Improving the Pronunciation of Voiceless Consonant Sounds in Vietnamese EFL Undergraduates Using the Simplified Verbotonal Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1409.05Keywords:
verbotonalism, voiceless consonants, pronunciation, prosodic trainingAbstract
In teaching pronunciation, the traditional articulatory approach, commonly used in Vietnamese classrooms, has shown limitations in addressing the phonetic challenges posed by the differences between Vietnamese and English consonant systems. This study investigates the use of an alternative approach, the Simplified Verbotonal Approach (SVA), in improving the pronunciation of voiceless consonants among Vietnamese EFL undergraduates. The SVA, which emphasizes prosodic features through intensive practice with lowpass filtered speech, was hypothesized to aid learners in producing more accurate voiceless consonants. A mixed-methods quasi-experimental design was employed, involving 70 first-year non-English major students. The control group received instruction using standard pronunciation textbooks, while the experimental group utilized an online platform incorporating SVA principles. Pre- and post-tests assessed participants' pronunciation of voiceless consonants in isolation, sentences, and passages. Semi-structured interviews provided qualitative insights into learners' opinions of the SVA. Quantitative results demonstrated significant improvements in the experimental group's pronunciation accuracy, particularly in sentences and passages. Qualitative data revealed positive student feedback on the SVA. These findings suggest that integrating prosodic training through the SVA can significantly enhance the pronunciation of voiceless consonants in Vietnamese learners, offering a viable alternative to traditional articulatory methods in EFL contexts.
References
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., & Sorensen, C. K. (2010). Introduction to Research in Education. Wadsworth.
Asp, C. W. (2006). Verbotonal speech treatment. Plural Publishing.
Baker, A. (2006). Ship or sheep? Book and audio CD Pack: An intermediate pronunciation course. Cambridge University Press.
Bui, S. T. (2016). Pronunciation of Consonants /ð/and /θ/ by Adult Vietnamese EFL Learners. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 6(1), 125-134.
Bui, T. T. L., Mai, T. H., & Diep, H. N. (2021). Common Errors in Pronouncing Final Consonants of English-Majored Sophomores At Tay Do University, Vietnam. European Journal of English Language Teaching, 6(3), 120–161.
Cai, X., Lian, A., Puakpong, N., Shi, Y., Chen, H., Zeng, Y. & Mo, Y. (2021). Optimizing auditory input for foreign language learners through a verbotonal-based dichotic listening approach. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 6(2), 1-20.
Carrera-Sabaté, P., Aguadé, C., & Borràs-Comes, J. (2023). Cos i pronúncia: Un tàndem imprescindible? El cos com a eina facilitadora per millorar la pro-núncia del català (Enhancing Speech Production and Perception through Verbotonal Principles). Revista del Congrés Internacional de Docència Universitària i Innovació (CIDUI), 6(1), Article 418066.
Chun, D. M. (2002). Discourse Intonation in L2: From Theory and Research to Practice. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Cook T. D., & Campbell D. T. (1979). Quasi-experimentation: Design and analysis issues for field settings. Houghton Mifflin.
Collins, B., & Mees, I. M. (2013). Practical phonetics and phonology: A resource book for students. Routledge.
Duong, T. N. (2009). Mistake or Vietnamese English. VNU Journal of Science, 25(4), 41–50.
Denscombe, M. (2017). The good research guide: For small-scale social research projects. McGraw-Hill Education.
Dahmen, S., Grice, M., & Roessig, S. (2023). Prosodic and segmental aspects of pronunciation training and their effects on L2. Languages, 8(1), 1-28.
Faulkner, A. (2009). The Verbotonal Approach in Modern Speech Therapy. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 11(1), 56-62.
Gilbert, J. B. (2008). Teaching pronunciation: Using the prosody pyramid. Cambridge University Press.
Guberina, P. (1972). Case studies in the use of restricted bands of frequencies in auditory rehabilitation of deaf. Zagreb.
García, X. P. (2018). Remarks on verbo-tonal phonetics for a communicative context. Normas, 8(1), 259-271.
Harlika, M. S. U., Saifuddin, M., & Fauziyah, N. (2018). Promoting Students’ Accuracy in Pronouncing Consonant Sounds by Using English Pronunciation Software. Journal of Research in Foreign Language Teaching, 1(2), 14–24.
Hazan, V., Sennema, A., Iba, M., & Faulkner, A. (2005). Effect of audiovisual perceptual training on the perception and production of consonants by Japanese learners of English. Speech Communication, 47(3), 360–378.
He, B., Sangarun, P., & Lian, A. (2015). Improving the English pronunciation of Chinese EFL University students through the integration of CALL and verbotonalism. In 17th International CALL Research Conference: Task Design and CALL (pp. 276-285). University of Antwerp.
Jackson, C. N., & O’Brien, M. G. (2011). The interaction between prosody and meaning in second language speech production. Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German, 44(1), 1–11.
Jenkins, J., & Baker, W. (2015). Developments in English as a Lingua Franca. De Gruyter.
Kelly, G. (2000). How to Teach Pronunciation. Pearson Education.
Lambacher, S. (1999). A CALL tool for improving second language acquisition of English consonants by Japanese learners. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 21(1), 137–156.
Lian, A. P. (1980). Intonation patterns of French. River Seine.
Lian, A. P., & Sangarun, P. (2023). Rhizomatic learning systems and precision language education: A perfect match. In New Directions in Rhizomatic Learning (pp. 119-141). Routledge.
Ludovic, K. (2010). Phonetic Correction in Class with Verbo-tonal Method. Studies in Language and Literature, 30(1), 35-56.
Luu, T. M. V., Lian, A. P., & Siriyothin, P. (2021). Developing EFL learners’ listening comprehension through a computer-assisted self-regulated prosody-based listening platform. Computer-Assisted Language Learning Electronic Journal, 22(1), 254-271.
McMahon, A. M. (2002). An Introduction to English Phonology. Edinburgh University Press.
Nguyen, D. A. D. (2018). Learners’ perspectives on English pronunciation teaching and learning: A preliminary study in the Vietnamese context. In J. Levis (Ed.), Proceedings of the 9th Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching conference. Iowa State University.
Nguyen, L. T., & Newton, J. (2021). Enhancing EFL Teachers’ Pronunciation Pedagogy Through Professional Learning: A Vietnamese Case Study. RELC Journal, 52(1), 77-93.
Nguyen, T. P., & Truong, V. T. (2021). Foreign Accent and Speech Intelligibility- Why and How to Reduce. Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research & Review, 2(6), 85-102.
Nguyen, H. N. (2023). Teaching English sounds to Vietnamese secondary school students: From theories to applications using learner-centered methods. International Journal of Language Instruction, 2(1), 16-29.
Nguyen, N. (2002). Interlanguage Phonology and the Pronunciation of English Final Consonant Clusters by Native Speakers of Vietnamese [Unpublished master thesis]. Ohio University.
Nguyen, T. H. (2021). Contrastive Analysis of Consonants in English and Vietnamese. Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 3(6), 58–65.
Nguyen, L. T., & Hung, B. P. (2021). Communicative pronunciation teaching: Insights from the Vietnamese tertiary EFL classroom. System, 101, 102537.
O’Brien, M. G. (2012). Pronunciation Matters. Teaching German, 37(1), 1–9.
O'Connor, J. D. (1980). Better English Pronunciation. Cambridge University Press.
Pennington, M. C., & Rogerson-Revell, P. (2019). English pronunciation teaching and research: Contemporary perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan.
Perkins, J. M., Baran, J. A., & Gandour, J. (1996). Hemispheric specialization in processing intonation contours. Aphasiology, 10(4), 343–36.
Saito, K. (2011). Identifying problematic segmental features to acquire comprehensible pronunciation in EFL settings: the case of Japanese learners of English. RELC journal, 42(3), 363–378.
Tang, G. M. (2007). Cross-Linguistic Analysis of Vietnamese and English with Implications for Vietnamese Language Acquisition and Maintenance in the United States. Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement, 2(3), 1-33.
Temirov, M. (2014). Improving intelligibility of voiced and voiceless “TH” consonants in the speeches of sophomores using pronunciation drills. Jurnal Linguistik Terapan Politeknik Negeri Malang, 4(2), 53–54.
Tran, D. P. T., & Nguyen, H. B. (2020). EFL teachers' beliefs and practices of teaching pronunciation in a Vietnamese setting. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(12), 7022-7035.
Tran, K. M. A. (2021). An Investigation into The Common Pronunciation Errors Made by Young Learners. Journal of Science and Technology, 52(4), 1-11.
Tran, T. K. L., & Nguyen, A. T. (2022). Common Mistakes in Pronouncing English Consonant Clusters: A Case Study of Vietnamese Learners: A Case Study of Vietnamese Learners. Can Tho University Journal of Science, 14(3), 32-39.
Wang, X. (2022). Segmental versus suprasegmental: Which one is more important to teach? RELC Journal, 53(1), 194-202.
Watanabe, K., & Dinunzio, N. (2018). Effectiveness of Teaching Onset Consonant Clusters for Japanese University Learners of English. International Journal of Curriculum Development and Practice, 20(1), 11–19.
Wells, J. C. (2006). English Intonation: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press.
Wen, F. (2019). A verbotonal-based approach to phonetic correction of a selection of English vowels for Chinese EFL learners [Doctoral dissertation]. Suranaree University of Technology.
Yang, Y. (2016). Improving the phonological working memory and English-speaking skills of Chinese primary EFL learners with a verbotonal-based approach [Doctoral dissertation]. Suranaree University of Technology.
Zhang, F. (2005). Using an interactive feedback tool to enhance pronunciation in language learning. In S. Mishra & R. C. Sharma (Eds.), Interactive multimedia in education and training (pp. 377–399). Idea Group Publishing.
