Presentation

Teaching Dark /L/ With Ultrasound Technology

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Abstract

This study examined the efficacy of ultrasound technology for teaching L2 English “dark /l/”, [ɫ], to L1 Cantonese students. In a pre-test reading, eight Hong Kong students, aged 15-16 (mean age: 15 years, 9 months), were scanned with ultrasound while reading short token sentences containing word- final [ɫ] tokens in three vowel contexts: /iː/, /ɔ/, and /uː/. Students were then divided into two groups of four, and given a short lesson on the articulation of [ɫ]. The two lessons were identical in every respect except for one: Group 1 received visual feedback from the ultrasound scanner, but Group 2 did not. Finally, in a post-test immediately after the lesson, the students were scanned reading the token sentences a second time. Results from the pre-test indicated that all students except for one in group 2 articulated [ɫ] with a back tongue gesture, but no subsequent front gesture. The resulting sound was vocalized, and more akin to a back vowel than [ɫ]. In the post-test, 3 out of 4 students from Group 1 added a front tongue gesture to [ɫ]; however, in Group 2 there were no major differences between the pre-test and post-test results. The changes in Group 1 occurred across vowel contexts, with somewhat different effects from vowel to vowel.

How to Cite:

White, D., Gananathan, R. & Mok, P., (2016) “Teaching Dark /L/ With Ultrasound Technology”, Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Proceedings 8(1).