Pronunciation and Grammar: 

two sides of the same coin

By Maria de La Lama

What does “grammar” mean?

Usually we equate the teaching of Grammar with the teaching of Syntax.  However Grammar is defined   as the total knowledge of a language and as such  it is much more than Syntax. When we talk about grammar, Phonology, Morphology, Semantics, and Pragmatics also need to be considered. This common equation of grammar = syntax has contributed to the omission of the teaching and practice of a very important component of the language: Phonology. 

Typically, a grammar lesson provides students with oral and written exercises followed in most cases by a hand-on- experience in which the new structure is used in a   real communicative situation. Even in this new millennium a pedagogical harmful trend persists when teaching grammar: students do not get any instruction on how to pronounce the new structure; in most cases not even a hint!  The truth is that we have separated Grammar and Pronunciation when in fact they are the two sides of the same coin. The following examples will show us how these two areas of knowledge need to be taught together.

Much more to learn than word order

Let’s consider that our students are practicing giving commands or instructions such as   “Give her an apple”.  Apparently, if we only consider its structure we can assume that it is quite a simple utterance which poses almost no difficulties for our students. Its simplicity may cause that important phonological components may pass unnoticed for our students while in fact there are plenty to teach in the given phrase if Phonology is considered. relevant aspects such as the emphasis of content words: give and apple; the omission of the sound /h/ in the pronoun her since this sound is linked to the previous word and the fact that this phrase needs to be pronounced as one piece and not as four different words according to the linking patterns that characterize natural speech such as consonant +vowel and vowel +vowel. Also, our students need to get the right rhythm pattern when saying the phrase which usually requires practice.

Another example is the teaching of phrasal verbs which is quite a challenge since teachers spend valuable lesson time explaining   the difference between transitive or intransitive phrasal verbs or on motivating students to use phrasal verbs   when speaking English, not an easy task for Spanish speakers. However, usually a basic instruction on how to pronounce phrasal verbs is not given and then our students do not know if they have to stress the word speak or the preposition up in the following example: Please speak up.

Pronunciation and listening comprehension

The teaching of pronunciation will enhance the listening comprehension skills of our students. Once   our students have developed a good understanding of the main features of the English phonological system they will be able to cope with the characteristics of natural speech.   Going back to our example of “Give her an apple,” if our students are not trained on its correct pronunciation they will not be able to understand it nor to say it in a natural way. 

Should Grammar and Pronunciation be taught apart?

What is Grammar anyway?

Reference

An Introduction to Language. Victoria Fromkin and Robert Rodman.

Holt, Rinehart and Winston, editors.

Biodata
Maria de La Lama: Master´s Degree in Applied Linguistics and Bachelor´s Degree in Theoretical Linguistics from the University of California; MBA Universidad del Pacífico.  Current Director at Centro de Idiomas de la Universidad del Pacífico.

Poka-Yoke, an error-proof way of thinking and designing our classes

By Flor de María Vila

Beginning a new school year in Peru: We want to make the most out of it without “dying” in the attempt, don´t we? So, why not try a Poka-Yoke mentality to design classes and activities? Before going into the Poka-Yoke thinking, let’s explore a probable familiar situation.

What was our experience like last year?

Last year is gone, but some experiences remain in our memory. Are all of them good? Bad? What did we do that made those teaching-learning experiences successful? What did we do that made those experiences not as successful as we wanted them to be? Has it ever occurred to you that sometimes the “solutions” to those kinds of “problems” are there just in front of us, but we haven´t found the way to use or organize the information in the best way yet? Sometimes, there are inadvertent mistakes that do not allow us to use our resources well enough and that could be related to what we are focusing on: we might be looking at classes from the wrong perspective.

What do we take into account when we prepare our lessons?

We have heard a lot about the pre-existing knowledge with which students come. In fact, it is very likely that in our lesson plans and lessons, we have to consider eliciting students’ previous knowledge at the beginning. This is supported by the contemporary view that learning means that people construct their new knowledge and understanding based on what they already know and believe (1). According to Vygotsky (2), this is extremely important. He introduced the concept of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)(2)(3), which is the gap between what a learner has already mastered and what s/he can achieve when educational support is provided. Regarding this: What do we know about our students´ ZDP? Do we really know how much knowledge, experience, skills, beliefs, and concepts our students come with? Even more, do we really know them?  How can I prepare a lesson if I do not know who my students are? Just think about this carefully: Would you be able to choose a gift for, let´s say, me without knowing my likes, preferences or anything that could give you a hint on how to select the right one? What details did you have in mind while choosing a gift for some relative or close friend last Christmas?  I am quite sure that you knew something important about that person in order to pick out that gift, didn’t you?

This might be one of the issues we are not considering and is preventing us from having incredible success? Thus, in order to use effectively this existing knowledge, experience, and so on, we must know as much as possible about our students. If we ignore this fact, the outcome may not be what we expect. Here´s what we must consider about our students and know when preparing our lessons: age, sex, cognitive level, learning style, language level, likes, preferences, social and economic background. Furthermore we need to know students’ expectations both from the course and from us as teachers. Then, we will be more prepared to give a lesson. We will be even more prepared to motivate them at the beginning of the class because our decisions will be based on facts and not just on assumptions.

Are we ready now to start working on a POKA-YOKE (4) teaching strategy?

Until now, we have just found out with whom we are going to work. Next step is to prepare the lesson. In order to make sure that there won’t be any unforeseen mistakes and that we are ready to overcome most possible problems, we need to consider the following aspects in the plan. Do you know what a poka-yoke teaching strategy is? This strategy is based on the poka-yoke mechanism, a mistake proofing approach that uses visual signals to make mistakes clearly stand out or become evident. For instance, you may have noticed that when you assemble a desktop computer, it is simply not possible to plug in the keyboard or mouse into the wrong holes of the CPU. That is because the designer used poka-yokes to help the user achieve his goal without possible mistakes. Likewise, teachers can use poka-yokes in their classes to help students achieve their learning goals without getting lost on the way. Thus, we need to make sure of having visual signals that let us identify the mistake, if any, easily. We also need to guarantee that all steps are followed. Regarding any lesson, we need to clearly identify the objective of the lesson; what we need the students to be able to do by the end of the class. Knowing the objective of the lesson may sound obvious, but you would be surprised to see how many teachers act in class as if “performing the activities” were the objective and not the means to achieve a superior learning objective.

Once we know this, we should determine the following based on the self-assessment sheet (5):

1. Activity proposed and its objective
2. Resources used
3. Did the activity help you to achieve its objective? Did it work?
4. What evidence (visual signal) do we have that it worked?
5. What should I do to improve this result for the following class?

In addition to this, we should think of the possible problems that may arise.

The poka-yoke teaching strategy implies having the minimum elements to work with a very high probability that the results we expect will become true.

Definitely, there are other factors that affect learning. Even though they are important, they are not more important than students and teachers themselves.

If you liked this reflection on how to make classes inevitably successful, please choose any of the following questions and share your thoughts.

1. The article gives the example of poka-yokes used in a computer. You can also find a poka-yoke when a computer program double checks with you if you are sure you want to delete a file, thus helping you avoid the possibility that you delete it accidentally. Can you give other examples from everyday life where you find poka-yokes (a design thought to help avoid mistakes)?
2. In trying to make an activity work like a poka-yoke for students to fulfill a learning objective, which of the following factors is in your experience the most important? Why?

a.       The lesson plan

b.      The teacher’s motivation

c.       The classroom environment

d.      The appeal of the activity to students’ interests

e.      The objective of the activity

3. Can you suggest other factors, ideas or strategies that can contribute to an inevitable attainment of learning goals in class (just as a poka-yoke does)?

References:

(1)    How people learn (2000) edited by John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking.

http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9853/how-people-learn-brain-mind-experience-and-school-expanded-edition.

(2)    Lev Vygotsky- biography

http://psychology.about.com/od/profilesmz/p/vygotsky.htm

(3)    ZPD definition

http://psicologiaymente.net/desarrollo/teoria-sociocultural-lev-vygotsky#

(4)    POKA-YOKE definition

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/poka-yoke.html#ixzz3tmZ5ZNrX

(5)    https://www.dropbox.com/s/mfxa8ta3k84eswt/Created%20by%20Flor%20de%20Mar%C3%ADa%20Vila%20Azabache-updated%202016.docx?dl=0

Biodata
Flor de María Vila. M.A. in Cognition, Learning and Development from PUCP, B.A. in Education with a major in English Teaching. Ms. Vila is currently Pedagogic Advisor and Member of the Research Team at Centro de Idiomas de la Universidad del Pacífico. She is Academic Director of International Contacts (test training & foreign applications advisory) and Relationship Associate Manager for American universities´ MBA admissions officers with International Contacts. She is official Examiner for several University of Cambridge tests, former freelance consultant with Universidad ESAN, experienced speaker on diverse English teaching issues for prestigious institutions, and senior international examinations trainer (GMAT, GRE, TOEFL, IELTS)

Why if I speak English well…,

English speakers do not understand me

By Enrique Rojas R.

It happens every time. A very dedicated student of English as a foreign language learns the lexis, the structures, the grammatical rules, the expressions; in addition he manages to demonstrate that is able to read and write in this language, but when they get in a situation in which they have to chat with native speakers, finds it very difficult to understand what they say, and even more grueling trying to make himself understood by them. For heaven’s sake! Why does this always occur?

If one were to learn a language from another part of the world, the first thing we would try to gain knowledge of would probably be the alphabet. In order to penetrate the system of transmitting ideas through words, you have to become familiar with letters, which are the main constituents of terms. Of course, it is also possible to just memorize sounds, to get to know what they mean and become able to produce those utterances. But we will not get to genuinely master a language that way. And it will not be the path we will follow if we are already literate people.

Now, when we refer to the most common western live languages, such as English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and others, we assume that we use the same alphabet for all of them but, is this assumption true? In this space we are going to briefly analyze the case of Spanish and English.

All of the mentioned languages use the Latin or Roman alphabet, which is still the most widely employed alphabetic system in the world, since it is the one used by most of Europe and the areas settled by Europeans. It has its origin in the Etruscan alphabet and it can be traced through Etruscan, Greek, and Phoenician scripts to the North Semitic alphabet utilized in Syria and Palestine about 1100 BC.( Encyclopædia Britannica). The name comes from Late Latin alphabētum, and this from the Greek  ἀλφάβητος : alphábētos, made up over ἄλφα : álpha 'alfa' y βῆτα : bêta 'beta', names of the first Greek letters.

In the first place, it may be convenient to define what we understand for alphabet. Encyclopædia Britannica describes it as a “set of graphs, or characters, used to represent the phonemic structure of a language” adding that “In most alphabets the characters are arranged in a definite order, or sequence.”  The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary depicts it as “A set of letters or symbols in a fixed order used to represent the basic set of speech sounds of a language, especially the set of letters from A to Z.” In both definitions we clearly observe the presence of two dimensions, a written or graphic one, and an oral, that deals with sounds. The graphic individual components are named graphemes and the oral ones, phonemes.

            For a native Spanish speaker there is probably no reason to know that there are languages with no one-to-one correspondence between sound and written symbol, since in our language there is a 1-1 spelling-to-sound correspondence.(*) They are aware that there are some differences in English pronunciation and try to imitate the most obvious ones without suspecting there is a whole phonological system they must become familiar with. As a consequence, they treat English graphemes as if they were Spanish graphemes, conferring upon them the same phonological value. Small wonder it is so difficult for them to make themselves understood by native speakers of English. It is no surprise also that although they can understand their peers’ English, and maybe their teachers’, they do not come to terms with the one spoken by people who have been raised with this tongue.

            So, our suggestion to English teachers is that, right from the beginning, you should convey to your students they have to deal with a different sound system. (See the article Teaching pronunciation, why is it so difficult? in this blog). And, for goodness sake, if you want your students to read (not to mention speak or write) you must teach them the alphabet (all of it) first.

Biodata

Enrique Rojas. Graduated in Journalism at the PUCP, Peru, Enrique Rojas R. holds a MA in Journalism and MA in Inter American History from Southern Illinois University, USA; an MA in Literature from University of the Americas, Puebla, Mexico, all the coursework for a MA in TEFL at Universidad de Piura, Peru and BA in Education from Universidad Federico Villarreal. He has also obtained Certificates of Proficiency in English both from Cambridge University and the University of Michigan and the Diploma for EFL Teachers from Universidad del Pacifico. He is an Oral Examiner for the Cambridge University exams and has been awarded the title Expert in E-Learning from Asociacion Educativa del Mediterraneo and Universidad Marcelino Champagnat. He has worked as a professor in universities in Peru, Mexico and the United States; as a newscaster and a producer in radio and television stations in the United States and Mexico, and as a writer and editor in daily newspapers of the same countries. He has been in the staff of CIDUP for 17 years teaching English and Spanish specializing in International Exams, English for Business, ESP and Teacher Training. He is a member of the Research Area of Centro de Idiomas de la UP.

From flashcards to blackboard/moodle: 
A journey into technology

By Zarela Cruz

Flashcards, cassettes, DVDs, overhead projectors, chalk, blackboards, posters, wall chart papers, magazines, newspapers…. Are you familiar with them all? And what about these ones: Hotmail, Yahoo, SMART Board, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp? The shift from the first series to the second one has not taken very long. But you don’t have to get overly anxious: before we have mastered most of the procedures, there will be new ones at hand. So, it is better to begin getting prepared. We are about to start a journey into technology.

The old days

The key component in the old days was a brilliant imagination. Teachers did not have many resources available and had to make use of their own creativity to make the most attractive and eye-catching flashcards ever, buy or design their unique posters, get the most colourful magnets, clips and stationary. Sharing materials with their colleagues was a must, otherwise it would have been impossible to  cover all the angles.

Technology in the classroom

Schools embarked on investing a lot of money on modern overhead projectors and personal PCs for classroom use, projectors and even SMART Boards. The transition has not been that easy since teachers were not familiar with technology. Schools also incorporated the use of institutional emails and little by little a platform of their own. They began training their instructors in the use of the new devices.  

Language schools, on the other hand, invested on modern laboratories, PCs, and software for  their students to enhance their language practice. Then, they adopted the newest technology available provided by Cambridge. Some went further and started to make use of other platforms such as Blackboard or Moodle. At the language center where I work, we use digital textbooks as well, which allow more interactive classes since there are activities that come across quite different when presented on a digital format. Something students really appreciate is having access to written feedback on exercises on the board, so they can make sure they have grasped it.

Class environment nowadays

In language centers students are eager to use their gadgets in class, so the BYOD (bring your own device) approach works well. Besides, they usually have unlimited access to Wi-Fi and love to unearth the requested information. Many times they do contribute with interesting, complementary details. What we need to remind them is that their sources should be reliable and valid, but all in all it is worth to give it a try.

How has education changed?

It is not only a matter of technology. We all are now very conscious of multiple intelligences and dissimilar learning styles. To be assertive teachers, we should include activities for all of the pupils, although not necessarily at the same time. We instructors are expected to get to know our students gradually but swiftly, and tailor our class to their needs, no matter how long our courses last: a month, a semester or a school year.

We should keep in mind that education is not restricted to within the classroom walls any more. Students can work on their own at home, or from any place for that matter, by means of the existing technological devices.

That is not all. We know classes are no longer supposed to be teacher-centered. Conversely, they ought to be student-centered. We, teachers, have switched roles to be facilitators, among other responsibilities we take. Easier said than done, right? In the Latin American Congress of Teaching English for Specific Purposes, held at the Language Center of Universidad del Pacifico for the 9^th time, some attending teachers did not agree with this approach. They believed their class management would be at risk. Not truth at all. When we say student-centered we mean that students’ interests need to be taken into account when designing our classes; their participation and contribution should be overtly welcome since they shall be capable to get genuinely and personally involved in the matter and will not be necessarily expected to tag along with whatever the teacher says. In a word: this change should be reflected in a more personal manner of learning.

Online Course Limitations and Solutions

Regarding online courses, some might argue that they are flawed, lacking. For example, a fixed schedule for students to meet the teacher and ask questions regarding the topics covered in class. Another common complaint arises whenever the platform malfunctions preventing students to upload assignments or post comments on forums in due time.

These problems can be easily avoided through brief, clear and short recommendations given to learners at the very beginning of the course. For example, reminding them that even if they have a week to upload a piece of homework, it is advisable to take the time to have it ready at least a day or two before the deadline just in case something goes wrong with the platform. The same applies to material downloaded to study, or the above mentioned comments on forums, even when they are not graded. These  simple steps have proved to be very useful to ensure quality standards.

Regarding time to meet the teacher, and enquire about any doubts, tools such as BlackBoard collaborate easily to allow it. With a user-friendly interface and even a “raise hand” button, this and other similar software provide real–time interaction between teacher and students.

In the end, the superiority or inferiority of online courses relies heavily on every students’ and teachers’ opinion. If they find them appealing, their attitude will most likely lead to better results than those from unmotivated students. However, disliking virtual platforms should not be a reason not to take advantage of the benefits technology offers.

Teaching languages online

The practice of teaching languages online  is expanding quickly. This summer some language centers are offering  100% online courses for teachers as well as blended courses, with about 75% of the course face-to-face and 25% online sessions.  Some institutions have even started offering such online courses beyond their own countries, making it an international experience to learn with teachers and other students from around the globe.

To go deeper into the matter, it would be great to know what you reader think and/or what you have experienced  yourself either as a teacher or a student. Leave a comment and share your experience with us! It is very easy. You just need to have a gmail account. If you don’t, creating one will take you only a few minutes!

References

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiD1UqLPrOg

21st Century Education vs. 20th Century Education

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghx0vd1oEzM

The Four C's: Making 21st Century Education Happen

http://www.slideshare.net/BevAnderson1/20th-vs-21st-century-teachers

20th vs. 21st century teachers

Biodata

Zarela Cruz graduated from Ricardo Palma University as a translator.  She also finished her master’s studies in Linguistics and took some specialization diplomas in English and Spanish: Higher Education, Virtual Courses Design, and Spanish for Foreigners. She has also completed a number of certificates:  Teaching the Working Adult, Online, Hybrid and Blended Education, among other self-study courses.   During her more than 20 years’ teaching experience, she has been a teacher trainer in Huaraz and Ayacucho and lectured in some Congresses for EFL teachers in Lima. This article is a summary of her workshop at the 2015 Annual Congress at CIDUP.

Bringing Metacognition into the classroom

By Carmen Hurtado

What is Metacognition?

Considered as the key to success for EFL learners, it refers to the mental process described as “thinking about thinking”. That is, what makes learners master their knowledge and learning process. It is also understood as a regulatory system that helps learners understand their cognitive performance by allowing them take charge of their own learning. It involves awareness of how they learn, an evaluation of their learning needs, generating strategies to meet these needs and then implementing the strategies. (Hacker, 2009).

There are two main components in the metacognition process: knowledge and regulation. The first consist of knowledge about oneself as a learner and the factors that might influence the learners’ performance. In other words, knowledge about strategies: when and why to use them, appropriately. The second one refers to the monitoring of the learner’s cognition. It includes planning activities, awareness of comprehension and task performance, and evaluation of the efficacy of monitoring processes and strategies (Cross & Paris, 1988; Flavell, 1979, Paris & Winograd, 1990; Schraw & Moshman, 1995; Schraw et al, 2006; Whitebread et al., 1990).

Metacognition in the classroom

It has been a bit confusing for some colleagues identify how this process is being developed in the classroom. As a mental process, there are two important roles to be highlighted: the teacher’s role as well as the student’s one. Teachers’ role consists of guiding the activities by applying the most appropriate strategies and techniques so students go along the complete metacognitive process while developing the given tasks. During this process, learners will ‘think aloud’ and perform the self-regulated learning process which describes an academically effective form of learning that includes metacognition, indeed.

Metacognitive strategies

Researchers have done their contributions to illustrate how these strategies influence language learning and teaching. Learners who can effectively use metacognitive strategies are aware of their own thinking as they perform a task and can use this awareness to control what they are doing. Thus, in the classroom teachers may apply the following strategies at their convenience: evaluating the way of thinking and acting, identifying the difficulty, paraphrasing, elaborating and reflecting learner’s ideas, clarifying learner’s terminology, problem-solving activities, thinking aloud, journal-keeping, cooperative learning, modeling, etc.

It is also important to point out that metacognition is not a linear process; it demands the use of several strategies to promote second language learning. To provide opportunities for students to think how they integrate strategies raises the assertiveness in terms of strategy use.

Summing up

In the field of autonomy, learners develop confidence and motivation toward their process of learning. They are able to face future unfamiliar and challenging tasks in different contexts inside and outside the classroom. So if having learners respond questions like “(1) What am I going to accomplish? (2) What strategies am I going to use? (3) How well am I using them? (4) What is the outcome? (5) What else could I do? will allow them reflect on the processes of their learning. The third question corresponds to monitoring strategy use, while the fourth and fifth relate to the evaluation of one’s own learning.

Now let’s share some views. How is metacognition promoted in ´your’ classroom? Do you have some strategies that work best for you and your students? We would like to get your comments and stay tune for the coming articles.

References:

http://www.bu.ac.th/knowledgecenter/epaper/jan_june2005/chutima.pdf

Metacognition: A Key to Success for EFL Learners

http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/appling/wp8/Ruan.pdf

A metacognitive perspective on the growth of self-regulated EFL student writers

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.edutopia.org/blog/8-pathways-metacognition-in-classroom-marilyn-price-mitchell

Metacognition: Nurturing Self-Awareness in the Classroom

Image credits: http://infoyarturo.blogspot.pe/2010_11_01_archive.html

Biodata

Carmen Hurtado, graduated in the Educational Field; holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science of Education, and the title of Licenciada en Educación by ‘Universidad Nacional de Educación’. She has also finished her master’s studies in Teaching English as a Foreign Language at Universidad de Piura, and taken some specializations in the EFL and Spanish field. She has worked teaching English and Spanish at prestigious schools, institutes and universities for over 20 years. She currently works teaching online and blended courses at university. Her expertise, dedication and interest to research in the educational field have taken her to participate as a lecturer in the late six Annual Congresses at CIDUP. She works as a pedagogical specialist and a member of the Research Area at Universidad del Pacifico Language Center.

Current Issues in ELT at Peruvian Universities

By Mayra Yaranga

Nowadays, a great deal of attention is paid to English tuition at schools. On one hand, schools offering intensive English training; on the other, schools which still need great improvements; however, what happens at university has been little explored. This article will give us an insight into the aspects needing to be addressed.

Lack of fixed standards

Universities have only now begun to pay attention to their students’ foreign language skills. As we know, there is no single law stipulating what level of proficiency students should reach by the end of their degree; in some cases just a certificate of studies will do, though how much they have learnt is highly questionable. Besides, the reality of universities is that they receive highly heterogeneous students in terms of language proficiency, basically due to the situation explained above. Universities deal with this in two ways: by establishing levels at a certain point during the 5-year course, or by simply handing over the responsibility to the students themselves.

Opportunities gone to waste

However, there are now a large number of opportunities for university students and lecturers thanks to International Relations Offices: international mobility programmes, international exchanges, scholarships and so on. In many cases, the universities involved are from English-speaking countries. What is happening? These opportunities are wasted– because most of the times, applicants need to demonstrate a sound competence in the foreign language, usually at B2 or C1 levels, which is far from what they have attained. An example: when the 2013 Presidente de la República Scholarships were awarded, the first three countries in the number of scholarships were Spain, Argentina and Chile. English-speaking countries pale in comparison. The point is, why are such brilliant opportunities missed? Would it not be desirable for students to experience life and academic standards abroad to complement their education?

General vs Academic English

In addition, we should ask ourselves: What kind of English do university students need to learn? It is true that the foundation is given by general English, but in reality, it is EAP (English for Academic Purposes) which should be taught at some point. Naturally, this involves a transition which needs to happen when the students are comfortable enough with general English. The problem is, as explained above, that university students are a highly heterogeneous group, and so it cannot be guaranteed that after, say, two years of English tuition, everybody will be prepared to undertake Academic English. This has to do, on one hand, with the type of courses offered. Many universities offer courses of “specialised” English (ESP) which mostly focus on professional terminology, but which fail to develop all-round language competence. On the other hand, lecturers in charge of English courses may need further training so that they raise their students’ awareness of the use of English in academic and professional contexts, and taking advantage of their skills, gradually go from a receptive to a more productive stage in order to better prepare them for any later opportunities.

We can conclude by saying that the task of improving ELT at Peruvian universities is still in its infancy, but it is good to see that some institutions are already taking steps to help their students access different opportunities abroad.

References:

Asamblea Nacional de Rectores e Instituto de Estadística e Informática (2010). II Censo Nacional Universitario. Lima, Perú: Dirección Nacional de Censos y Encuestas.

Hyland, K. (2006). English for Academic Purposes. Oxon, England: Routledge.

Kuder, M; Lemmens, N & Obst, D. (2014). Global Perspectives on International Joint and Double Degree Programs. German Academic Exchange Service & Institute of International Education.

Jenkins, J. (2014). English as a Lingua Franca in the International University. Oxon, England: Routledge.

Programa Nacional de Becas y Crédito Educativo.(2013). Memoria Anual 2013.  Lima, Perú: Autor. Retrieved from: http://www.pronabec.gob.pe/inicio/publicaciones/documentos/memoria2013.pdf

Biodata

Mayra Yaranga (1985) has completed Doctorate studies in Education at UNIFÉ; she holds a Master’s Degree in Media, Culture and Identity from Roehampton University (London)  revalidated by PUCP, a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from UPCH and the Professional Title of Licenciada from IPNM. Currently she works as a pedagogical specialist and member of the research area for Universidad del Pacífico Language Centre. She also coordinates the ESP courses and is Member of the Executive Commission on Cooperation and International Relations at UNIFÉ. She has published papers in the fields of English Language Teaching and Cultural Studies.

Teaching pronunciation,

why is it so difficult?

By Maria De La Lama

Teaching pronunciation is still the “ugly duckling” in our English courses. To begin with, instructors seem to be fond of grammatical rules, but unfortunately those are the only rules that our students are exposed to. But what about phonological rules?  As a matter of fact, when I have asked a teacher to explain just one phonological rule as a vowel reduction, they have looked puzzled wondering where they could have learnt about such thing. It’s is not surprising then that usually teachers skip pronunciation explanations and drills without realizing that teaching that would enhance their students’ listening comprehension skills.

Frequently, educators avoid teaching pronunciation for the following three reasons:

1. It seems to be a difficult subject for teachers to learn.

2. Only English native speakers can teach it.

3. Students may find it boring.

The issue is, how valid are these reasons? Let’s summarily analyse each of them:

1. Pronunciation seems to be a difficult subject for teachers to learn.

Pronunciation is not really a strenuous matter. Unfortunately, it is rather a topic which instruction does not go on well done. Very frequently student-teachers are overwhelmed with phonetic transcriptions without even understanding the difference between a phoneme and an allophone. Pronunciation courses should  start  with  an understanding of the main  phonological differences between English and Spanish or with very important topics  such as  rhythm and intonation , stress placement or sound assimilation, to mention only a few. How can student-teachers be asked to transcribe a language without first being trained in sound assimilation or on the rules for fast speech? 

2. Only teachers who are English native speakers can teach pronunciation.

It should be considered that when teaching students which are older than 15 years of age, teachers need to provide students with easy to follow instructions for pronouncing a given sound. Without having a sound knowledge of the English phonological system and its main differences with the Spanish one, English instructors will not succeed at teaching pronunciation irrespective of being native or non-native language trainers.

3. Students may find pronunciation boring.

On the contrary.  I have found that students consider the learning of pronunciation as something “new” and quite interesting and challenging. Indeed, my best classes have been the ones in which my students learnt “vowel reduction” or compared the English intonation pattern vs. the Spanish one. I believe that we must describe and explain in class, in very simple terms, the main characteristics of the English phonological system. Not only our   students will have a better knowledge of the target language (the language being studied) but their oral production will be more accurate and clear, which will in turn have a positive impact on their self-esteem and motivation to continue mastering this tongue.

Reference:

http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/teaching/esl/pronunciation.cfm Teaching Pronunciation

Biodata:

DE LA LAMA, MARIA  Master´s Degree in Applied Linguistics and Bachelor´s Degree in Theoretical Linguistics from the University of California;  MBA  Universidad del Pacífico.  Current Director at Centro de Idiomas de la Universidad del Pacífico.