ERIC Number: EJ1131443
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Mar
Pages: 31
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0039-8322
EISSN: N/A
Making Pronunciation Visible: Gesture in Teaching Pronunciation
Smotrova, Tetyana
TESOL Quarterly: A Journal for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages and of Standard English as a Second Dialect, v51 n1 p59-89 Mar 2017
The study examines the teacher and student gesture employed in teaching and learning suprasegmental features of second language (L2) pronunciation such as syllabification, word stress, and rhythm. It presents microanalysis of video-recorded classroom interactions occurring in a beginner-level reading class in an intensive English program at a U.S. university. Results indicate that the teacher employed gesture as an instructional tool to facilitate the students' identification and production of syllables, word stress, and the rhythm of speech. This was accomplished through reiterative gestures, or "catchments," which enabled the students to visualize and experience the intangible pronunciation phenomena. The students appropriated the teacher's gestures through creative imitation and employed them as a learning tool in the process of gaining control over the suprasegmental features of L2 pronunciation. The study has implications for L2 pedagogy, suggesting that teachers need to be made aware of the pedagogical uses of gesture as a mediational tool for teaching L2 pronunciation and be sensitized to attending to student gestures.
Descriptors: Pronunciation Instruction, Nonverbal Communication, Teaching Methods, Suprasegmentals, Second Language Instruction, Syllables, Video Technology, Classroom Communication, Introductory Courses, Reading Instruction, Language Rhythm, Visualization, Imitation, College Students, English Language Learners
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A