Teaching English is a global phenomenon. It is a multi-billion dollar industry. People from different countries, age, culture, backgrounds and gender are taking up teaching English as their profession to teach the language to Non-Native English Speakers (NNES).
Initially, Native English Speakers taught English to NNES by using methods and techniques that they had employed in teaching English in their countries or new techniques they had developed, which they thought were more effective (Brown, 2007). At different times different teachers used different methods and approaches, which they preferred. But now all agree that no single approach suits all learners.
An approach needs to be authentic for a particular group of learners and it is now acknowledged that one group of learner is different from another group in more than one way. Thus, English teaching approaches, besides taking into account only the educational background or age of a group, should consider learners’ cultural background, the environment in which they will use English and above all, their first language.
To make teaching of English most effective, EFL/ESL teachers should take into account how a particular language relates with English and how difficult or easy it is to teach L2 learners because of the differences or similarities of L2 with English.
This essay looks at the teaching of English to Native Bengali Speakers (NBS) from Bangladesh. It does not include the Bengali speakers of West Bengal in India because the Bengali language spoken there, including phonology and cultural background of learners, is different.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Background
Literature survey
Phonology - Bengali Language
Vowels
Consonants
Difficulties faced by NBS in speaking English
Proposed solutions
Training of EFL/ESL teachers/trainers for NBS
Teaching pronunciation to students of EFL/ESL in Bangladesh
Conclusion
References
Objectives & Core Themes
This study aims to address the significant challenges Native Bengali Speakers (NBS) face when learning spoken English, specifically focusing on the influence of their native phonology on their English pronunciation. The research identifies the underlying causes of heavy accents and linguistic anxiety, proposing a pedagogical framework that emphasizes teacher training and the implementation of a "neutral accent" in English language instruction.
- Phonological comparison between Bengali and English sound systems.
- Identification of common pronunciation barriers and errors among NBS.
- Analysis of motivational factors and anxiety in language learning.
- Development of effective teaching strategies and specialized training for ESL/EFL educators.
Excerpt from the Book
Phonology - Bengali Language
The Bengali alphabet originated in the 1700, and comprises 36 consonants and 12 vowels. But the phonological features of Bengali language is quite different from English and many phonemes have quite unexpected surface forms in spoken Bengali as explained below
Vowels
In Bengali there are separate phonemic vowels for /ɪ/ and /i/, / ʊ/ and /u/ denoting short and long sounds, and people use the correct Bengali letters in their writing. But in spoken Bengali, NBS ignore the length of a vowel phoneme. The same vowel may be pronounced differently. The result is that speakers tend to use this same technique while speaking English. For example, majority pronounce the word “heart” as [hʌɹt] and “sheep” as [ʃɪp]. On the other hand, they pronounce “bin” as [bin] and “hip” as [hip]”, which cause confusion to listeners.
Consonants
First, the two labiodentals fricatives /f/ and /v/, present in the English sound system are absent in Bengali. This causes native Bengali speakers to use the bilabial plosives /p/ and /b/ or their aspirated versions [pʰ] and [bʰ] instead. So “furniture” is pronounced as either [pʌɹnɪitʃaɹ] or [pʰʌɹnɪitʃaɹ] and the word ”vat” is pronounced as [bʰæt]” or [bæt]. This problem shows up even in written text. People have been seen to put up a display sign in English as “Purniture Store”.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the global importance of English language teaching and defines the scope of this essay, which focuses specifically on teaching Native Bengali Speakers to attain a "neutral accent".
Background: Provides context regarding the author's observations of English proficiency among Bengali speakers and describes the university landscape in Bangladesh.
Literature survey: Reviews existing research on Bengali phonology, acoustic analyses of consonants, and psychological factors like motivation and anxiety in language acquisition.
Phonology - Bengali Language: Analyzes the specific differences in vowel and consonant systems between Bengali and English, highlighting how native phonological habits create pronunciation barriers.
Difficulties faced by NBS in speaking English: Discusses the empirical findings on why students struggle, emphasizing that rhythm, stress, and intonation are frequently neglected in standard curricula.
Proposed solutions: Recommends practical changes, including targeted teacher training and curriculum updates to improve speaking components.
Training of EFL/ESL teachers/trainers for NBS: Lists specific areas of competence educators need to acquire, such as phonological awareness and strategies for reducing learner anxiety.
Teaching pronunciation to students of EFL/ESL in Bangladesh: Outlines a practical guide for the classroom, covering specific phoneme pairs that require attention and the use of interactive exercises.
Conclusion: Summarizes the key recommendations and reiterates that training and anxiety-reduction strategies are essential for effective spoken English instruction.
Keywords
Native Bengali Speakers, English as a Foreign Language, Pronunciation, Phonology, Neutral Accent, Language Acquisition, Speaking Strategies, Pedagogical Training, Linguistics, Bangladesh, EFL, ESL, Phonemes, Intonation, Language Anxiety.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
This paper focuses on the specific challenges Native Bengali Speakers encounter when learning to speak English, particularly regarding the mismatch between their native phonology and English sounds.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The work covers phonetics, phonology, language pedagogy, motivational psychology, and strategies for ESL/EFL teacher development.
What is the main goal or research question?
The goal is to determine how differences between the Bengali and English sound systems create learning obstacles and to provide a roadmap for teaching English with a "neutral accent" effectively.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author employs a review of existing empirical research, linguistic analysis of phonemes, and synthesizes these findings with personal observational data.
What is the main focus of the middle sections of the paper?
The middle sections detail specific linguistic interferences, such as the confusion between /p/ and /f/ or the mispronunciation of vowel lengths, and how these affect real-world intelligibility.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Key terms include Native Bengali Speakers, Phonology, Pronunciation, Neutral Accent, and EFL/ESL Teaching Strategies.
Why does the author argue against using standard teaching approaches without modification?
The author argues that standard approaches often fail because they ignore the specific first-language interference and the cultural context of the learners in Bangladesh.
How does the author define a "neutral accent"?
A "neutral accent" is defined as a manner of speech where English phonemes are pronounced clearly and intelligibly, to the extent that listeners cannot identify the speaker's country of origin.
What role does "anxiety" play in the learning process of these students?
Anxiety is identified as a major barrier that hinders student progress; the author suggests interactive and enjoyable teaching methods as a primary way to reduce this tension.
- Quote paper
- Amin Rahman (Author), 2012, Difficulties of teaching English to native Bengali speakers, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/314089
