Presentation

Is Phonemic Training Using Nonsense or Real Words More Effective?

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Abstract

In this exploratory study we investigate whether focusing learners’ attention on phonetic form through the presentation of vowels in isolated open syllables leads to greater learning than presentation of vowels in real words. Thirty-one intermediate, mixed-L1, English learners were assigned to three experimental conditions: A phonetically-oriented group (n=9); a word-focused group (n=12) and a control group (n=10). Using a high variability phonetic training (HVPT) paradigm, learners were taught to identify ten English vowels. Randomized recordings of the learners’ pronunciation before and after training were evaluated by expert judges. Results indicated that the phonetically-oriented training was superior in promoting improvement in the pronunciation of real words relative to training almost entirely focused on the pronunciation of those same words. Furthermore, we found evidence to suggest that the accuracy of pronunciation before and after training was affected by interactions between the lexical frequency of the word in which the vowel appeared and each vowel’s surrounding phonetic environment. Finally, implications for teaching are briefly addressed.

How to Cite:

Thomson, R. I. & Derwing, T. M., (2015) “Is Phonemic Training Using Nonsense or Real Words More Effective?”, Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Proceedings 7(1).