Springer Pronunciation Instruction in English for Academic Purposes: An Investigation of Attitudes, Beliefs and Practices (Second Language Learning and Teaching)

This book examines the pronunciation goals of teachers, course leaders, and learners on a ten-week UK pre-sessional access course, particularly with regard to suprasegmental instruction and target of instruction on how these goals are reflected in pronunciation assessment, and how teacher goals are informed by their attitudes and beliefs. A mixed methods approach, including direct observation and semi-structured interviews, is employed to address the area of enquiry. Results show a lack of clarity of course goals. Although there is a firm emphasis on suprasegmental instruction, in semi-structured interviews, teachers report a lack of clear course goals and guidance. Assessment and practice do not always adhere to a goal of intelligibility, and support for teachers, in terms of the materials and how they might be exploited seems limited. The book concludes with tentative recommendations on how suprasegmental instruction might be facilitated on EAP and other courses Review “The author has produced a thorough and fascinating account of his investigation ... . This book fills a very noticeable gap in EAP publications ... . It displays an extensive and impressive breadth of research and study ... . readers gain a very clear and detailed comprehension ... . Overall Hodgetts has produced as extremely detailed account of pronunciation's perceived 'place' on an academic programme." (Gemma Archer, Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, Vol. 7 (3), 2021)“The book has been well edited, and the text has been written in a style accessible to novice readers of the literature of pronunciation research and teaching. To ensure this, the author provides useful explanations and clear examples of subject-specific terminology ... throughout the book. … Hodgett's book is a great contribution to the body of knowledge of pronunciation research and instruction in specific contexts.” (Arizio Sweeting, English Australia Journal, Vol. 37 (2), 2021) From the Back Cover This book examines the pronunciation goals of teachers, course leaders, and learners on a ten-week UK pre-sessional access course, particularly with regard to suprasegmental instruction and target of instruction on how these goals are reflected in pronunciation assessment, and how teacher goals are informed by their attitudes and beliefs. A mixed methods approach, including direct observation and semi-structured interviews, is employed to address the area of enquiry. Results show a lack of clarity of course goals. Although there is a firm emphasis on suprasegmental instruction, in semi-structured interviews, teachers report a lack of clear course goals and guidance. Assessment and practice do not always adhere to a goal of intelligibility, and support for teachers, in terms of the materials and how they might be exploited seems limited. The book concludes with tentative recommendations on how suprasegmental instruction might be facilitated on EAP and other courses About the Author