Paying attention to pronunciation - II (the FBI approach)

Clip art: Clker

Clip art: Clker

Following up on the previous post, it appears that a little non-attention is perfectly normal--in fact, essential. In a study by Constantino, Pinggera, Paranamana, Kashino, and Chait of the UCL Ear Institute, summarized by Science Daily, "Detection of appearing and disappearing objects in complex acoustic scenes," it is demonstrated how the brain prefers to attend to novel sounds and may often not even notice the absence of sounds in the background. That explains, in part, why an experienced instructor can often hear one "deviant" sound segment being produced by one student in a class of 30. The question is, why should we occasionally bother to stop and briefly do a choral (full-body) interdiction (FBI) for just one "problem?" By "FBI" I mean having students do the pedagogical movement pattern (PMP), which generally includes articulating the sound along a upper body movement/gesture of some kind. For the 29 who have an acceptable version of the sound already, the PMP serves to momentarily reestablish (for the required 3 seconds!) what we might call "somatic speech awareness," where sound production can generally be monitored in speaking without seriously interfering with things like . . . thinking, while at the same time, for some, defusing anxiety and promoting relaxation. And the beauty of that is, of course, you probably won't hear the that one "error" again either! 

6-Dimensional Pronunciation Change

To understand the construction of an EHIEP module and how the pedagogical movement patterns are subsequently implemented in the classroom, or any effective pedagogical intervention that "works" for that matter, think: Periwinkle, the classic visual representation of a 6-dimensional space. The three "phases" of an EHIEP protocol, presented by means of haptic video clips, the first three "Ds",  represent the essential steps in the process of teaching and learning a technique that can be used in any lesson for momentary focus (focus on form) in the classroom or in personal practice:

• Demonstration of the pedagogical moment pattern
• Detailed training on all aspects of the protocol (movement, touch, resonance, visual field positioning, haptic anchoring, etc.)
• Dance-like-based rhythmic practice--Generally done with strong bilateral (hand/body side) engagement

• Deconstruction (momentary focus on form)
• Designed, designated haptic-integration in speech, speaking or conversation
• Denouement (gradual, managed disappearance of the problem; emergence of the "new" form)

Perhaps the key is the third "D", the "dance," in ensuring efficient learning of the target(s) of the protocol and the ability to recall it at will for later use in spontaneous speaking. The last three "Ds" represent what we call the "classroom interdiction," where the target is identified and the (more) appropriate form is either introduced or substituted in and anchored. Shall we Periwinkle?