Investigating How Implicit Learning and Phonemic Symbols Impact EFL Pronunciation Instruction

Jonghyun Park

doi:10.61227/iltt.v1i1.179

Authors

Jonghyun Park University of Selcuk

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61227/iltt.v1i1.179

Keywords:

Investigating, Learning and Phonemic Symbols Impact EFL, Pronunciation Instruction

Abstract

Background: Motivation is recognized as a crucial component in successful second language learning, yet demotivation remains an under-researched area despite its significant impact on ESL/EFL proficiency. While various studies have explored demotivation factors, the perspectives of non-experienced versus experienced teachers regarding sources of demotivation among EFL learners remain inadequately investigated. Objective: This study aimed to explore non-experienced and experienced EFL teachers' attitudes towards sources of demotivation among EFL learners and determine whether significant differences exist between these two groups' perspectives. Method: A qualitative research design employing semi-structured interviews was conducted. Forty English language teachers (20 non-experienced with <2 years experience, 20 experienced with >8 years experience) from guidance schools in Tehran were selected through stratified random sampling. The interview protocol was developed following rigorous validation procedures involving expert review and pilot testing. Data Collection and Analysis: Face-to-face interviews lasting approximately 15 minutes each were conducted. Data were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis with inter-coder reliability of r=.87. Frequency analysis was employed to summarize findings. Results: Five major themes emerged as sources of demotivation: (1) Method of instruction, including teachers' English proficiency and classroom management confidence; (2) Teacher's personality, encompassing friendliness and professional rapport; (3) Peers' characteristics, involving bullying and competitiveness; (4) Speaking anxiety, including fear of negative evaluation and shyness; and (5) Physical environment, relating to inadequate facilities and classroom conditions. No significant differences were found between non-experienced and experienced teachers' attitudes. Implications: The convergent perspectives of both teacher groups suggest unified approaches to addressing demotivation factors. Findings contribute to second language acquisition literature by confirming demotivation's multidimensional nature. Pedagogically, results can enhance teachers' awareness of demotivation factors, enabling them to provide better learning opportunities and implement preventive measures in EFL contexts.

References

Abercrombie, D. (1991). Teaching pronunciation. In A. Brown (Ed.), Teaching English pronunciation: A book of readings, New York: Routledge.

Acton, W. (1984). Changing fossilized pronunciation. TESOL Quarterly, 18(1), 71-85.

Acton, W. (1992). Technique entropy in language teaching. Bulletin of the Faculty of Nagoya University of Commerce and Business Administration, 37(1), 45-55.

Acton, W. (1998). Directed motion in second language pronunciation instruction. Journal of Communication and International Studies, 5(1), 43-52.

Anderson-Hsieh, J., R. Johnson and K. Koehler. 1992. “The relationship between native speaker judgments of nonnative pronunciation and deviance in segmentals, prosody, and syllable structure”. Language Learning 42 (4), 529-555.

Andrews, S. (2006). The evolution of teachers' language awareness. Language Awareness, 15(1),1-19.

Andrews, S. (2007). Teacher language awareness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Avery, P. & Ehrlich, S. (1992). Teaching American English pronunciation. Oxford; Oxford University Press.

Berry, C. C., & Dienes, Z. (1993). Implicit learning: Theoretical and empirical issues. East Sussex, UK: Erlbaum.

Brazil, D. (1994). Pronunciation For Advanced Learners of English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Brown, A. (2008). Pronunciation and good language learners. In C. Griffiths (Ed.), Lessons from good language learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Brown, H. D. (2000). Principles of language learning and teaching (4th ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman.

Brown, H. D. (2007). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (3rd ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education.

Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., & Goodwin, J. M. (2010). Teaching pronunciation 2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Celce-Murcia, M.; Brinton, D. M.; & Goodwin, J. M. (1996). Teaching pronunciation: A reference for teachers of English to speakers of other languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Cheng, F. (1998). The Teaching of Pronunciation to Chinese Students of English. English Teaching Forum, Jan-Mar, 1998, 37-39.

Cruttenden, A. (2001). Gimson's Pronunciation Of English. 6th Edition. London: Arnold.

Dalton, D. (2002). Some Techniques for Teaching Pronunciation. Retrieved May 1, 2002, from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Dalton_Pronunciation.html

Dalton, C. and B. Seidlhofer.(1994b). 'Is pronunciation teaching desirable? Is it feasible?' in T. Sebbage and S. Sebbage (eds.). Proceedings of the 4th International NELLE Conference. Hamburg: NELLE.

DeKeyser, R. (2003). Implicit and explicit learning. In Doughty & Long (eds.), The handbook of second language acquisition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Derwing, T. M., & Munro, M. J. (2005). Second language accent and pronunciation teaching: a research-based approach. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. 20, 379-398.

Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, K., and J. Przedlacka. Eds. 2005. English Pronunciation Models: A Changing Scene. Bern: Peter Lang.

Ellis, N. (1994). Implicit and explicit language learning- an overview. In N. Ellis (Ed.), Implicit and explicit learning of languages (pp. 1-31). London: Academic Press.

Ellis, N. C., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (2009b). Language as a Complex Adaptive System (Special Issue). Language Learning, 59: Supplement 1.

Firth, S. (1992). Pronunciation Syllabus Design: A Question of Focus. In P. Avery & S. Ehrlich (Eds.), Teaching American English pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford UP.

Flege, J. (2003). Assessing constraints on second language segmental production and perception in A. Meyer and N. Schiller (eds.). Phonetics and Phonology in Language Comprehension and Production, Differences and Similarities. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Flege, J., D. Birdsong, E. Bialystok, M.Mack, H. Sung,and K. Tsukada. (2006). ‘Degree of foreign accent in English sentences produced by Korean children and adults’. Journal of Phonetics 34/2:153–75.

Frensch, P. A. & Runger, D. (2003). Implicit learning. Current Directions in Psychological Science. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Kumar, M., & and Rahimi, J. (2025) Decoding Academic Integrity Policies: A Corpus Linguistics Investigation of AI and Other Technological Threats. Higher Education Policy.

Minhong, Y. & Ailun, L. (2006). The effect of implicit learning on the learning of a second language pronunciation. Psychological Science, 3, 26.

Mohseni, M. S. (2011). The effect of the explicit vs. implicit teaching of English consonant clusters on the Persian high-school students’ learning and retention. (MA dissertation). Payam-e-Noor University, Iran.

Munro, M. J. & Derwing, T. M. (2011). Research timeline: Accent and intelligibility in pronunciation research. Language Teaching, 43(3), 316-327.

Papachristou, V. (2011). Explicit vs. implicit pronunciation teaching to Greek children: The case of the acquisition of English vowels. Selected papers from the 19th ISTAL, 371-381.

Saito, K. (2013). Reexamining effects of form-focused instruction on L2 pronunciation Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 35, 1-29.

Zhao, Y., & Lee, H. (2024). I feel AI is neither too good nor too bad: Unveiling Chinese EFL teachers’ perceived emotions in generative AI-Mediated L2 classes. Computers in Human Behavior, 161, 10842.