LEARNING NATIVE-LIKE ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION AND CULTURAL IDENTITY OF PAKISTANI ESL LEARNERS
Keywords:
Second Language Acquisition (SLA), Cultural Identity, ESL Pronunciation, English Language Teaching (ELT), Native-like English Accent
Abstract
Acquiring native-like pronunciation is the epitome of second/foreign language learning, but is hardest to achieve. Recently, it has been recognized that adopting a native-like or localized accent of a second/foreign language can also be a matter of choice, influenced by learners’ sense of identity with their local culture - asocial-cultural factor. Taking up this research inclination, the study has inquired if Pakistani ESL learners’ sense of cultural identity has any influence on their attitude towards adopting native-like English pronunciation. One hundred and thirty ESL learners from NUML, Islamabad, were surveyed through a questionnaire targeting both the variables of the study– cultural identity and native-like English pronunciation. Twenty of the study participants were interviewed as well. Data gathered from both tools of the study was triangulated to generate the results. Findings revealed that despite identifying strongly with their native culture, Pakistani ESL learners hold a positive attitude towards adopting native-like English pronunciationReferences
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and Attitudes towards Foreign Language Learning on
Pronunciation Learning of Iranian EFL Students. British Journal
of English Linguistics, 4(4), 34-45.
Avery, P., & Ehrlich, S. (1992). Common pronunciation problems.
Bialystok, E. (1997). The structure of age: In search of barriers to second
language acquisition. Second language research, 13(2), 116-137.
Block, D. (2007). Second Language Identities. London: Continuum.
Borlongan, A. M. (2009). A survey on language use, attitudes and identity in relation
to Philippine English among young generation Filipinos: An initial sample
from a private university. The Philippine ESL Journal, 1, 74.
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University Press.
Dalton, C., & Seidlhofer, B. (2001). Pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Derwing, T. M., & Munro, M. J. (2005). Second language accent and pronunciation
teaching: A research-based approach. Tesol Quarterly, 39(3), 379-397.
doi:10.2307/3588486, http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.2307/3588486
Ellis, R., & Ellis, R. R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gatbonton, E., Trofimovich, P., & Magid, M. (2005). Learners’ ethnic
group affiliation and L2 pronunciation accuracy: A
sociolinguistic investigation. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 489-512.
Georgountzou, A., & Tsantila, N. (2017). Cultural identity, accentedness and
attitudes of Greek EFL learners towards English pronunciation. Selected
papers on theoretical and applied linguistics, 22, 160-174.
Ghani, M. (2003). The status and position of English language in Pakistan.
Journal of Social sciences and Humanities, 1 (1), 103-115.
Gilakjani, A. P., & Ahmadi, M. R. (2011). Why Is Pronunciation So
Difficult to Learn?. English Language Teaching, 4(3), 74-83.
Goodwin, J. (2001). Teaching Pronunciation. In M. Celce-Murcia (Ed.),
Teaching English as a second or foreign language (pp. 117-137).
Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Guiora, A. Z., Beit-Hallahmi, B., Brannon, R. C., Dull, C. Y., & Scovel,
T. (1972). The effects of experimentally induced changes in ego
states on pronunciation ability in a second language: An
exploratory study.
Hall, S. (2003). Cultural identity and diaspora. In J. E. Braziel & A.
Mannur (Eds.), Theorizing Diaspora: A Reader (pp. 233-246).
Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Hudson, R. A. (1980). Sociolinguistics. New York: Cambridge University
Press.
Jabeen, F., Rasheed, S., & Mehmood, M. A. (2011). An Attitudinal Study
of Pakistani English . Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary
Research In Business, 3(5).
Jenkins, J. (2002). A sociolinguistically based, empirically researched
pronunciation syllabus for English as an international language.
Applied Linguistics, 23, 83 –103.
Jenkins, J. (2005). Implementing an international approach to English
pronunciation: The role of teacher attitudes and identity. TESOL
Quarterly, 39(3), 535.
Kang, O. (2010). ESL learners’ attitudes toward pronunciation instruction
and varieties of English. In Proceedings of the 1st Pronunciation
in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference. Ames,
IA: Iowa State University (pp. 105-118).
Kirkpatrick, A. (2008). English as the official working language of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Features and
strategies. English Today, 94, 27–34.
Lenneberg, E. H., CHOMSKY, N., & MARX, O. (1967). The biological
foundations of language. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Inc.
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Levis, J. & LeVelle, K. (2012). Social factors in pronunciation acquisition. In.
J. Levis & K. LeVelle (Eds.). Proceedings of the 3rd Pronunciation
in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference, Sept. 2011.
(pp. 1-10). Ames, IA: Iowa State University.
Mayora, CA (2010). Dörnyei, Zoltán. 2009. The psychology of second
language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 356
pp. Boletin de Linguistica, 22 (33), 131-139.
Moyer, A. (2004). Age, accent,and experience in second language
acquisition: An integrated approach to the critical period inquiry
(Vol. 7). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Parveen, S., & Mehmood, A. (2013,). A Study on Attitudes towards Varieties
of Spoken English in Pakistani Context. Language in India, 13(3).
Pennycook, A. (1994). The cultural politics of English as an international
language. Harlow: Longman Group Ltd.
Pullen, E. (2011). Cultural Identity, Pronunciation,and Attitudes of Turkish
Speakers of English: Language Identity in an EFL Context.
Social Factors In Pronunciation Acquisition, 65.
Rahman, T. (2005). Language Policy, Multilingualism and Language Vitality
in Pakistan. South Asia Conference The Pacific Northwest (Sacpan)
2005 Conference. Seattle: University of Washington.
Rahman, T. (2002). Language, ideology,and power: Language learning
among the Muslims of Pakistan and North India. Karachi:
Oxford University Press.
Rindal, U. (2010). Constructing identity with L2: Pronunciation and
attitudes among Norwegian learners of English 1. Journal of
Sociolinguistics, 14(2), 240-261.
Scovel, T. (2000). A critical review of the Critical Period research. Annual
Review of Applied Linguistics, 20, 213-223.
Shabani, S., & Alipoor, I. (2017). The Relationship between Cultural
Identity, Intrinsic Motivation and Pronunciation Knowledge of
Iranian EFL Learners. International Journal of Education and
Literacy Studies, 5(2), 61-66.
Sifakis, N. C., & Sougari, A.-M. (2005). Pronunciation issues and EIL
pedagogy in the periphery: A survey of Greek state school
teachers’ beliefs. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 467.
and Attitudes towards Foreign Language Learning on
Pronunciation Learning of Iranian EFL Students. British Journal
of English Linguistics, 4(4), 34-45.
Avery, P., & Ehrlich, S. (1992). Common pronunciation problems.
Bialystok, E. (1997). The structure of age: In search of barriers to second
language acquisition. Second language research, 13(2), 116-137.
Block, D. (2007). Second Language Identities. London: Continuum.
Borlongan, A. M. (2009). A survey on language use, attitudes and identity in relation
to Philippine English among young generation Filipinos: An initial sample
from a private university. The Philippine ESL Journal, 1, 74.
Crystal, D. (2003). English as a global language. England: Cambridge
University Press.
Dalton, C., & Seidlhofer, B. (2001). Pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Derwing, T. M., & Munro, M. J. (2005). Second language accent and pronunciation
teaching: A research-based approach. Tesol Quarterly, 39(3), 379-397.
doi:10.2307/3588486, http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.2307/3588486
Ellis, R., & Ellis, R. R. (1994). The study of second language acquisition.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gatbonton, E., Trofimovich, P., & Magid, M. (2005). Learners’ ethnic
group affiliation and L2 pronunciation accuracy: A
sociolinguistic investigation. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 489-512.
Georgountzou, A., & Tsantila, N. (2017). Cultural identity, accentedness and
attitudes of Greek EFL learners towards English pronunciation. Selected
papers on theoretical and applied linguistics, 22, 160-174.
Ghani, M. (2003). The status and position of English language in Pakistan.
Journal of Social sciences and Humanities, 1 (1), 103-115.
Gilakjani, A. P., & Ahmadi, M. R. (2011). Why Is Pronunciation So
Difficult to Learn?. English Language Teaching, 4(3), 74-83.
Goodwin, J. (2001). Teaching Pronunciation. In M. Celce-Murcia (Ed.),
Teaching English as a second or foreign language (pp. 117-137).
Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Guiora, A. Z., Beit-Hallahmi, B., Brannon, R. C., Dull, C. Y., & Scovel,
T. (1972). The effects of experimentally induced changes in ego
states on pronunciation ability in a second language: An
exploratory study.
Hall, S. (2003). Cultural identity and diaspora. In J. E. Braziel & A.
Mannur (Eds.), Theorizing Diaspora: A Reader (pp. 233-246).
Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Hudson, R. A. (1980). Sociolinguistics. New York: Cambridge University
Press.
Jabeen, F., Rasheed, S., & Mehmood, M. A. (2011). An Attitudinal Study
of Pakistani English . Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary
Research In Business, 3(5).
Jenkins, J. (2002). A sociolinguistically based, empirically researched
pronunciation syllabus for English as an international language.
Applied Linguistics, 23, 83 –103.
Jenkins, J. (2005). Implementing an international approach to English
pronunciation: The role of teacher attitudes and identity. TESOL
Quarterly, 39(3), 535.
Kang, O. (2010). ESL learners’ attitudes toward pronunciation instruction
and varieties of English. In Proceedings of the 1st Pronunciation
in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference. Ames,
IA: Iowa State University (pp. 105-118).
Kirkpatrick, A. (2008). English as the official working language of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Features and
strategies. English Today, 94, 27–34.
Lenneberg, E. H., CHOMSKY, N., & MARX, O. (1967). The biological
foundations of language. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Inc.
LennebergBiological foundations of language 1967.
Levis, J. & LeVelle, K. (2012). Social factors in pronunciation acquisition. In.
J. Levis & K. LeVelle (Eds.). Proceedings of the 3rd Pronunciation
in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference, Sept. 2011.
(pp. 1-10). Ames, IA: Iowa State University.
Mayora, CA (2010). Dörnyei, Zoltán. 2009. The psychology of second
language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 356
pp. Boletin de Linguistica, 22 (33), 131-139.
Moyer, A. (2004). Age, accent,and experience in second language
acquisition: An integrated approach to the critical period inquiry
(Vol. 7). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Parveen, S., & Mehmood, A. (2013,). A Study on Attitudes towards Varieties
of Spoken English in Pakistani Context. Language in India, 13(3).
Pennycook, A. (1994). The cultural politics of English as an international
language. Harlow: Longman Group Ltd.
Pullen, E. (2011). Cultural Identity, Pronunciation,and Attitudes of Turkish
Speakers of English: Language Identity in an EFL Context.
Social Factors In Pronunciation Acquisition, 65.
Rahman, T. (2005). Language Policy, Multilingualism and Language Vitality
in Pakistan. South Asia Conference The Pacific Northwest (Sacpan)
2005 Conference. Seattle: University of Washington.
Rahman, T. (2002). Language, ideology,and power: Language learning
among the Muslims of Pakistan and North India. Karachi:
Oxford University Press.
Rindal, U. (2010). Constructing identity with L2: Pronunciation and
attitudes among Norwegian learners of English 1. Journal of
Sociolinguistics, 14(2), 240-261.
Scovel, T. (2000). A critical review of the Critical Period research. Annual
Review of Applied Linguistics, 20, 213-223.
Shabani, S., & Alipoor, I. (2017). The Relationship between Cultural
Identity, Intrinsic Motivation and Pronunciation Knowledge of
Iranian EFL Learners. International Journal of Education and
Literacy Studies, 5(2), 61-66.
Sifakis, N. C., & Sougari, A.-M. (2005). Pronunciation issues and EIL
pedagogy in the periphery: A survey of Greek state school
teachers’ beliefs. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 467.
Published
2018-07-15
Section
Articles
