IOE alumna’s research on task-based approaches to language learning published in top journal

Jiying Xu (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) In-Service MA) investigated the impact of task-based pronunciation learning (TBPT), a second language teaching method that enables students to learn languages through interactive tasks.  

TBPT is meant to be a more engaging form of learning that encourages communication between second language learners while focusing on target words.

Her paper, published in the education journal System, found that TBPT can enhance second language learning, though the extent of its effectiveness depends on learners’ ability to hear different sounds, known as auditory processing ability.

The findings drew from a study of 70 Chinese-speaking young adults learning English, who focused on improving their pronunciation of vowel pairs that are particularly difficult for Mandarin speakers.

The participants were split into two groups: one group received a 30-minute English lesson using a task-based pronunciation approach: planning a summer holiday while focusing on key words. The other group received a lesson without it.

Listening tests before and after the English lessons found that the TBPT group improved at pronouncing the vowel pairs; they also improved in pronouncing sounds they did not practice directly, indicating that TBPT could help learners uncover the underlying patterns of the language they are studying.

However, the paper notes that improvement was not the same for everyone, finding a connection between learners’ auditory processing ability and the efficacy of using the TBPT approach.

Professor Kazuya Saito, Jiying’s dissertation supervisor, says “Second language pronunciation teaching has long been criticised for its reliance on decontextualised, mechanical drill activities reminiscent of audiolingualism-style foreign language education popular in the 1950s. Jiying introduced an innovative approach by employing communicatively authentic tasks, allowing students to notice and practice new pronunciation features while using language meaningfully with a lot of fun.

“To test this approach, Jiying conducted a highly innovative training study with a pre- and post-test design, recruiting around 70 students and effectively utilising the online experiment builder, Gorilla. This work showcases a significant degree of novelty and uniqueness that Jiying has contributed to the field. Remarkably, she achieved this within the very short timeframe of 3–4 months allotted for designing, executing, and completing her dissertation!”

The paper was co-authored by Professor Saito and draws from Jiying’s Master’s dissertation, inspired by her time on the Teaching and Researching Speaking and Listening module.

Jiying’s dissertation was a runner-up for the prestigious British Council ELT Master’s Award, and also received the Department of Culture, Communication and Media’s Best TESOL Dissertation Award.

Links

• Read the paper in System: Task-based pronunciation teaching: Lack of auditory precision but not memory hinders learning 
• Read Jiying Xu’s dissertation: The Pedagogical Potential of Task-Based Language Teaching for Second Language Pronunciation: Roles of Individual Differences 
• Professor Kazuya Saito’s research profile 
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) In-Service MA 
• Centre for Applied Linguistics
• Department of Culture, Communication and Media

Image

Monkey Business via Adobe Stock.