Right or wrong?

A recent discussion with a Spanish speaker from South America made me quite sad indeed as a language teacher. They said that in their country, they don't speak Spanish correctly. I asked him to repeat and he said the same thing, "In my country, we don't speak Spanish correctly." I asked him to clarify what he meant and he said that they use words differently from their meaning and use in the dictionary. He expanded and said that they also use words and expressions that aren't in the dictionary. He then went on to say that they pronounce the 'z'  as /s/ and not as /θ/ as they do in [parts of] mainland Spain. I then asked him if people in his country could understand each other or did these differences in lexis and pronunciation cause difficulty among local people. He responded that of course they can understand each other. So I asked, "then what's the problem? If people can communicate effectively with each other in their own environment, how is it wrong if they don't speak how others do on the other side of the world?"

   It really got me thinking about my own learners and their expectations as language learners. Do they think that because I'm Irish and have a different variety and pronunciation of English than the Queen of England, that my English is wrong? From what I recall, approximately 3% of English speakers in the world speak RP (Received Pronunciation). Does that mean the other 97% is wrong?

   I tried to reason with the speaker mentioned above; there is no right or wrong, it's all language. What's important is that people can communicate effectively. That is to say, I can get my message across clearly and I can receive another speaker's message clearly, we can understand each other. If I speak to an English speaker from the USA, South Africa, New Zealand or a speaker of English as a Lingua Franca (international language), I don't change my language and pronunciation to sound like something else, I make sure that the language I use is appropriate for the type of exchange. My goal is to understand and to be understood.

                
 

   An example that often comes up, is 'the th sound".  Many learners feel that they have to have perfect pronunciation even if they have contort their mouth and tongue to achieve it. In reality, what they should be aiming for, is to be aware of how words sound and how different people might make this sound. In many places in Ireland, for example, /θ/ is pronounced /t/ and the voiced variation /ð/ is pronounced /d/. Some Londoners pronounce the same sounds /f/ or /v/. Within their contexts, this is normal and, therefore, correct.

 " . . . the primary goal of teaching pronunciation must now be to make learners intelligible to the greatest number of people possible, and not just to the native speakers of the language." (Walker, R. 2010. Teaching the Pronunciation of English as a Lingua Franca. OUP.)

   So, as teachers, what should we do? I believe we should make our learners aware of  the fact that there are different varieties of English when you move from place to place, both in terms of colloquialisms, lexis, grammar and pronunciation. We should try to expose them to as many of these different varieties as we can or if not, even make them aware that they exist. In an age where the internet is at our fingertips, we have access to all of this language, it's readily available. Use it in the classroom, set it for homework, but whatever you, open their eyes. It will also make them have realistic goals for their own learning. They can aim to achieve intelligibility which is key. We want to help them to understand and be understood as best they can.

ELT Ireland has lift off!

Saturday 12th April marked a very important day for ELT in Ireland. Following a very successful conference by the IATEFL Learning Technology SIG in November 2013, a new association for ELT teachers was born. ELT Ireland officially launched the association on Saturday with their first event, ELTed, which consisted of eight local teachers giving a twelve minute talk on an area of teaching that they have a particular interest in. This not only allowed others to learn new things, but gave those teachers the opportunity to present in front of their peers - an opportunity they might not have inside their institutions.

                                   

ELT Ireland was set up to provide support for ELT teachers here in Ireland, and to provide a platform for idea sharing with others across the country and to promote opportunities for professional development outside our own institutions.

This is something that is badly needed here in Ireland. When asked what I do, I say that I'm a teacher. When asked if it's primary or secondary, I say that I'm neither, but, in fact, I teach English as a second or other languages. Sometimes people ask me further questions as they find language learning interesting, but more often than not, people look embarrassed and ask if I've been doing it for long and what are my plans for the future. In my responses, I always feel like I'm defending my profession, that I'm trying to prove to the listener that what I do is a real career. And I know I'm not alone. ELT Ireland, I believe, will help EFL teachers to take themselves and their profession seriously and above all, to make them proud of what they do. It was so wonderful at the ELTed event on Saturday, to see so many teachers there who wanted to learn new things, meet other professionals from around Ireland and discuss different ideas. The enthusiasm and excitement that teachers here have been deprived of for so long, has finally arrived.

For more information, check out ELT Ireland's website or Facebook page. They also have a Twitter chat session every second Monday, just add #eltchinwag on Twitter to join.

That's all folks: Day 4 IATEFL 2014

Today was a very emotional day. Every corner you turned, there were people hugging and saying goodbye. It was a day of "wow, what a conference", "keep in touch" and, "see you next year!" There was a surge into the exhibition hall just before 12pm as the stands were giving away free or discounted books and material. The closing plenary brought tears to my eyes as Jackie Kay took to the stage and delivered her poems to an eager, attentive audience.

What can I say about my first IATEFL Annual Conference experience? Well, it was better than I could  have ever imagined. In many contexts and industries, people like to hold their cards close to their chest, but in IATEFL it's the total opposite. Everyone wants to help each other, share ideas and have in-depth discussions about things they've tried and tested. The ELT celebrities, as I call them, are so open and approachable. On the first day, my colleague and I had a wonderful chat with Adrian Underhill about teaching pronunciation. Another day, Mark Hancock, writer of Pronunciation Games, chatted away to me and offered me some valuable career advice. On the first day, I timidly introduced myself to Robin Walker who turned out to be such a warm and passionate person. Today, we shared our last meal in Harrogate with Robin! Jeremy Harmer was my partner in a workshop yesterday and he remembered me in the corridor. 

  Any teacher who is serious about a career in ELT has to go to this conference. Before this week, I had no idea that there were thousands of people out there who have the same level of enthusiasm about their profession as I do. Being in the staff room can often get you down and wondering what you are doing there at all. But this week, I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. The opportunities for comradery, new discoveries and professional development are endless at this conference and I think that every teacher needs to experience that. We need to stand up and be proud of what we do in the TEFL world. I am proud and honoured to be part of IATEFL and connected to some of the most incredibly intelligent and talented people I've ever met. 

  Here's to IATEFL Manchester 2015 and all of the adventures we'll have before then.



From left to right:
Back row: Robin Walker (PronSIG committee and newsletter editor), Marina Cantarutti, Kristyna Poesova, Wayne Rimmer (PronSIG Coordinator)
Front Row: Anna Morris and Louise Guyett




 

Listen carefully: Day 3 IATEFL 2014

After the events of last night, I had a bit of a slower morning today. It's also my birthday and my boyfriend flew over last night to celebrate with me and my new friends.

  The first session I attended was by Philip Haines and was all about making maximum use of audio scripts. Philip introduced us to many practical activities that can be combined with other skills, such as, pronunciation, grammar, speaking and functions. The session was in a workshop format which allowed us to work in groups and do the activities. 

  Next was a session led by Sandy Millan on stepping into real world listening. We compared a text book listening recording with a real world recording. Sandy then broke this down and gave us ideas on how we can use these real world recordings of natural, spontaneous speech in the classroom. Again, this was a practical workshop and required a lot of group work, which I was delighted with as my partner was the one and only Jeremy Harmer! 

  Before the last coffee break of the day, Arizio Sweeting presented his reasons and ideas for  using action research to empower teachers to teach pronunciation. He discussed his influences in his own teaching and also invited anyone to come forward who would be interested in taking part in his research.

  After a wonderfully passionate discussion with Robin Walker and some other PronSIG members in the corridor, it was time to make a quick dash across the conference centre to get to the next talk. Lucy Palmer from Teachit ELT made a presentation on how to get you material published on the website. She highlighted the areas in which they are looking for more lessons, worksheets and articles and we discussed how to create an effective worksheet or activity.

  The final session of the day was with Sue Kay and Karen Spiller who created ELT Teacher to Writer. This is a database and training programme for teachers who would like to make the transition into ELT writing. We took part in tasks that guided us in the world of ELT publishing, writing rubrics and distinguishing between general comprehension and critical thinking tasks.

  It was then time to have a birthday dinner and celebrate into the wee hours with my lovely new IATEFL friends.

Pron-packed and ready to go: Day 2 IATEFL 2014

So, I'm a little late posting the last few days, but I was having too much too fun and spending time with some really wonderful people, that it thought reflecting when I get back to Dublin would have to suffice! On Thursday, I attended 10 sessions, the most possible in one day, so I will try my best to keep the summary brief.

  The day began at 8.15am with the first session on writing for the IATEFL Voices and other teaching magazines, which gave us practical tips on how to turn an idea into an article.

  We then moved on to the beautiful Auditorium for the plenary session given by Kathleen Graves. She described how she believes that we need to have an ecological approach to our curriculum and being "inefficient", i.e. Straying from the curriculum in order to deal with language and issues that arise, can actually mean focusing on language and increased learning.
  Following the plenary, it was time for PronSIG Day to get underway. Richard Cauldwell kicked off proceedings. His main message was that we need to aim at decoding spontaneous speech. A CSM (careful speech model) can be useful for guidance and informing, but we need something more sophisticated to help our learners deal with casual speech.
  After a coffee and doughnut break, thanks to the publishers at ETp (English Teaching Professional) and MET (Modern English Teacher), scholarship winner, Marina Cantarutti from Argentina, presented her project and findings on pronunciation practice through developing an e-portfolio. She demonstrated how she used social networking and recording facilities for her learner to practise their pronunciation and give them the opportunity to receive feedback, self-reflect and self- evaluate. A fascinating project that I would to set up with my own learners.
  Following this, Kristyna Poesova presented her research on the importance of teaching the schwa and vowel reduction in both word and sentence level. She provided practical tips on how one can achieve this in their lessons.
  Next up was  Mark Hancock who led a very practical and interactive workshop on rhythm and stress. He divides these two pronunciation features into two layers: grammar (layer 1) and discourse (layer 2). He kept us on our toes and gave us the opportunity to try out the activities as students.
   We then had Katy Simpson and Laura Patsko discussing the goal of productive and receptive pron in an ELF (English as a Lingua Franca) context. They presented advice for both monolingual and multilingual classes.
  From Cultura Inglesa in São Paulo in Brazil, Catarina Pontes presented  her reasons for developing a pronunciation course for teachers and also outlined the layout and application of the course.
  The last speaker of PronSIG day was Piers Messum with his holistic approach to teaching pron. He described the value of making pronunciation a physical skill that requires learners to discover and become aware of their bodies.
  The final session of the day was the PronSIG Open Forum where delegates and speakers were invited to ask questions and comment on what had been presented during the day. The biggest question that came out of the discussion was : Why is pronunciation teaching being neglected? Some reasons included: poor training, lack of pron in course books, lack of confidence on behalf of  both teachers and learners, and also learner expectations.

After such a pronunciation packed day,  some PronSIGgers went off to discuss matters further over a meal and some beverages! On arriving back to our apartment at 3am, I made an executive decision that it was too late to blog!

Thought-provoking and inspirational: Day 1 at IATEFL 2014

Today was officially the first day of the IATEFL Conference after yesterday's Pre- Conference Events, although, it was my Day 2.
  I made it to 7 talks in total and even made a trip around the exhibition and time to chat to David Crystal at his book signing!
  I first made my way to the MaWSIG (Materials Writing Special Interest Group) SIG day, which started out with a workshop by Fiona MacKenzie and Russell Whitehead on the challenges and solutions that writers face when writing for digital materials. They examined the similarities and differences between writing for print and digital and then it was over to us. We were given a number of activities and had to discuss how they could adapted for digital purposes.
  After the coffee break and a chat to some other delegates, it was time to get some more pronunciation in because I didn't get enough yesterday!!! Ivelis Montilla presented the results of research she conducted on teaching pronunciation in the Simón Bolívar University in Venezuela. She was followed by Lesley Curnick who demonstrated how we can record students in order to raise awareness of their pronunciation strengths and weakness. She demonstrated how with the help of a set of guided tasks, learners can discover their own strengths and weaknesses, and with the help of their teacher, they can improve their oral production. We heard a recording of a learner at the beginning of the course and then, a second recording of the same text taken from the end of the course.      



  Following a quick chat and photo opportunity with David Crystal, it was time for lunch, and then a dash back to MaWSIG for Rachel Roberts' workshop on how to write effective classroom materials. This practical workshop was applicable to both material writers and teachers alike and provided some valuable tips for getting creative but very definite aims and pedagogical benefits.
  It was then time for another quick dash to the far end of the conference centre to catch Lindsay Clandfield and Duncan Foord perform their Survival Guide. And perform they did! This highly entertaining presentation got us all talking and thinking and splitting our sides laughing!
  Next, we were off to the main auditorium for an invigorating workshop on the importance of listening and receptive pronunciation with Paul Seligson. This was full of fascinating facts about language and very practical tips on how we can raise awareness with our learners of the importance of listening and how we can get them to listen more often and more effectively.
  Finally, we took our seats at the IATEFL Jobs Market Signature Event where the panel discussed and debated the need for more training in this digital age to give teachers advantages in the ELT recruitment process. However, it was most definitely highlighted that technology should be used to enhance our lessons, but not over our lessons. We need to be mindful of the focus and outcomes of the lesson while using technology as a means to deliver these objectives. Likewise, we have to be flexible and have to resort to other means as technology is not always reliable.

PronSIG PCE 2014

  I don't often spring out of bed at 6.30am, my friend the snooze button usually helps me get a few extra minutes sleep. This morning was different. When I opened my eyes and realised where I was, I quite simply . . .sprang! The prospect of spending the day with other pronunciation nerds was truly thrilling!
  As we made our way to the conference centre, the excitement continued to rise and we could see many other delegates flocking to the main entrance who would later be revealed by their badges and red conference canvas bags.
  On arriving through the main door, we were politely guided to the end of the queue for registration. We quickly got to the top and collected our badges and went to collect our conference programme and welcome packs. It was then time to make our way to the Bramham Room to begin our day of pronunciation.
  The title of the PCE (Pre-Conference Event) was, "Integrating pronunciation into your teaching". And so it began, with a few introductions and a lovely welcome from the SIG's coordinator, Wayne Rimmer.
  Alan Tonkyn started the proceedings with his talk entitled, "What makes for perceptions of fluency in L2 speech?" After exploring the connection between pronunciation and fluency, Alan defined fluency and expand on the types. He discussed how assessors perceive pronunciation and fluency, many then went on to talk about what fluency advice we can give our learners, including, time-gaining, reformulating, pausing, and speed.
  Next up, was Wayne Rimmer who highlight the need for a pronunciation syllabus, due to the neglect  of pronunciation teaching in many classrooms. He puts this down to poor training, being bogged down with meta language, a lack of confidence on behalf of teachers and poor curriculum design. Most course books are driven by a grammar syllabus and pronunciation, if any, is tagged on to the end of grammar. In order to change this and for our learners to gain more confidence in pronunciation, we need to give our teachers the confidence and tools. To do this, we should provide teachers with a pronunciation syllabus.
  After a coffee break, it was John Field's turn to take centre stage. His focus was on listening skills and how phonological features are key for learner to make sense of streams of speech. He acknowledged that knowing a word is very different from recognising that word in a chunk of language in a stream of speech. He reinforced the idea that in order to help our learners, we have to expose them to natural spontaneous speech.
  It was then lunch time, which we spent in the lovely Harrogate sunshine outside the conference centre.  Following a packed lunch provided by the centre, we waddled back to the Bramham Room to prepare for Robin Walker's wonderful talk on helping learner deal with accents. He highlighted the importance of awakening students to the fact that there is such a huge variety of accents, both native and non-native. He discussed how phonological features are the best tools to use with learners to improve their receptive skills. Most importantly, however, is that we have to expose our learners to a variety of different accents to aid them in their survival outside the classroom.
  Last, but by no means least, was Richard Cauldwell, who believes that it's the teacher's goal to help their learners understand fast, messy, authentic speech. In order to describe the process of how teachers can do this, he used 3 metaphors: The Greenhouse, where everything is segregated and in its citation or complete form; the Garden, where things begin to mix and we can identify different features of connected speech; and finally, the Jungle, where everything is . . .mushy. In order to help our learners, we must bring them on a journey from the greenhouse, through the garden, to the jungle.
   Many travelled long distances (Argentina, Russia and New Zealand to name a few) to join this inspiring day which demonstrated the importance of pronunciation and bringing to the fore, the importance of the role of pronunciation in developing our learners' listening skills.

I'm off now to make my final decisions about what talks and workshops, which, let me tell you, is not an easy task. So many amazing things to choose from!