Listen For ThisListen For ThisElements of Spoken English for L2 Listening Instruction

Jacqueline JeffersJacqueline JeffersTESL Ontario, November 2008TESL Ontario, November 2008

Background

Advanced level learners Advanced level learners

interested in talking to the “people interested in talking to the “people they meet” every daythey meet” every day

ELT Conference – Ottawa, 2006ELT Conference – Ottawa, 2006

Academic background, EFLAcademic background, EFL

Looking for listening resourcesLooking for listening resources

How many times have we How many times have we heard students say…?heard students say…?

““I don’t understand English”I don’t understand English”

Who are you talking to?Who are you talking to?

What is your relationship to the What is your relationship to the speaker(s)?speaker(s)?

What are they talking about?What are they talking about?

What don’t you understand?What don’t you understand?

““They talk too fast!”They talk too fast!”

““You listen too slow.”You listen too slow.”

Non-native speakers need to know how Non-native speakers need to know how to decipher the to decipher the acoustic noiseacoustic noise (Brown, (Brown, 1977) that comprises spoken English1977) that comprises spoken English

Teachers require a comprehensive Teachers require a comprehensive approach to teaching the elements of approach to teaching the elements of English as it is spoken, in real time, by English as it is spoken, in real time, by a variety of peoplea variety of people

Outline

Learning to Listen - for realLearning to Listen - for real

Features of Spoken English Features of Spoken English

Stress and Rhythm Stress and Rhythm

PitchPitch

IntonationIntonation

ReductionsReductions

Suggested ReadingSuggested Reading

Learning to Listen – for Learning to Listen – for realreal??Authentic spoken English consists of a range of bad Authentic spoken English consists of a range of bad

habits, poor performance, incorrect grammar, and habits, poor performance, incorrect grammar, and incoherent statementsincoherent statements

Q: Where did you go? A: To the store. Incomplete answer

A Toronto radio broadcaster: “Less people are using the TTC”

Non-grammatical constructions

“I seen him five minutes ago”

Register

Learning to Listen – for Learning to Listen – for real? real? (continued)(continued)

Enunciation Teaching English is not the same as listening instruction.Teaching English is not the same as listening instruction.

If teachers adopt a slow, deliberate style of speaking If teachers adopt a slow, deliberate style of speaking (Brown, 1990), it may be helpful in delivery of content. (Brown, 1990), it may be helpful in delivery of content. However, it doesn’t prepare students for the flow of However, it doesn’t prepare students for the flow of language they hear outside the classroom. language they hear outside the classroom.

FluencyFillers, false starts, and pauses are part of normal Fillers, false starts, and pauses are part of normal conversation, but for the most part they are neither conversation, but for the most part they are neither observed nor discussed by native speakers (or teachers).observed nor discussed by native speakers (or teachers).

Brown (1977) referred to this as “native speaker impunity”Brown (1977) referred to this as “native speaker impunity”

“Students should be doing what they do when listening in their first language…It must, however, be borne in mind that much of what we do in our first language is not conscious, and consequently, one of our tasks is to bring to a conscious level what we do, and then try to get the students to apply the same strategies in the second language” (M(Mendelsohnendelsohn, 1994)

Stress and RhythmStress and Rhythm

English places emphasis on particular parts English places emphasis on particular parts of words or specific parts of sentences, of words or specific parts of sentences, and deemphasizes other syllablesand deemphasizes other syllables

The stress and unstress of sounds The stress and unstress of sounds throughout an utterance provide English throughout an utterance provide English with its rhythm with its rhythm

Stress is the guide to the structure of Stress is the guide to the structure of information in the spoken message information in the spoken message

(Brown (Brown 1977) 1977)

Syllable-timed

French, Spanish, Italian, and Czech are syllable timed languages

Stress-timed

English, like German, Russian, and Arabic is a stress-timed language language

Tonic Stress

Because meaning is conveyed through louder and longer stress on a word or part of a word, learners of English who are engaged in learning to listen like a native speaker must focus on the stressed syllables of the spoken language (Brown, 1977)

PitchPitch

The specific meaning of a word, The specific meaning of a word, phrase, or sentence can be phrase, or sentence can be altered through use of the voice. altered through use of the voice.

This change is signaled by changes This change is signaled by changes in tone that surround pauses; the in tone that surround pauses; the change of tone indicates a focus change of tone indicates a focus on particular or salient words on particular or salient words (Brown, 1990)(Brown, 1990)

““Sorry, we don’t serve the Sorry, we don’t serve the Lumberjack Breakfast to Lumberjack Breakfast to accountants”accountants”

Final IntonationFinal Intonation

Rising fallingRising falling – used in declarative statements or in – used in declarative statements or in H5W questionsH5W questions

When the speaker’s voice falls to the bottom of the When the speaker’s voice falls to the bottom of the pitch range, the listener can assume the speaker has pitch range, the listener can assume the speaker has finished speaking (Avery & Ehrlich, 1992).finished speaking (Avery & Ehrlich, 1992).

Rising intonationRising intonation – the speaker has asked a question – the speaker has asked a questione.g.: I’m going to the store. (Do you) need anything?e.g.: I’m going to the store. (Do you) need anything?

An utterance that is grammatically a statement (SVO An utterance that is grammatically a statement (SVO word order) can be turned into a questionword order) can be turned into a questione.g.: You want to go to Hawaii. e.g.: You want to go to Hawaii.

You want to go to Hawaii ?You want to go to Hawaii ?

Non-Final IntonationNon-Final Intonation

Rising/FallingRising/FallingUsed in complex sentences; a rise-fall to a lower pitch Used in complex sentences; a rise-fall to a lower pitch

completes the utterancecompletes the utterance

NS listen for the lowered pitch and will NS listen for the lowered pitch and will respond or wait for another person to provide respond or wait for another person to provide input after this pause.input after this pause.NNS should try to listen for this drop, and use NNS should try to listen for this drop, and use it to track why speaker turn has changed.it to track why speaker turn has changed.

Continuation RiseContinuation RiseUsed for listing items; a fall occurs on the last itemUsed for listing items; a fall occurs on the last item

““We visited Kingston, Brockville, Ottawa, and We visited Kingston, Brockville, Ottawa, and Montreal.”Montreal.”

Tag questionsTag questions

Confirmation: final riseConfirmation: final rise

““It’s a long weekend, isn’t it?”It’s a long weekend, isn’t it?”

Agreement: final rise/fallAgreement: final rise/fall

““They don’t listen, do they?” They don’t listen, do they?”

To open a conversation: rise/fall To open a conversation: rise/fall

““Looks like fun, doesn’t it?” Looks like fun, doesn’t it?”

ReductionsReductions

Function words and unstressed Function words and unstressed syllables are syllables are reducedreduced in normal in normal speech: unstressed vowels are speech: unstressed vowels are reduced to schwa, consonants are reduced to schwa, consonants are joined to each other, or omitted joined to each other, or omitted entirely.entirely.

““Do you want a cup of coffee?”

SchwaSchwa

34.5 % of occurrences of vowels in “running Canadian English speech” (Woods, 2005)

Consider the sound of a, e, i, o, u in these words:

atlas collegepromise purpose lettuce (Avery & Ehrich, 1992)

ElisionElision

Omission of a vowel, consonant or Omission of a vowel, consonant or syllablesyllable

produces elided forms:produces elided forms: not ideal citation forms of each word uttered

maximally clearly or explicitly sequences occurring in the stream of normal

informal speech in non-prominent parts of the utterance

represent the natural simplifying processes which occur in all languages (Brown, 1977)

Elision

Word final /t/ “aspects” “he must be”

Vowels in the middle of words “interest” , “cabinet” pronounced as two syllables, not

three

Assimilation

“I don’t know.”

“There is not always time for the tongue to assume the ideal position required to articulate a sound” (Richards, 1983)

Loss of word boundaries Deletion of vowels and consonants Insertion of sounds that are not represented

orthographically in the written form of the words

Assimilation

“Assimilation occurs with the final nasal consonants of function words, where the final /n/ sound of a function word assimilates (in place of articulation) to a following stop consonant”

( Avery & Ehrlich 1982)

“I can’t believe it” /n/ assimilates to /m/“I can go” /n/ changes to /ŋ/

PaletalizationPaletalization

Occurs before words that begin with Occurs before words that begin with the semi-vowel /y/the semi-vowel /y/

“Did you see that yellow car?” “What yellow car?

“This adjustment of each segment to its neighbours is a characteristic of all human languages” (Brown, 1990)

Tendencies of assimilated sounds are different across languages

ContractionsContractions

“We’ve been using that supplier for years”

L2 speakers may not attend to a structure that doesn’t exist in their native language;

NS may not actually pronounce all the words that written English requires

EllipsisEllipsis

Speakers delete such elements as subjects, auxiliaries, verbs, articles, and pronouns, when context makes their presence redundant (Richards, 1983)

Speakers are guided by the need to express meaning efficiently; words which play a less crucial role in the message may be slurred or dropped, and other words given more prominence (Brown, cited in Richards, 1983)

A final note:

By some estimations, during an average day, we spend

4 - 9% writing 11 - 16% reading 25 - 30% speaking 40 - 50% listening

(Rivers, 1981, Oxford, 1993, cited in Goh, 2002)

Time spent on instruction in listening to everyday English is time well spent.

Suggested Reading

Avery, P., & Ehrlich, S. (1992). Avery, P., & Ehrlich, S. (1992). Teaching American English pronunciation.Teaching American English pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford: University Press.University Press.

Brown, G. (1977). Brown, G. (1977). Listening to spoken English.Listening to spoken English. London: Longman. London: Longman. Brown, G. (1990). Brown, G. (1990). Listening to spoken English Listening to spoken English (2nd ed.). Essex, England: Longman.(2nd ed.). Essex, England: Longman. Flowerdew, J., & Miller, L. (2005). Flowerdew, J., & Miller, L. (2005). Second language listening: Theory and practiceSecond language listening: Theory and practice. .

New York: Cambridge University Press. New York: Cambridge University Press. Goh, C. M. (2002). Exploring listening comprehension tactics and their interaction Goh, C. M. (2002). Exploring listening comprehension tactics and their interaction

patterns. patterns. SystemSystem, 30, 185-206., 30, 185-206. Gilbert, J. (1995). Pronunciation practice as an aid to listening comprehension. In Gilbert, J. (1995). Pronunciation practice as an aid to listening comprehension. In

D. J. Mendelsohn & J. Rubin (Eds.). D. J. Mendelsohn & J. Rubin (Eds.). A Guide for the Teaching of Second Language A Guide for the Teaching of Second Language Listening.Listening. Carlsbad, CA: Dominie Press, Inc. Carlsbad, CA: Dominie Press, Inc.

Goh, C. M. (2002a). Exploring listening comprehension tactics and their interaction Goh, C. M. (2002a). Exploring listening comprehension tactics and their interaction patterns. patterns. SystemSystem, 30, 185-206. , 30, 185-206.

Goh, C. M. (2002b). Goh, C. M. (2002b). Teaching listening in the language classroom. Teaching listening in the language classroom. Singapore: Singapore: RELC RELC

Mendelsohn, D. J. (1994). Learning to listen: A strategy-based approach for the Mendelsohn, D. J. (1994). Learning to listen: A strategy-based approach for the second- language learner. Carlsbad, CA: Dominie Press, Inc.second- language learner. Carlsbad, CA: Dominie Press, Inc.

Mendelsohn, D. J. (1995). Applying learning strategies in the second/foreign Mendelsohn, D. J. (1995). Applying learning strategies in the second/foreign language listening comprehension lesson. In D. J. Mendelsohn & J. Rubin (Eds.). language listening comprehension lesson. In D. J. Mendelsohn & J. Rubin (Eds.). A A Guide for the Teaching of Second Language ListeningGuide for the Teaching of Second Language Listening (pp. 132 – 150). Carlsbad, (pp. 132 – 150). Carlsbad, CA: Dominie Press, Inc.CA: Dominie Press, Inc.

Woods, H. B. (2005). Woods, H. B. (2005). Rhythm & UnstressRhythm & Unstress (Rev. ed.). Ottawa, ON: Public Works and (Rev. ed.). Ottawa, ON: Public Works and Government Services Canada.Government Services Canada.

Text and Audio Resources

James, G., Whitley, C.G. & Bode, S. (1980). Listening In & Speaking Out – Intermediate. New James, G., Whitley, C.G. & Bode, S. (1980). Listening In & Speaking Out – Intermediate. New York: LongmanYork: Longman

Lewis, M. (1982). Out and about: A course to encourage fluency for more advanced students. Lewis, M. (1982). Out and about: A course to encourage fluency for more advanced students. Hove, England: Language Teaching PublicationsHove, England: Language Teaching Publications

Lougheed, L. (1985). Listening between the lines: A cultural approach. Reading, MA: Addison-Lougheed, L. (1985). Listening between the lines: A cultural approach. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company Inc.Wesley Publishing Company Inc.

Abraham, P. & MacKey, D. (1986). Get ready: Interactive listening and speaking. Englewood Abraham, P. & MacKey, D. (1986). Get ready: Interactive listening and speaking. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.

Chan, M. J. (1987). Phrase by phrase: Pronunciation and listening in American English. Chan, M. J. (1987). Phrase by phrase: Pronunciation and listening in American English. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prenice HallEnglewood Cliffs, NJ: Prenice Hall

Engkent, L.P. & Bardy, K.P. (1992). Take part: Speaking Canadian English (2Engkent, L.P. & Bardy, K.P. (1992). Take part: Speaking Canadian English (2ndnd ed.). ed.). Scarborough, ON: Prentice Hall Canada.Scarborough, ON: Prentice Hall Canada.

Dauer, R.M.(1993). Accurate English: A complete course in pronunciation. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Dauer, R.M.(1993). Accurate English: A complete course in pronunciation. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.Prentice Hall Regents.

White, J. R. (1997). Listen to the loon: An intermediate listening program. Don Mills, ON: Oxford White, J. R. (1997). Listen to the loon: An intermediate listening program. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.University Press.

Petit, L. & Unwin, V. (1998). CLB Listening/Speaking Resource: Stages I and II – Teachers notes. Petit, L. & Unwin, V. (1998). CLB Listening/Speaking Resource: Stages I and II – Teachers notes. Winnipeg, MB: Citizenship and Immigration Canada.Winnipeg, MB: Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Kingwell, G., Bonkowski, F. J., Stephenson, L., & Holmes, T. (2005). Canadian snapshots: Raising Kingwell, G., Bonkowski, F. J., Stephenson, L., & Holmes, T. (2005). Canadian snapshots: Raising Issues. Saint-Laurent, PQ: Pearson-LongmanIssues. Saint-Laurent, PQ: Pearson-Longman

Blackwell, A. & Naber, T. (2006). Open forum: Academic listening and speaking 2. New York: Blackwell, A. & Naber, T. (2006). Open forum: Academic listening and speaking 2. New York: Oxford University Press.Oxford University Press.

Harmer, J.& Lethaby, C. (2007). Just listening and speaking: Upper Intermediate – American Harmer, J.& Lethaby, C. (2007). Just listening and speaking: Upper Intermediate – American Edition. London: Marshall Cavendish Education. Edition. London: Marshall Cavendish Education.