From conversational analysis (in class!) to L2 pragmatic competence at TESOL 2022!

The full  title of our TESOL 2022 presentation: Spontaneous classroom conversational analysis supporting development L2 pragmatic competence. 

Here is the abstract! (Presentation is on Thursday at 3:30 in room 334.)

This paper reports on research into ways in which an instructor in an EAP Speaking skills course helped facilitate development of pragmatic awareness and competence. The study focused on spontaneous, conversational analysis of student personal anecdotes done in small groups. Results revealed a range of potentially productive strategies and techniques. 

Angelina VanDyke and Bill Acton

Metacognitive competence: Know thy L1, L1C and inner parts to better acquire L2 and L2C

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As reported in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement (and summarized by medicalxpress.com), Böckler of the Max Planck Institute and Maxmilians of the University of Würzburg seem to have established empirically yet again--or maybe for the first time--what the ancient Egyptians had observed: "Man, know thyself, and you are going to know the gods". Well, their study is a bit more modest. You should at least be capable of gaining a better understanding of the "mental state" of others.

In the 3-month study that focused on "perspective taking" skills, including their "superpersonalities" and (I like this) their "inner parts" subjects developed enhanced ability to understand the position of the Other--which should result in improved engagement and learning. Psychologically healthy empathy operationalized, not just the ability to "sync" with others but beginning from a realistic and grounded understanding of who we are.

Have been unable to find any recent research or even reports on current practice where learners first go through a systematic "pre-language learning" program, gaining formal metacognitive and experiential knowledge of their L1 and L1 culture before actually getting to the L2. (My only first hand experience with that was the 3-months or so of military basic training that I went through in the US Air Force prior to beginning a one-year ALM experience in Russian language. Near perfect preparation!)

There are, of course, hundreds of studies looking at learner readiness and aptitude. In addition, most of us would contend that we continually do things and set up conditions that work toward enhancing learning, in effect accomplishing the same thing, in some sense like the B&M study. Culture and pragmatics are now thoroughly integrated (in theory) in instruction; L1 usage and reference are now much more widely accepted as well.

Many programs and courses place importance on general cultural awareness; some use the structure and sound system of the L1 as a point of departure as well. In haptic pronunciation teaching (EHIEP), for example, it is recommended, whenever possible, to train learners in the basics of the L1 sound system before introducing them to English or at least early on in the process. 

In our MATESOL program we are now using for the first time a "know thyself" instrument, the Strength Deployment Inventory, that shows promise in developing some of the same kind of "metacognitive competence". Tell us how you get at the same target in your pronunciation (or any other kind of) teaching! That is if you are aware of it . . .

Anne Böckler of the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Science and Julius Maximilians University Würzburg in Germany

Read more at: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-05-thyself.html#jC

nne Böckler et al, Know Thy Selves: Learning to Understand Oneself Increases the Ability to Understand Others, Journal of Cognitive Enhancement (2017). DOI: 10.1007/s41465-017-0023-6

Read more at: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-05-thyself.html#jCp

nne Böckler et al, Know Thy Selves: Learning to Understand Oneself Increases the Ability to Understand Others, Journal of Cognitive Enhancement (2017). DOI: 10.1007/s41465-017-0023-6

Read more at: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-05-thyself.html#jCp

What comes first? Speaking confidently or confident speaking?

I know . . . trick question. A recent Facebook post by the seriously "positive" Tim Murphey got me thinking. He was commenting on a study commented on by Lynn McTaggart at Positive News.org.uk, commenting on a study done by Michigan State University researchers. (One of my alma maters, by the way, so it must be true!) The point of the article was that people speak in public more confidently when they think about others in their group and not just how nervous they are or whatever. Murphey's point is that when we are connected, we are confident. (In the original study, however,  they seem to have not controlled for the intentional mental focus on anything other than stage/speaking fright--a near fatal flaw--an effect well-established by research and practice in several fields.)

Acton Haptic -
English Pronunciation System

Mea culpa. I tend to be a little skeptical about claims in "confidence before competence" models, especially in pronunciation teaching. An interesting 2007 doctoral thesis by Montha Songsiri of Victoria University, nonetheless, demonstrated, at least in part, how pedagogy can indeed engender confidence in speaking that appears to show up in greater intelligibility and more accurate pronunciation.

And then recently I did a 10-day intensive speaking/pronunciation/accent reduction program using a modified version of the AH-EPS system with pre-MBA nonnative speakers--and may have watched it happen: Beginning with a great deal of speaking in public (oral reading and highly formatted interactions, coupled with public speaking confidence tricks such as posture, breathing)--and concentrating on something other than performance anxiety--seemed to "work!" (In this case, the pedagogical movement patterns of AH-EPS to some extent, I assume.) Where participants' improved pronunciation came from exactly and so quickly is, of course, impossible to say, but the degree of reported improvement alone was almost surprising.  But I am confident in speaking from that perspective, of course! 

Raising expectations by lowering pitch

Clip art: Clker

Clip art: Clker

At least in North American culture, lowering the pitch of one's voice has relatively predictable consequences. In the 2012 research summarized by Science Daily, summarized by Anderson at Duke, both men and women perceived female politicians with lower pitch to be stronger, more competent and trustworthy. Only males, however, perceived the lower pitch in men as a sign of strength and greater competence. Women apparently saw the lower-pitch male voices as only more trustworthy. Exactly why that happened, the researchers would not speculate, of course, but there are times when advising a student to assume a voice lower or higher in pitch does or does not make sense. The process of helping learners do that often involves haptic or kinaesthetic techniques to establish new awareness of the voice and resonance centers. It is relatively easy, in fact, using body-based procedure to achieve at least temporarily the appearance or feeling of being more confident, what a colleague terms the "Whistle a happy tune" effect. Whether you should explicitly suggest that to students as a strategy, given their respective cultures and interlanguage "identities"-- or even alter your own voice simply to achieve that effect--is another question entirely. In most cases, probably not. Generally, better that the indices of confidence emerge over time, progressively from success and integration of L2 (especially pronunciation) and self, rather than de-contextualized, affective staging. Caveat Emptor . . . 

A key to pronunciation exercise and practice persistence: perceived incremental progress

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Several earlier posts have referred to the use of "self determination theory" in exploring factors relating to exercise persistence. SDT (Deci & Ryan 1985) holds that four factors may combine in various settings to account for exercise persistence: (Professed) autonomy, relatedness (to group or institution), (program or group) support and (achieved or initial) competence. In a 2011 MA thesis by Martinez, which looked at physical exercise program persistence over the course of a semester, only the latter was shown to predict persistence, and that only in women, not men.

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There are no systematic studies that I am aware of in pronunciation instruction that look at (a) what kind of homework is prescribed in pronunciation instruction, (b) the effects of "homework persistence" or (c) personality characteristics or context support features which might support persistence in doing assigned pronunciation exercises and procedures outside of class. If we assume that (a) is important and that (b) is essential to success and that (c) is at least worth considering, then Martinez' research gives us an interesting clue, perhaps a place to start. Why would achieved competence appear to be the sole significant motivator of persistent exercise, and that only in women? Martinez' conclusion is that (probably) the course was structured so that participants could recognize incremental progress on an ongoing basis, week to week, and were thus motivated to keep going. (The men, apparently, were (predictably) not quite as attentive to the "details" of the work or the course, itself.)

Designing physical exercise regimens of that kind seems, at least at face value, to be an easier job than managing pronunciation improvement. In haptic-integrated work, where consistent practice and developing precision of pedagogical movement pattern is tied to pronunciation accuracy, evidence of change and progress, in part because of the "physical" basis of the work, should be easier to both build in and (for both students and instructor) easier to perceive. (See earlier blogposts on "future pacing" and benchmarking trajectories.) Now that is progress. 

Pronunciation change anxiety? Check your analogy!

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As explored in an earlier blogpost, golf may be one of the best analogies for the process of pronunciation learning, especially the relationship between skill development and "competence" on the course under pressure. There is a mind-boggling array of techniques and mental tricks to keep the golfer in the game, "mindful," as noted in another recent post. In studying why professional athletes "choke," exploring the effect of, for example, paying too much attention to mechanics momentarily--and how they manage not to, researchers were surprised to find a common strategy: analogies. Who'd of thought . . .

Here is one they suggest: "For example, a golfer who grips the club too tight when she's nervous might benefit from an instruction like 'Imagine you have an open tube of toothpaste between your hands and the contents must not be pushed out.' This would both address the problem and get her attention away from how well she's doing."

Wow! I never thought of that. We clearly need some good haptic analogies like that one. Do you have any? Well . . . how about: Imagine you have an open tube of grey poupon in your hand and the contents must be pushed out gently on your stressed syllables as you talk to your boss, telling him that he is a real jerk and you quit! See if you can squeeze or "sandwich" that one in sometime!

Do your (pronunciation) homework exercises!

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One area of pronunciation instruction that I have been unable to find anything but anecdotal research on is the effect of students' systematic practice outside of class. I have been convinced for decades that if I can just get a student to do prescribed homework on schedule, progress is inevitable and predictable. Just for fun, I once had a student read the phone book every morning for 15 minutes, just focusing on speaking clearly and warmly . . . amazing improvement! (I suspect that accounts for the "success" of some online accent reduction programs:  just do something regularly, almost anything!)

For HICP work, the best parallel is research and practice in physical exercise persistence. In this doctoral study, done in a US upper middle class health club, it was shown that (a) autonomous self direction, (b) basic exercise competence level, and (c) relatedness (identifying with group, such as "the fit" or the club) predicted exercise persistence in terms of duration, intensity and enthusiasm. One factor, need support or perception of a "caring" context by the club, was not significant. (Will do a blogpost on that one shortly.)

Setting aside the obvious cultural dimension that foregrounds "autonomy," those four factors, when adjusted appropriately for the learner population go a long ways in helping us understand how to design homework that will keep learners engaged. In our work, the basic haptic protocols should provide a 10-minute aerobics-like foundation/warm up for homework that the body is more apt to go along with for starters--until the rest of the brain comes on line. So if your students don't do their homework, at least do yours . . .