technology, Thailand.

Zhang, Felicia. 2005. "Using an interactive feedback tool to enhance pronunciation in language learning." pp. 377-399 in Interactive multimedia in education and training, edited by S. Mishra and R. C. Sharma. London: Idea Group Publishing.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


=====================================================

TẠP CHÍ KHOA HỌC XÃ HỘI VÀ NHÂN VĂN

Trường Đại học Khoa học Xã hội và Nhân văn

Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội

ISSN 2354-1172