Maria Dokovova

Achieving Native-like Pronunciation through Phonetic Analysis and Poetry

Introduction

Achieving native-like pronunciation through phonetic analysis and poetry. Achieve native-like French pronunciation. This study uses phonetic analysis & poetry exercises to correct L2 language transfer errors, tackling segmental & suprasegmental issues and boosting awareness.

Abstract

The problem of identifying phonetic phenomena related to language transfer and correction in second language (L2) production can be approached by conducting broad analyses of the same L2 speaker. This approach is applied in the present study, which investigates errors of pronunciation segmentally (grammatical mistakes, voicing of consonants, and vowel distinctions) and suprasegmentally (intonation and time-gaining techniques) in order to establish the possibility of their being corrected in two recordings of readings by a non-native French speaker. The errors from the first recording were identified, analyzed, and corrected through pronunciation exercises with the aim of raising awareness of the problems to help overcome them on the second reading attempt. The correction methods involved exercises such as reading poetry aloud, pronouncing consonantal segments in various vocalic environments, and reading the target text, syllable by syllable. In addition, the analysis investigates the possibility of phonetic transfer from the two primary languages of the speaker: Bulgarian and English. The researcher is the speaker, the methodological implications of which are discussed, reaching the overall conclusion that it helps to raise awareness of the phonetic background of the errors. Despite the risk of compromising the data through this methodological choice, the results show that a high level of attention and monitoring of the speech alone may be insufficient for internalizing corrections. While grammatical mistakes were corrected most effectively, other segmental and suprasegmental features showed different levels of success. One of the features (the /ɛ/ and /e/ distinction) even exhibited deterioration in the second recording. These examples suggest the presence of “equivalence classification” phenomena and raise the question of the appropriateness of the phonetic exercises for overcoming the errors. Another area of interest was determining the source of errors such as “uptalk”, the reassigning of grammatical gender, word-final devoicing, and elimination of syllable-initial lenis stop prevoicing. Due to the limited amount of data available, it was difficult to draw firm conclusions, but the tendencies observed suggested that the errors might be due to transfer from the speaker’s primary languages, whose influence appeared to be equal. Further research should therefore control for the influence of the two primary languages and extend the scope to include a second post-training recording. Overall, the second recording demonstrated that raised awareness and training helped to achieve acceptable production in the suprasegmental features as well as most of the instances of unfamiliar phones, such as /ʁ/, front-rounded vowels, and nasal vowels.

Review

This study presents an investigation into the challenges of achieving native-like pronunciation in a second language (L2), specifically French, by examining phonetic phenomena related to language transfer and correction. Employing a unique approach involving a single L2 speaker (who is also the researcher), the study conducts a broad analysis of segmental features (e.g., grammatical mistakes, voicing, vowel distinctions) and suprasegmental features (e.g., intonation, time-gaining techniques). Through a two-recording design, the authors identify, analyze, and attempt to correct pronunciation errors from an initial reading using a set of targeted exercises, including reading poetry aloud and syllable-by-syllable pronunciation. The core aim is to determine the potential for correcting these errors and to explore the influence of phonetic transfer from the speaker's two primary languages, Bulgarian and English. Overall, the study concludes that while raised awareness and training improved some aspects, particularly suprasegmental features and unfamiliar phones, the process of internalizing corrections is complex and not uniformly successful across all phonetic features. The methodological choice of the researcher serving as the participant offers a distinctive strength, providing unparalleled insight into the speaker's awareness of their phonetic errors and the underlying background. This introspective approach, despite its acknowledged risk of compromising data validity, yields valuable qualitative observations on the learning process. The study's detailed analysis of both segmental and suprasegmental errors, alongside its innovative use of poetry and specific articulation exercises, provides interesting avenues for L2 pronunciation instruction. However, the study's reliance on a single participant and a limited amount of data restricts the generalizability of its findings. The varied success rates, notably the deterioration of the /ɛ/ and /e/ distinction, is a particularly intriguing and critical observation, challenging the assumed efficacy of all phonetic exercises and raising important questions about "equivalence classification" phenomena in L2 acquisition. Furthermore, while the study explores transfer from two primary languages, the limited data made firm conclusions difficult regarding their individual contributions. This research offers valuable preliminary insights into the intricate relationship between awareness, targeted training, and the actual internalization of L2 phonetic corrections. Its findings underscore that high levels of attention and monitoring, while helpful, may not be sufficient for overcoming all pronunciation challenges, particularly in deeply ingrained L2 features. The study's critical observation of differential success rates for various error types, and even deterioration in some, is crucial for refining pedagogical approaches to pronunciation. Future research should build upon these foundations by incorporating a larger cohort of participants to enhance generalizability, implementing stricter controls to disentangle the influences of multiple primary languages, and extending the temporal scope with additional post-training recordings. Despite the inherent limitations of a single-subject study, this investigation provides a thoughtful contribution to the field, prompting further inquiry into the design and effectiveness of L2 pronunciation interventions.

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