PRESERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS ABOUT LEARNING AND TEACHING PRONUNCIATION

Abstract

Language teachers’ beliefs and attitudes about various aspects of teaching are shaped during teacher education. Investigating preservice English teachers’ (PrETs) perspectives on certain areas can be useful in better understanding the dynamics of teacher education and taking further actions on teachers’ developmental processes. This study examines PrETs’ beliefs and attitudes towards learning and teaching pronunciation in Turkey. With a descriptive methodology, a 40-item questionnaire based on Sardegna and Kusey (2014) and Seyedabadi et al., (2014) was presented to PrETs (N=150) enrolled in the English Language Teaching (ELT) programs of three state universities in Turkey. The results of the study indicate that PrETs consider pronunciation an essential part of language learning; yet they need further training on how to teach pronunciation in class. PrETs commonly considered native-like pronunciation an ideal goal for themselves, which implies a tendency to associate an English teacher’s pronunciation with perfection. The results also suggest a reconsideration of the content of pronunciation classes in ELT programs.

Keywords

• Preservice English teachers
• Pronunciation
• teacher cognition
• Attitude
• Belief

ADAY İNGİLİZCE ÖĞRETMENLERİNİN SESLETİM ÖĞRENME VE ÖĞRETMEYE YÖNELİK TUTUM VE İNANIŞLARI

Öz

Dil öğretmenlerinin, öğretimin çeşitli yönleriyle ilgili birçok tutum ve inanışı öğretmen eğitimi sırasında şekillenmektedir. Bu nedenle, İngilizce öğretmen adaylarının belirli alanlardaki bakış açılarının incelendiği araştırmalar, öğretmen yetiştirme süreçlerine ait dinamiklerin daha iyi anlaşılması ve öğretmenlerin gelişimleri bakımından yararlıdır. Bu çalışma, İngilizce öğretmeni adaylarının sesletim öğrenme ve öğretmeye yönelik inanış ve tutumlarını incelemektedir. Bu kapsamda betimsel araştırma yöntemi benimsenerek, Türkiye’deki üç devlet üniversitesinin İngilizce Öğretmenliği programlarında öğrenimlerini sürdüren öğretmen adaylarına (N=150), Sardegna ve Kusey (2014) ile Seyedabadi vd. (2014) esas alınarak hazırlanmış 40 maddelik bir anket sunulmuştur. Çalışmanın sonuçları, öğretmen adaylarının sesletimi dil öğrenmenin önemli bir parçası olarak gördüklerini ancak sınıf ortamında nasıl öğretecekleri konusunda daha fazla eğitime gereksinim duyduklarını göstermektedir. İngilizce öğretmeni adaylarının yaygın olarak, anadili düzeyindeki bir sesletimi kendileri için ideal bir hedef olarak gördükleri anlaşılmaktadır. Bu sonuç katılımcıların, İngilizce öğretmenlerinin sesletimlerini mükemmellikle özdeşleştirme eğilimlerini ortaya koymaktadır. Sonuçlar ayrıca, İngilizce Öğretmenliği programlarındaki sesletim ders içeriklerinin yeniden gözden geçirilmesi gerekliliğine işaret etmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Öğretmen adayları
• Sesletim
• Öğretmen bilişi
• Tutum
• İnanış

References

1. Bai, B., & Yuan, R. (2018). EFL teachers’ beliefs and practices about pronunciation teaching. ELT Journal, 73(2), 134-143.
2. Baker, A. (2013). Exploring teachers’ knowledge of second language pronunciation techniques: Teacher cognitions, observed classroom practices, and student perceptions. TESOL Quarterly, 48(1), 136-163.
3. Baker, A. A. & Murphy, J. (2011). Knowledge base of pronunciation teaching: Staking out the territory. TESL Canada Journal, 28(2), 29-50.
4. Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching, 36(2), 81-109.
5. Borg, S. (2006). Teacher cognition and language education: Research and practice. Bloomsbury Academic.
6. Breitkreutz, J. A., Derwing, T. M., & Rossiter, M. J. (2001). Pronunciation teaching practices in Canada. TESL Canada Journal, 19(1), 51-61.
7. Burgess, J., Spencer, S. (2000). Phonology and pronunciation in integrated language teaching and teacher education. System, 28, 191-215.
8. Burri, M. (2015). Student teachers’ cognition about L2 pronunciation instruction: A case study. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(10), 66-87.

9. Burri, M, Baker, A. (2020). “A big influence on my teaching career and my life”: A longitudinal study of learning to teach English pronunciation. TESL-EJ, 23(4), 1-24.
10. Buss, L. (2013). Pronunciation from the perspective of pre-service EFL teachers: An analysis of internship reports. In J. Levis & K. LeVelle (Eds.). Proceedings of the 4th Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference (pp. 255-264). Iowa State University.
11. Buss, L. (2017). The role of training in shaping pre-service teacher cognition related to L2 pronunciation. Ilha Do Desterro, 70(3), 201-226.
12. Coşkun, A. (2011). Future English teachers’ attitudes towards EIL pronunciation. Journal of English as an International Language, 6(2), 46-68.
13. Çakır, İ., Baytar, B. (2014). Foreign language learners’ views on the importance of learning the target language pronunciation. Journal of Language and Linguistics Studies, 10(1), 99-110.
14. Dalton, C., & Seidlhofer, B. (1994). Pronunciation. Oxford University Press.
15. Darcy, I. (2018). Powerful and effective pronunciation: How can we achieve it? The CATESOL Journal 30(1), 13-45.
16. English Language Teaching Undergraduate Program, nd. English language teaching undergraduate program of Turkish Higher Education Council (İngilizce Öğretmenliği Lisans Programı). Retrieved from https://www.yok.gov.tr/Documents/Kurumsal/egitim_ogretim_dairesi/Yeni-Ogretmen-Yetistirme-Lisans-Programlari/Ingilizce_Ogretmenligi_Lisans_Programi.pdf
17. Evans, B., & Imai, T. (2011). ‘If we say English, that means America’: Japanese students’ perceptions of varieties of English. Language Awareness, 20(4), 315-326.
18. George, D., & Mallery, P. (2003). SPSS for Windows step by step: A simple guide and reference. 11.0 update (4th Ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
19. Goodwin, J. (2013). Pronunciation teaching methods and techniques. In C. A. Chapelle (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. Blackwell Publishing.
20. Hişmanoğlu, S. (2012). İngilizce öğretmeni adaylarının sesletim öğrenimine yönelik tutumları ve bireysel değişkenler ile ilişkileri. Eğitim ve Öğretim Araştırmaları Dergisi, 1(1), 67-76.
21. Hişmanoğlu, M., & Hişmanoğlu, S. (2010). Language teachers’ preferences of pronunciation teaching techniques. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2, 983-989.
22. Hişmanoğlu, M., & Hişmanoğlu, S. (2013). A qualitative report on the perceived awareness of pronunciation instruction: Increasing needs and expectations of prospective EFL teachers. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 22(4), 507-520.
23. Henderson, A., Frost, D., Tergujeff, E., Kautzsch, A., Murphy, D., Kirkova-Naskova, A., Waniek-Klimczak, E., Levey, D., Cunningham, U. & Curnick, L. (2012). The English pronunciation teaching in Europe survey: Factors inside and outside the classroom: Selected results. Research in Language, 10(1), 5-27.
24. Jenkins, J. (2005). Implementing and international approach to English pronunciation: The role of teacher attitudes and identity. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 535-543.
25. Kang, O. (2010). ESL learners’ attitudes toward pronunciation instruction and varieties of English. In J. Levis % K. LeVelle (Eds.), Proceedings of the 1st Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference (pp. 105-118), Iowa State University.
26. Kenworthy, J. (1987). Teaching English pronunciation. Longman.
27. Levis, J. M. (2005). Changing contexts and shifting paradigms in pronunciation teaching. TESOL Quarterly 39(3), 369-377.
28. Levis, J. M. (2018). Intelligibility, oral communication, and the teaching of pronunciation. Cambridge.
29. Levis, J. M. (2020). Revisiting the intelligibility and nativeness principles. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation 6(3), 310-328.
30. Levis, J. M., & McCrocklin, S. (2018). Reflective and effective teaching of pronunciation. In M. Zeraatpishe, A. Faravani, H. R. Kargozari, & M. Azarnoosh, M. (Eds.), Issues in applying SLA: Theories toward reflective and effective teaching (pp. 77-89). Brill Sense.
31. Levis, J. M., & Sonsaat, S. (2020). Quality teacher education for pronunciation teaching in L2 classrooms. In Juan de Dios Martinez Agudo (Ed.) Quality in TESOL and Teacher Education: From a Results Culture towards a Quality Culture (pp. 213-222). Routledge.
32. Levis, J. M., Sonsaat, S., Link, S., & Barriuso, T. A. (2016). Native and Nonnative teachers of L2 pronunciation: Effects on learner performance. TESOL Quarterly, 50(4), 894-931.
33. Llurda, E. (2009). Attitudes towards English as an international language: The pervasiveness of native models among L2 users and teachers. In F. Sharifian (Ed.), English as an international language: Perspectives and pedagogical issues (pp. 119-134). Multilingual Matters.
34. Macdonald, S. (2002). Pronunciation – views and practices of reluctant teachers. Prospect, 17(3), 3-18.
35. Nagle, C., Sachs, R., & Zarate-Sandez, G. (2018). Exploring the intersection between teachers’ beliefs and research findings in pronunciation instruction. The Modern Language Journal, 102(3), 512-532.
36. Nguyen, L. T., & Newton, J. (2020). Pronunciation teaching in Tertiary EFL classes: Vietnamese teachers’ beliefs and practices. TESL-EJ, 24(1), 1-20.
37. Richards, J. C. (2008). Second language teacher education today. RELC Journal, 39(2), 158-177.
38. Sardegna, V. G., Lee, J., & Kusey, C. (2014). Development and validation of the learner attitudes and motivations for pronunciation (LAMP) inventory. System, 47, 162-175.
39. Seidlhofer, B. (2001). Pronunciation. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds). Teaching English to speakers of other languages (pp. 56-65). Cambridge University Press.
40. Seyedabadi, S., Fatemi, A. H., & Pishghadam, R. (2014). Construction and validation of EFL learners’ attitudes toward English pronunciation (LATEP): A structural equation modeling approach. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(9), 1929-1940.
41. Tang, C. (1997). On the power and status of non-native ESL teachers. TESOL Quarterly, 31, 577-580.
42. Tergujeff, E. (2012). English pronunciation teaching: Four case studies from Finland. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 3(4), 599-607.
43. Ursachi, G., Horodnic, I. A., & Zait, A. (2015). How reliable are measurement scales? External factors with indirect influence on reliability estimators. Procedia Economics and Finance, 20, 679-686.
44. Uzun, T. & Ay, S. (2018). Preservice English teachers’ perspectives on pronunciation. In J. Levis (Ed.), Proceedings of the 9th pronunciation in second language learning and teaching conference, University of Utah, September, 2017 (pp. 120-128). Iowa State University.
45. Yağız, O. (2018). EFL language teachers’ cognitions and observed classroom practices about L2 pronunciation. Novitas-ROYAL (Research on Youth and Language), 12(2), 187-204.