The effect of explicit phonetic instruction on the perception skills of Dutch L2 users of English - Perception of the English /æ/-/ε/ and word-final /t/-/d/ contrasts
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2020-02-25
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en
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Very few studies have investigated how explicit instruction can affect L2 perception of difficult non-native contrasts. This thesis investigated how explicit phonetic instruction can be beneficial to Dutch listeners’ perception abilities of the English /æ/-/ɛ/ and word-final /t/-/d/ contrast. Accuracy scores on an identification task were measured in pre- and post-test before and after participants received explicit phonetic instruction through a video. Videos offered instruction on either the /æ/-/ɛ/ or the word-final /t/-/d/ contrast, and included or excluded an explanation on the differences in duration of the (preceding) vowel, which is an important cue for native listeners to distinguish these contrasts. The results showed that listeners improved on the identification task after watching a video instruction. No difference was found between videos with and without duration explanations. Additionally, asymmetric results were found for word-final /d/-/t/: word-final /d/ was often miscategorised as a /t/, and /t/ less miscategorised as /d/. Finally, metalinguistic awareness was measured, and a positive correlation was found between metalinguistic awareness and perception abilities. Results also indicated that awareness is not a prerequisite for correct perception. In conclusion, explicit phonetic instruction can lead to positive improvements on perception ability in an identification task, regardless of whether listeners learned about the duration cue. Explicit instruction thus can be a helpful tool to teach listeners to perceive the difference between difficult sounds.
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