Communication skills and beyond
Since we were small babies, we have copied the people who surrounds. I do not believe this is just a phase, but throughout our lives. For instance, in the very beginning of our language journey we copy our surroundings sounds, words, and then syntax. If you have read the biography I am Zlatan, you would know that Zlatan spends hours upon hours in front of youtube, trying to copy old football legends. It is the very same with learning pronunciation. As humans we have a basic need of communicate with one another, subsequently we copy our surrounding environments, in order to reach that goal. Firstly, we copy our parents, then our schoolmates and later one famous profiles.
Vivan Cook claims that teacher talk makes up around 70 percent of classroom language (Philstrøm, 2013). She argues that we should encourage students to take a more active part in developing their own speaking skills. From my point of view, is the first few years at school may be the key to lay a foundation of motivation. From my experience, 5-7 graders tend to be less motivated to communicate English. Why is this? I think it is key to teach English in an implicit way. I believe in activating the children through authentic communication situations. In order to activate the children, a good learning environment is a premise. (Philstrøm, 2013) largely agrees upon my point of view. She identifies several key factors in teaching language communication; create a friendly classroom environment, identify specific challenges related to pronunciation and intonation and implement measures in the classroom, teach the pupils language learning strategies, and finally focus on activities that encourage pupils to take an active part in developing their communication skills (Philstrøm, 2013).
Furthermore, I think it is necessary to teach correct pronunciation. Why should not the children try to copy famous people accent and pronunciation? I believe this could be fun and challenging at the same time. In order not to confuse the children, I would emphasise RP (received communication) (Nilsen & Rugesæter, 2008). Do not all national variants ultimately derive from RP? Therefore, I believe it is best to teach the original variant of English, and present other variations later.
In my opinion, English and Norwegian pronunciation can be tough alongside. In both languages, there are allophones, which can be challenging for the pupils. For instance, phonemes like /t/ and /l/ can be articulated in different ways depending on where they occur in the morphemes. Moreover, I think the pupils should do various exercises to practice their pronunciation and their awareness of the difference between a lower and an upper articulator (Nilsen & Rugesæter, 2008). This will increase the chance of the pupils succeeding in communication situations, and result in higher self-confident.
Litterature
Nilsen, T. S., & Rugesæter, K. N. (2008). Basic English Phonetics for Teachers. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget.
Philstrøm, R. (2013). Teaching English in Norway. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.
It´s true that children tend to imitate their parents, care-takers, or whoever is around them when picking up their first/second language, but it´s not entirely correct to say this imitating process lasts for so long. Grown-ups or mature learners may resist imitating others for the sake of identify preservation and may as well choose to speak with their own foreign accent. I must also add that it´s not correct to say that all variants of English are derived from RP. RP is just another variant of Englishes that are spoken in Britain, not the origin of different Englishes.
SvarSlettBy the way, you haven´t really answered the first question? (Please see Fronter for further feedback/comments).