Evaluating English Teachers’ Pronunciation Skills (E-TPS) Using Praat Technology and Human Raters
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/itj.v5i2.3867Keywords:
Praat, human interpretation, rater, pronunciation assessment, English teachers’ pronunciation skill (E-TPS)Abstract
When the goals in teaching pronunciation are that students attain “near-native†and “socially acceptable†pronunciation, and are assessed with a valid and reliable instrument using the Praat device and human interpretation raters, a new way to assess pronunciation skills is needed. This article proposes such a new way. Through suprasegmental identity (rhythm), English teachers’ pronunciation skill (E-TPS) will be correctly assessed. Using Praat as a device and human raters for interpretation to assess E-TPS stands on several premises. First, the measures of pronunciation constructs should be valid and reliable. Second, the role of raters in English pronunciation assessment presents unique challenges in drawing valid inferences from performance, in scoring assignments, in making decisions for which a pronunciation assessment was intended, to the pedagogical and social consequences beyond, and to connect concerns in giving judgments. Third, the raters should have familiarity with both accent and content. Fourth, a suprasegmental (stress, rhythm, and intonation) approach is an important complement to segmental teaching. Fifth, rhythm plays a big role and is defined as a “continuum†of functions and effects in pronunciation assessment. Sixth, the trend among the technology-minded for testing using automated assessment of pronunciation has as its goal accuracy in imitating native speakers, as is reflected in the use of Praat as a device. Therefore, the blending approach (Praat and raters) represents the future in assessing E-TPS.
References
Baratta, A. (2019). World Englishes in English Language Teaching. Palgrave Macmillan.
Behr, N. S. (2022). English Diphthong Characteristics Produced by Thai EFL Learners: Individual Practice Using PRAAT. Computer Assisted Language Learning Electronic Journal (CALL-EJ), 23(1), 401–424. https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/12863064
Boersma, P., Weenink, D. J. M., & Van Heuven, V. (2007). Speak and unSpeak with PRAAT. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259810776
Brown, D., & Abeywickrama, P. (2015). Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices (Third Edition). Pearson.
Brown, D., & Abeywickrama, P. (2019). Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices (Fourth Edition). Pearson.
Brown, H. D., & Lee, H. (2015). Teaching by Principles: an Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy (Fourth Edition). Pearson Education.
Burns, A. (1998). Teaching Speaking. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 18, 102-123. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190500003500
Burns, Anne., & Claire, S. (2003). Clearly Speaking: Pronunciation in Action for Teachers. National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research Macquarie University.
Chong, Y. S., Hamid, B. A., Amzah, N., & Salehuddin, K. (2022). Investigating L2 Speech Production through Verbal Reports: A Systematic Review of Recent Studies. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 22(2), 24–42. https://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2022-2202-02
Chun, D. (2002). Discourse Intonation in L2: From Theory and Research to Practice. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Cummins, F., & Port, R. (1998). Rhythmic Constraints on Stress Timing in English. Journal of Phonetics, 26, 145–171. https://doi.org/10.1006/jpho.1998.0070
Darmi, R., Puteh Behak, F., Abdulllah, H., Darmi, R., & Wahi, W. (2018). Variations of L1 Use in the English Language Class. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 18(2), 284–311. https://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2018-1802-19
De Jong, N. H. (2018). Fluency in Second Language Testing: Insights From Different Disciplines. Language Assessment Quarterly, 15(3), 237–254. https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2018.1477780
Dimova, S. (2018). Pronunciation Assessment in the Context of World Englishes. In O. Kang & A. Ginther (Eds.), Assessment in Second Language Pronunciation (First Published). Taylor and Francis Group.
Georgiou, G. P. (2019). EFL Teachers’ Cognitions about Pronunciation in Cyprus. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 40(6), 538–550. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2018.1539090
Ghanem, R., & Kang, O. (2018). Pronunciation Features in Rating Criteria. In O. Kang & A. Ginther (Eds.), Assessment in Second Language Pronunciation (First Published). Taylor and Francis Group.
Goh, C. C. M., & Burns, A. (2012). Teaching Speaking: A Holistic Approach. Cambridge University Press.
Goh, P. S. C. (2019). Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives on Using English Language to Teach. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 19(4), 346–362. https://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2019-1904-18
Harding, L. (2018). Validity in Pronunciation Assessment. In O. Kang & A. Ginther (Eds.), Assessment in Second Language Pronunciation (First Published, pp. 30–48). Taylor and Francis Group.
Huang, Y., & Hashim, A. (2020). A Quantitative Study of Chinese Learners’ Identities as Reflected in Their Attitudes toward English Accents. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 20(1), 151–168. https://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2020-2001-10
Isaacs, T. (2018). Shifting Sands in Second Language Pronunciation Teaching and Assessment Research and Practice. Language Assessment Quarterly, 15(3), 273–293. https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2018.1472264
Isaacs, T., & Harding, L. (2017). Pronunciation Assessment. Language Teaching, 50(3), 347–366. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444817000118
Isaacs, T., & Trofimovich, P. (2017). Key Themes, Constructs and Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Second Language Pronunciation Assessment. In Second Language Pronunciation Assessment: Interdisciplinary Perspectives (pp. 3–8). Multilingual Matters Ltd. https://doi.org/10.21832/ISAACS6848
Kallio, H., Kautonen, M., & Kuronen, M. (2023). Prosody and Fluency of Finland Swedish as a Second Language: Investigating Global Parameters for Automated Speaking Assessment. Speech Communication, 148, 66–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.specom.2023.02.003
Kang, O., & Ginther, A. (2018). Assessment in Second Language Pronunciation. Taylor and Francis Group.
Larsen-Freeman, D., & Anderson, M. (2011). Techniques & Principles in LanguageTeaching. Oxford University Press.
Lieshout, P. Van. (2017). PRAAT Short Tutorial: an Introduction. University of Toronto, Department of Speech Language Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Oral Dynamics Lab.
Mairano, P., & Santiago, F. (2020). What Vocabulary Size Tells Us about Pronunciation Skills: Issues in Assessing L2 Learners. Journal of French Language Studies, 30(2), 141–160. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959269520000010
Maryn, Y. (2017). Practical Acoustics in Clinical Voice Assessment: A Praat Primer. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1044/persp2.SIG3.14
McMillan, B., & Turnbull, M. (2009). Teachers’ Use of the First Language in French Immersion: Revisiting a Core Principle. In First Language Use in Second and Foreign Language Learning. Multilingual Matters. http://www.multilingual-matters.com,
Moere, V. A., & Suzuki, M. (2018). Using Speech Processing Technology in Assessing Pronunciation. In O. Kang & A. Ginther (Eds.), Assessment in Second Language Pronunciation (First Published, pp. 137–152). Taylor and Francis Group.
Mompean, J. A., & Gonzales, J. F. (2015). Investigating English Pronunciation: Trends and Directions (First Published). Palgrave Macmillan.
Monfared, A. (2018). Ownership of English in the Outer and Expanding Circles: Teachers’ Attitudes toward Pronunciation in ESL/EFL Teaching Contexts. Asian Englishes, 21(2), 207–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/13488678.2018.1554303
Nagle, C., Sachs, R., & Zárate-Sández, G. (2020). Spanish Teachers’ Beliefs on the Usefulness of Pronunciation Knowledge, Skills, and Activities and their Confidence in Implementing them. Language Teaching Research, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820957037
Nagy, K., & Robertson, D. (2009). Target Language Use in English Classes in Hungarian Primary Schools. In First Language Use in Second and Foreign Language Learning. Multilingual Matters. http://www.multilingual-matters.com,
Norton, P. (2003). Stress at the Suprasegmental Level. In A. Burns & S. Claire (Eds.), Clearly Speaking: Pronunciation in Action for Teachers. National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research Macquarie University.
Nunan, D. (2023). The Changing Landscape of English Language Teaching and Learning. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of Practical Second Language Teaching and Learning (First Published, pp. 2–24). Routledge Taylor and Francis Group.
Osatananda, V., & Thinchan, W. (2021). Using Praat for English Pronunciation Self-practice outside the Classroom: Strengths, Weaknesses, and its Application. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, 14(2), 372–396. https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/LEARN/index
Park, C. U., & Kim, H. J. (2015). Measurement of Inter-Rater Reliability in Systematic Review. Hanyang Medical Reviews, 35(1), 44–49. https://doi.org/10.7599/hmr.2015.35.1.44
Pennington, M. C. (2015). Research, Theory and Practice in L2 Phonology: a Review and Directions for the Future. In J. A. Mompean & J. Fouz-González (Eds.), Investigating English Pronunciation: Trends and Directions (First Published, pp. 149–174). Palgrave Macmillan.
Pennington, M. C., & Rogerson-Revell, P. (2019). English Pronunciation Teaching and Research: Contemporary Perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan. http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/14504
Quinto, E. J. M., & Macayan, J. V. (2019). Exploring English Speaking Anxiety among Filipino Engineering Students: Its Influence on Task Performance and Its Sources. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 19(3), 57–74. https://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2019-1903-04
Richards, J. C. (2004). Communicative Language Teaching Today. Cambridge University Press.
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (1999). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching: A Description and Analysis. Cambridge University Press.
Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (Third Edition). Cambridge University Press.
Rozaimee, F. (2018). The Intonation of English and Malay Questions in Brunei Darussalam. Asian Englishes, 21(1), 38–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/13488678.2018.1448963
Ryan, S., & Ryuji, T. (2021). Assessing the Practicality of Using an Automatic Speech Recognition Tool to Teach English Pronunciation Online. STEM Journal, 22(2), 93–104. https://doi.org/10.16875/stem.2021.22.2.93
Saito, K., Macmillan, K., Kachlicka, M., Kunihara, T., & Minematsu, N. (2022). Automated Assessment of Second Language Comprehensibility: Review, Training, Validation, and Generalization Studies. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 1(1), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263122000080
Seargeant, P. (2016). World Englishes and English as a Lingua Franca: a Changing Context for ELT. In G. Hall (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of English Language Teaching (First Published, pp. 13–26). Routledge Taylor and Francis Group.
Stanley, J., & Lipani, L. (2019). Stanley Praat Basics: Introduction to the Software. Faculty Publications. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/6106
Starfield, S. (2016). English for Specific Purposes. In G. Hall (Ed.), The Routledge Handbook of English Language Teaching (First Published, pp. 150–164). Routledge Taylor and Francis Group.
Styler, W. (2023). Using Praat for Linguistic Research. Associate Teaching Professor of Linguistics at UC San Diego Director of UCSD’s Computational Social Science Program. https://github.com/stylerw/usingpraat.
Thomas, S., & Scobbie, J. M. (2015). Mixed Accents: Scottish Children with English Parents. In J. A. Mompean & J. Fouz-González (Eds.), Investigating English Pronunciation: Trends and Directions (First Published, pp. 83–107). Palgrave Macmillan.
Thornbury, S. (2005). How To Teach Speaking. Longman Pearson.
Thornbury, S., & Slade, D. (2006). Conversation: from Description to Pedagogy. Cambridge University Press.
Turnbull, M., & Dailey-O’Cain, J. (2009). Introduction. In First Language Use in Second and Foreign Language Learning (pp. 1–14). Multilingual Matters.
Wang, Y. (2019). An Empirical Study on the Effectiveness of Speech Visualization Software Praat in Assisting English Phonetic Rhythm Teaching: a Phonetic Study Based on Minnan-accented Learner. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 329(4), 732–735.
Wells, J. C. (2009). English Intonation: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press.
Woldetsadik, G. T., Bachore, M. M., Woldeab, T. A., & Gezahegn, T. H. (2022). Mobile-Based Aural Oral Skill Lessons: The Effects on EFL Teacher Trainees’ Oral Performance. Cogent Education, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2022.2112943
Yan, X., & Ginther, A. (2018). Listeners and Rater: Similarities and Differences in Evaluation of Accented Speech. In O. Kang & A. Ginther (Eds.), Assessment in Second Language Pronunciation (First Published). Taylor and Francis group.
Yang, W., & Zhao, X. (2021). Research on the Function of Visual Phonetic Software Praat in Vocational English Phonetics Teaching. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1856(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1856/1/012057
Young, J. C., & Shishido, M. (2022). Evaluation of Offline Automated Speech Recognition for English as Second Language Learning Application. EdMedia Innovate Learning Online.
Zhang, D., Lin, C. H., Zhang, Y., & Choi, Y. (2017). Pinyin or No Pinyin: Does Access to Word Pronunciation Matter in the Assessment of Chinese learners’ Vocabulary Knowledge? Language Learning Journal, 47(3), 344–353. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2017.1289237
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access)
