Presentation

Integrated Speaking, Listening and Pronunciation: Are Textbooks Leading the Way?

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Abstract

After undergoing a period of de-emphasis in the early years of communicative language teaching, pronunciation instruction is experiencing a renaissance. While access to stand-alone pronunciation courses is still somewhat limited, a growing number of learners are able to receive pronunciation instruction through integrated skills courses, such as those blending pronunciation instruction with speaking and listening. The development of this trend has been marked by a concurrent rise in integrated skills textbooks focusing on speaking, pronunciation, and listening (SPL). We examined eleven sets of SPL textbooks to determine how this integration was being achieved and how textbooks were dealing with certain inherent challenges such as finding an appropriate balance among the skills, providing guidance for inexperienced pronunciation teachers, and addressing the diverse pronunciation needs of learners from different backgrounds and levels. To that end, we documented topics covered, their relation to findings on intelligibility and comprehensibility, and support provided for novice pronunciation teachers both in terms of presenting materials and assessing performance. While results indicated several salient concerns with these books in terms of support provided to instructors and the systematic presentation of topics, they also showed that textbook syllabi primarily reflect the literature on intelligibility and comprehensibility. Recommendations for future SPL textbooks and the SPL movement are provided.

How to Cite:

Watts, P. & Huensch, A., (2012) “Integrated Speaking, Listening and Pronunciation: Are Textbooks Leading the Way?”, Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Proceedings 4(1).