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Study on Error Correction and Knowledge Construction of Phonology in the First-Year Non-English Majors

Author: YaoJing
Tutor: ZouXiaoLing
School: Chongqing University
Course: Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Keywords: non-English majors suprasegmental affective factors cooperative learning contrastive analysis
CLC: H319
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2011
Downloads: 85
Quote: 0
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Abstract

English pronunciation learning has been regarded as a complex problem. After 6-year English learning in middle school, most students have a smattering knowledge of phonetics and phonology. However, their pronunciation is far from satisfactory. According to College English Curriculum Requirements (2007),“the objective of College English is to develop students’ability to use English in a well-rounded way, especially in listening and speaking, so that in their future studies and career as well as social interactions they will be able to communicate effectively”. However, pronunciation plays a vital role in listening and speaking ability. One’s listening and speaking abilities would be badly influenced and hindered if the pronunciation cannot be corrected systematically and immediately. Therefore, it is very necessary for college students to have pronunciation training. However, College English class hours are limited in most non-English majors. It is almost impossible for English teachers to improve and correct students’pronunciation systematically through the limited in-class hours. Therefore, in this paper, the author will try to find some method to solve this contradiction.In the present study, the author chose 24 first-year non-English majors who were willing to improve their pronunciation in Chongqing University as the subjects to implement the one-month experiment. Before the experiment, the questionnaire and pre-test were devoted to investigate what factors influence the subjects’pronunciation learning and what their pronunciation problems are. During the experiment, with the help of the e-portfolio, the subjects were trained out of class by a new mode of pronunciation learning, based on constructivism and cooperative learning theories and under the guidance of the contrastive analysis. After the experiment, the interview and the post-test were carried out to see whether this new mode is an effective way in remedying the inadequate pronunciation learning in class and overcoming the factors affecting their pronunciation learning, and at the same time to examine whether the students’pronunciation and communicative competence have been improved as well as whether it is necessary for college non-English major freshmen to receive pronunciation training after entering the college.The research findings indicate: 1) When the students first entered the university, their pronunciation problems are found in both segmental and suprasegmental level and the problems of the later are more complex; 2) Among all of the factors, the negative mother tongue transfer and the communication anxiety are the two most important factors influencing the first-year non-English majors’pronunciation; 3) This new training mode is proved to be an effective way to help learners overcome the negative transfer and the communication anxiety to some degree and their pronunciation has been improved accordingly.

Study on Error Correction and Knowledge Construction of Phonology in the First-Year Non-English Majors

Abstract

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