Tasks in explicit L2 pronunciation instruction: FonF vs. FonFS in improving phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility

The effects of focusing second/foreign language (L2) learners’ attentions on phonological forms while communicating in meaningful discourse has recently attracted attention in L2 pronunciation research. One such treatment is focus-on-form (FonF) instruction wherein L2 learners practice and notice...

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Main Authors: Tabandeh, Farhad, Moinzadeh, Ahmad, Barati, Hossein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2018
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12878/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12878/1/22373-71773-1-PB.pdf
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author Tabandeh, Farhad
Moinzadeh, Ahmad
Barati, Hossein
author_facet Tabandeh, Farhad
Moinzadeh, Ahmad
Barati, Hossein
author_sort Tabandeh, Farhad
building UKM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The effects of focusing second/foreign language (L2) learners’ attentions on phonological forms while communicating in meaningful discourse has recently attracted attention in L2 pronunciation research. One such treatment is focus-on-form (FonF) instruction wherein L2 learners practice and notice pronunciation features in communicative tasks rather than in decontextualized exercises and drills (i.e., focus-on-forms [FonFS]). Given this, the current study investigated the differential effects of FonF and FonFS instructions on improving Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ pronunciation of the most problematic English consonants. After identifying the problematic English consonants (i.e., /θ/, /ð/, /w/, /ŋ/) via remedial and expert judgment approaches, 45 pre-intermediate learners embarked on an 8-hour course. The experimental group received FonF, the comparison group received FonFS, and the control group had a free conversation class minus any feedback on the target consonants. Learners’ pronunciations were measured in terms of phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility in controlled and spontaneous tasks. The results of immediate and delayed post-test for phonemic accuracy revealed that whereas both FonF and FonFS were equally effective in controlled tasks, only FonF instruction proved effective up to the delayed post-test in spontaneous tasks; no such improvements, however, were observed for the control group. Results also showed that improvements in phonemic accuracy led to overall comprehensibility enhancements in EFL learners’ speech. The article concludes with some pedagogical implications of the findings.
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spelling oai:generic.eprints.org:128782019-05-09T11:09:32Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12878/ Tasks in explicit L2 pronunciation instruction: FonF vs. FonFS in improving phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility Tabandeh, Farhad Moinzadeh, Ahmad Barati, Hossein The effects of focusing second/foreign language (L2) learners’ attentions on phonological forms while communicating in meaningful discourse has recently attracted attention in L2 pronunciation research. One such treatment is focus-on-form (FonF) instruction wherein L2 learners practice and notice pronunciation features in communicative tasks rather than in decontextualized exercises and drills (i.e., focus-on-forms [FonFS]). Given this, the current study investigated the differential effects of FonF and FonFS instructions on improving Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ pronunciation of the most problematic English consonants. After identifying the problematic English consonants (i.e., /θ/, /ð/, /w/, /ŋ/) via remedial and expert judgment approaches, 45 pre-intermediate learners embarked on an 8-hour course. The experimental group received FonF, the comparison group received FonFS, and the control group had a free conversation class minus any feedback on the target consonants. Learners’ pronunciations were measured in terms of phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility in controlled and spontaneous tasks. The results of immediate and delayed post-test for phonemic accuracy revealed that whereas both FonF and FonFS were equally effective in controlled tasks, only FonF instruction proved effective up to the delayed post-test in spontaneous tasks; no such improvements, however, were observed for the control group. Results also showed that improvements in phonemic accuracy led to overall comprehensibility enhancements in EFL learners’ speech. The article concludes with some pedagogical implications of the findings. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2018 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12878/1/22373-71773-1-PB.pdf Tabandeh, Farhad and Moinzadeh, Ahmad and Barati, Hossein (2018) Tasks in explicit L2 pronunciation instruction: FonF vs. FonFS in improving phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility. 3L; Language,Linguistics and Literature,The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies., 24 (1). pp. 112-127. ISSN 0128-5157 http://ejournal.ukm.my/3l/issue/view/1076
spellingShingle Tabandeh, Farhad
Moinzadeh, Ahmad
Barati, Hossein
Tasks in explicit L2 pronunciation instruction: FonF vs. FonFS in improving phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility
title Tasks in explicit L2 pronunciation instruction: FonF vs. FonFS in improving phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility
title_full Tasks in explicit L2 pronunciation instruction: FonF vs. FonFS in improving phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility
title_fullStr Tasks in explicit L2 pronunciation instruction: FonF vs. FonFS in improving phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility
title_full_unstemmed Tasks in explicit L2 pronunciation instruction: FonF vs. FonFS in improving phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility
title_short Tasks in explicit L2 pronunciation instruction: FonF vs. FonFS in improving phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility
title_sort tasks in explicit l2 pronunciation instruction: fonf vs. fonfs in improving phonemic accuracy and comprehensibility
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12878/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12878/
http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12878/1/22373-71773-1-PB.pdf