Why research on (pronunciation) teaching is often irrelevant to my method and my classroom

In 1994 Kumaravadivelu sounded what has turned out to be something of the death knell for the usefulness of much research on English language teaching for the individual classroom entitled: The Postmethod Condition: (E)merging Strategies for Second and Foreign Language Teaching. At the time, it seemed liberating from many perspectives, but the intervening two decades have often proven otherwise. A recent, very revealing article in Education Week by Tucker goes a long way toward explaining why: Why Education Research Has So Little Impact on Practice: The System Effect.

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In essence, what Tucker argues, based on a piece by Kane in Education Next, is that a technique (or variable) generally cannot be judged in terms of effectiveness outside of the system in which it functions. And, most importantly, research that attempts to isolate one procedure and then generalize to multiple learner populations is epistemologically invalid (the wrong question!) For a range reasons which Tucker outlines, such as time, resources, tenure and culture, especially North American researchers do not (or cannot) evaluate a variable, such as ability in the context of the method or system in which it is embedded--or compare that system, with its isolated variable to another nearly identical system with only that variable affected. That is especially true when it comes to studying change over time.

Kumaravadivelu identified the last "system" in language teaching, the last prevailing method where internal changes could be judged in terms of effectiveness: the structuralist "Audio-lingual" paradigm. It has (thankfully) nearly disappeared today. Its problems with generalizability were legend, but something also was lost: a common method where individual variables and techniques could be credibly assessed for effectiveness. Tucker's argument speaks clearly to our problem today.

Problem? Well, maybe it is also an opportunity for individual instructors to maintain perspective when reading research studies focusing on one variable or technique before trying it out on students--and more importantly trying to figure out whether something worked or not. ("Research" has overwhelmingly established that it is always far more difficult to learn from our successes than our failures.)

What is the solution? My guess is that a new paradigm, a more iconoclastic method--for teaching pronunciation in this case--will emerge from the chaos. What would that look like? Like ALM, it will at least initially show promise to provide a highly systematic model, a more comprehensive and complete set of tools for a wide range of learning populations and classrooms.

At the moment I can (not surprisingly) only think of one . . .

Clear advice: Love your (pronunciation teaching) method!

Have recently "discovered" the popular blog of James Clear who, to quote his self description:  . . . writes about science-based ideas for living a better life and building habits that stick.

Clipart:
Clker.com

I was, of course, immediately hooked when I got to the last word there--and great haptic metaphor! Full disclosure: He is also a weight lifter. Sports and exercise coaches are simply the best when it comes to developing systems that involve movement and discipline--like pronunciation teaching.

He concludes an intriguing post entitled "Forget About Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead" with the striking line: "Fall in love with systems!" (Required reading!)

Clear is not referring to "Aims and aspirations" that provide motivation and passion, as described by Wells (2003) :

"What are the student’s personal aims and aspirations in language learning? . . . Some just want enough English to communicate at a basic level, or indeed just enough to pass some examination. Others aim to achieve the best they possibly can. We must cater for both types and for those who fall somewhere between. Speaking personally, I must say that my own aspiration in learning languages is NS-like proficiency. I acknowledge that I may be unlikely to attain it. But that doesn’t stop me aiming for it. I try to inspire my students with the same high ideal. If it were suggested that I should not even aim so high, I should feel short-changed. "

Many describe today's language teaching as "post method," meaning that there are no longer any generally applicable systems that work in a broad range of contexts. Very true. That does not mean, however,  that a "local" method is not necessary. On the contrary . . .

Balancing "high ideals" and feasible process is the trick. For example, the "wrong" kind of goals for learners working on pronunciation are often simply unrealistic, given the time, talent and resources available. Nothing wrong with aiming at NS-like level, unless you are an intermediate-level student with only three months to get there, etc. Even a goal such as "fixing" use of "th" or a particular vowel in a week or two by the same intermediate student can be at best counter-productive. That is especially true without a very rigorous practice regimen handy to direct energy and effort.

Do your students "fall in love" with your system or one that they have adapted from yours? Do you provide them with a "clear" framework detailing their part in the process, understanding of what is behind it and how it facilitates progress? Do you follow up with them consistently on how they are doing and how they working in it?

Clear's point is that making change "stick," which demands discipline and limiting attention and focus, also requires commitment to a set of principles and consistent scheduling--along with having confidence and trust in both the system and the provider of it. Once a learner's general, realistic goal has been articulated and locked in, attention (and passion) must shift to the systematic "heavy lifting" of the day-to-day training process and stay there. Trust, love (and obey) the method, the system! (See his framework for getting started in that direction.) What an absolutely radical, "retro" notion today!

Do you have a "clear" one-page description of your system that students can easily understand, follow--and love? A quick review of published pronunciation textbooks didn't turn up anything close to that. I am working on one now (for haptic pronunciation teaching) that will serve as a model for my graduate students in applied phonology this semester to follow as they develop their own.

I'll share that shortly here, too,  a "loveable" system of sorts. If you have a good one now, please pass it on. I'll create a "Love-my-methods" page off the blog to display them.

Love to see yours . . .

The best, fastest, most moving and touching way to improve English pronunciation! (AHEPS v3.0 Previews)

These videos are still a work in progress but will give you a pretty good idea of what each module of Acton Haptic English Pronunciation System v3.0 - Bees and Butterflies (Serious fun!) is about. (AHEPS is, of course, just about the ONLY moving and touching pronunciation system around!)

AHEPS v3.0 Bees and Butterflies
(Serious fun - really!) 

• M1 Matrix (haptic learning) - Basics of using movement and touch and the visual field in pronunciation teaching (and vocabulary work!)
• M2 Single (short) vowels - and haptic anchoring of word stress
• M3 Double (long) vowels - and "pure" vowels in unstressed syllables
• M4 Syllable Butterfly - rhythm grouping
• M5 Basic Intonation - 5 patterns
• M6 Tai Chi Fluency - speaking fluency and pitch range
• M7 Rhythm Fight Club - increasing speed and confidence
• M8 Advanced intonation - and expressiveness
• M9 Baton Integration - in class technique for integrating pronunciation change
• M10 Linking - Focusing on connections between words 
• M11 Unstressed vowels  

For an overview of v3.0, go HERE!

For preliminary information on purchasing the system go HERE!

GRASPing HICP anchors

The acronym, GRASP (General Responsibility Assignment Software Patterns or Principles), used in software design (See Wikipedia ) represents the range of considerations and processes involved in creating such systems. When applied to developing a HICP system or method, especially the process of haptic anchoring, it helps to further unpack the concept of "grasping" ( 掴む ) as much of the felt sense of a sound as possible. The nine principles (from a haptic perspective):

• Information Expert function - Assign purposes or functions to each aspect or technique (providing explanations to learners concerning the underlying mechanisms)
• Creator function - Create anchors, which involve movement, sound and touch.
• Controller function- Identify dynamic aspects of pedagogical movement patterns, including position in the visual field, speed, contact type.
• Low Coupling function - Create clear, visual and haptic distinctions between sounds
• High Cohesion function - Use mechanisms that maintain focus and attention
• Polymorphism function - Anchor allophones of sounds (alternatives, such as dialect or word position variations) 
• Pure Fabrication function -Haptic anchor exceptions to general rules.
• Indirection function - Use haptic devices that ensure few if any distractions, such as breathing and eye tracking.
• Protected Variation function - Maintain haptic "distance" between the L1 and L2 or interlanguage forms. 

Grasp GRASP? It doesn't get any better than that!

Getting your colleagues or students "in touch"

Following up on the last post, which focused on getting students to buy in to haptic work, this piece from Lee and Sternthal at Northwestern University makes a similar point but from a different perspective. One conclusion of that research is that the key is matching goals to level of abstraction. For example, to persuade a colleague to try EHIEP, you'd make points like these:

• It covers all the basic English sounds and processes.
• It is appropriate for all learners, even in classes of mixed ability.
• It focuses on intelligibility, not absolute accuracy.
• EHIEP focuses primarily on spoken, conversational pronunciation and style. 
• The EHIEP system, after about two months, sets up learners with a set of strategies for learning the L2, especially getting new vocabulary and working with it to anchor it firmly, and more accurate immediate recall of what was just heard in conversation.
• The EHIEP system is best taught by both instructor and class following along with the videos for the first 8 sessions, about 2 months. After that instructor and learners use the techniques in all classes where oral production is involved.
• And, should all else fail: It is based on Acton (1984) and about 30 years of his research and practice in kinaesthetic learning of L2 pronunciation. 

The application of "haptic" to the system does several things:

• It captures the complete attention of the learner, relying on whole body and whole brain procedures well established in several fields.
• Haptic techniques have been shown in many fields to enhance both encoding new skills and later recall of what was learned.
• Haptic techniques make kinaesthetic learning much more systematic and effective, by ensuring that the movements are performed in the appropriate place and manner consistently. 
• Haptic self monitoring allows learner to attend to their speech without too much distraction or concern about errors and pre-planning in real communication. 
• Haptic-based correction of mistakes is both effective and affectively "comfortable."
• Haptic anchoring (touching hands on stressed syllables) has been shown to be highly efficient in both initial learning of sounds and correction of fossilized errors. 

For students, many of whom may have only limited comprehension skills, the approach would be more like this:

• EHIEP will help you learn and remember vocabulary and pronunciation better.
• All you have to do is follow the instructions.
• It is a good way for the instructor to correct your errors. 
• It is fun, relaxing and easy to do.
• After each class video lesson, you must practice three times a week, in the morning for about 30 minutes before  you come to school. (It is better to practice every other day, not every day.)
• It is based in part on research on touch and movement in computer games and robotics--very much like Wii and iPhone!

And if those points don't work, the default position: Let your body decide. Experience it for a few lessons and then make up your mind. Almost never fails . . . 

HICP/Essential Haptic-integrated English Pronunciation (Hiccuping Ape!) system availability!

Have had many inquiries as to when the HICP-EHIEP ("Hiccuping Ape!") system (videos, I-manual, S-workbook and "webcamsultations") will be available, in what form--and what it will cost! The short answer is: as soon as possible, but by March, 2013, in time for the TESOL convention in Dallas. I will post updates here as to specifics as we get the pieces ready to roll out. The "stuff" included and approximate pricing will be as follows:

A. EHIEP Haptic Video System (EHVS)
      *9 basic, 30-minute modules, each containing 4 video teaching clips (demonstration, training, practice and classroom protocol version) along with a video scaffolding/review of the practice versions of all previous protocols. A module takes about one week to complete.
      *15, 5-10-minute consonant repair modules (th/th, s/sh/z/zh, r/l, w/y, f/v, word-final voiced consonants, etc.) These modules are used as needed.

B. Instructors' manual - Program overview and detailed instructions for introducing the system and using it in the classroom.

C. Student workbook (Probably available through Functionall Books) - Graphic illustrations of the pedagogical movement patterns of each protocol, reference charts, word lists, self-assessment checklist and worksheets for homework assignments for the protocols. (There are a minimum of 3 homework assignments for each protocol, done every-other-day, along with audio recordings for additional practice.)

D. Webcamsultations (Typically, one for each protocol, but more are available, depending on the technology of the school or institution, including,"Teach this protocol to the class for me today - LIVE!")

Current price estimates:

Streamed HICP-EHIEP videos and/or DVD set with Instructors' Manual ~$800 (CAD) 

Student workbooks ~$15 (available online)
Student practice videos and audios ~ $40

Webcamsultations: from ~$50 per half-hour
*Participants in the Pre-conference Haptic Pronunciation Institute at TESOL 2013 receive DVD of EVHS

From vowel color to vocabulary recall

Clip art: Clker

Common sense and marketers' and advertisers' collective wisdom suggest that color does have meaning, some of it culturally determined. As noted in the previous post, HICP assumes that the visual field also "contains" quadrants that have different emotional or experiential sensitivities. In very general terms, we associate basic colors with each quadrant: Northeast=yellow, Southeast=red, Northwest=green and Southwest=blue. Depending where in the quadrant, in the articulatory "chart" (a mirror-image of the standard IPA chart) a vowel is located, its intensity or hue may be increased or diminished accordingly. 2006 research by Spence, Wong, Rusan, and Rastegar of the University of Toronto makes a fascinating point as to when the color association must be made for maximum effectiveness.

In that study, various color conditions of natural scenes are used in different timings. Essentially what they discovered was that for best recall, color had to be very focused and associated with basic features or figures of the picture immediately, and not just the overall scene. One implication for our work is that color may work best in conjunction with haptic anchoring if it is introduced "from the beginning" of the process and (probably) limited to the vowel or syllable only and not the entire word, as is the usual practice with color/vowel pedagogical practices. Remember that, next time you need to make your vowels and vocabulary work more memorable, eh!