The context of the study is teaching English as a foreign language to four adult immigrant learners who attended the Bachelor of Arts in English as an Additional Language programme in New Zealand. The study addresses two issues relating to second language acquisition, namely changes in speech.
Firstly, the study seeks to examine the changes in the speech of the four students. The aspects that are investigated are pronunciation and fluency, specifically the changes that could be heard in pronunciation and fluency of the four students. The study addresses the question of whether the students can speak better after three years of study. What is more, the issue of whether the students could acquire the features of local standard New Zealand English is discussed. In order to shed light on this issue, the study analyses the concept of “fluency” and issues in assessing pronunciation with the notion of “nativeness of pronunciation” and factors of intelligibility in the focus.
The second issue, which is explored in the study, relates to the correlation and comparison of the changes in the speech of the students with their own perceptions of these changes. The authors investigate to what extent the students’ self-assessment is accurate and how self-assessment and motivational factors contributed to the changes in their pronunciation and fluency.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- What is the problem that is addressed in the research?
- What approach is taken to address this problem?
- What conclusions does the author draw from the research?
- What evidence does the author present in support of the conclusions?
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This study aims to investigate the changes in pronunciation and fluency experienced by four adult immigrant learners of English over a three-year period of tertiary study in New Zealand. The research explores whether these changes are measurable and whether the students' self-perceptions align with their actual progress.
- Pronunciation changes in second language acquisition
- Fluency development in English as a second language
- The role of self-assessment and motivation in language learning
- The influence of intelligibility, attitudes, and identity on pronunciation
- The correlation between perceived and actual progress in language learning
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
What is the problem that is addressed in the research? This chapter introduces the study's context, focusing on the challenges faced by four adult immigrant learners of English attending a Bachelor of Arts in English as an Additional Language program in New Zealand. The research investigates two key issues: changes in pronunciation and fluency among these learners and the correlation between their perceived progress and actual improvements.
What approach is taken to address this problem? This section outlines the research methodology, which involves pre-study and post-study tests, along with post-study interviews with the participants. The study analyzes changes in pronunciation and fluency using quantitative and qualitative data collected over a three-year period. The researchers employed a case study method to analyze the individual progress of each participant.
What conclusions does the author draw from the research? This chapter presents the findings of the study, concluding that the four participants demonstrated improvements in pronunciation and fluency, with their self-perceptions of their progress aligning with their actual performance. Factors such as intelligibility, attitudes, and identity played a role in the specific changes observed.
What evidence does the author present in support of the conclusions? This section examines the evidence presented in the study, including data collection methods, data analysis techniques, and the limitations of the research. The researchers provide convincing evidence to support their conclusions, but the authors also acknowledge potential areas for further investigation.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This research focuses on key concepts related to second language acquisition, including pronunciation, fluency, self-assessment, motivation, and intelligibility. The study also examines the influence of factors such as attitudes, identity, and the learners' perceptions of their own progress. The research findings can be applied to the field of English as a second language teaching and learning, particularly in tertiary education settings.
- Quote paper
- Ayed Alqarni (Author), 2011, Can I Change the Way I Speak, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/205681
