Developing Form-Focused Pronunciation Instruction towards Comprehensible Speech in L2 Learners: A Structural Equation Modelling Study

2020 Fiscal Year Research-status Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12482
• Research Institution: Tsuruoka National College of Technology
• Principal Investigator: 阿部 秀樹 鶴岡工業高等専門学校, その他部局等, 准教授 (20300527)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: Comprehensibility / Individual Differences / L2 pronunciation / Motivation / PLS

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

Considerable research has been done over the last decade to improve our understanding of the factors relating to successful L2 pronunciation achievement and L2 pronunciation acquisition. However, the mediating role of ID has been barely explored, with empirical evidence scarce and inconclusive. Thus, an urgent need exists for more studies examining the role of ID variables, as well as the combination of the variables for the efficacy of L2 pronunciation instruction.
This paper intends to fill this research gap in the literature, by offering an analysis of three areas in L2 pronunciation: language-learning strategies, motivation, and the joint influence of motivational factors and learning strategies, and the role they play on the achievement of L2 pronunciation.

Current Status of Research Progress

3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.

Reason

Due to the online classes conducted in the first semester because of the COVID-19,the classroom experiments previously scheduled during the semester were not able to be conducted. The experiments aimed to enhance learners' comprehensibility in terms of classroom interaction among students, which was difficult to carry on in a situation where all students wear masks.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

Limitations of findings thus far: (1) more participants need to be included to confirm the the integrity of the findings, because the number of participants was minimal; (2) the majority of the participants were male, which may have influenced the outcome of the present study; and (3) the R2 in L2 pronunciation might be small.
Despite urging caution regarding these limitations, I hope that the study’s results, demonstrating that several ID factors work in tandem to achieve L2 comprehensibility, can help learners improve their pronunciation while motivating future attempts to teach foreign language pronunciation in the classroom.

Causes of Carryover

最終実験が不可能だったこと、予定していた海外学会がすべて中止になったこと。最終年度に出来なかった実験は新年度に行うため延長申請を行った。