I just returned from the annual Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching conference in Montreal last night. It was fulfilling as always. I met new faces, caught up with old ones, and most importantly, continued to learn from the researchers trying to better understand what is important for learning a second language (not just English) and how to best teach these methods to others.
This year I attended an excellent interactive workshop given by Radek Skarnitzl, Professor at Charles University's Institute of Phonetics in Prague, who spoke about using visual feedback of a learner's own voice to model stress and intonation patterns. I also had the opportunity to listen to over a dozen researchers speak about the latest research in
I was also reminded that while we do not yet have evidence, some are striving to prove that the burden of communication should not be placed solely on the speaker. Through my decade of instruction, I am convinced that we need to find methods to teach listeners how to modify the way they communicate with speakers who have accents that are less familiar to them. My goal is to continue instructing speakers how to modify their accents, but also instruct listeners about what they might do to improve communication on their end.
- listener training
- pronunciation assessment
- pronunciation development
- tools and strategies for teaching and
- social justice, bias and fairness in our field.
I was also reminded that while we do not yet have evidence, some are striving to prove that the burden of communication should not be placed solely on the speaker. Through my decade of instruction, I am convinced that we need to find methods to teach listeners how to modify the way they communicate with speakers who have accents that are less familiar to them. My goal is to continue instructing speakers how to modify their accents, but also instruct listeners about what they might do to improve communication on their end.
My gratitude goes out to those who organized the conference, those who performed this valuable research, and those who teach instructors the best way to continue helping our students. Thank you!
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