Review of LaScotte, Meyers & Tarone (2023): Voice and mirroring in L2 pronunciation instruction
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: While second language (L2) pronunciation research has been increasingly robust in the past 30 years, the question of how to approach pronunciation in the classroom remains far from settled.In Voice and Mirroring in L2 Pronunciation Instruction, the authors offer a book that contains both a comprehensive review of top-down approaches to pronunciation instruction and a practical and detailed description of a specific pronunciation technique within the top-down paradigm: Mirroring.Mirroring is a technique where a learner studies a video of a speaker, focusing on that person's voice and non-verbal communication.They then perform the same material attempting to emulate the speaker.The book contains seven chapters.The first chapters work to explain and build a case for top-down techniques; the authors then present specific guidelines they recommend for using this approach.The final chapters contain instructions for using Mirroring, as well as presenting case studies of specific learners using this technique.The Appendices offer handouts and worksheets for students, as well as teacher notes.The introductory chapter gives an overview of the book and definitions of key terminology such as comprehensibility and intelligibility, as well as basic terminology that describes pronunciation.The authors stress the importance of pronunciation instruction in general and make an argument for using an intelligibility-based approach in the classroom.They also define top-down and bottom-up approaches to teaching pronunciation, and place themselves firmly in the top-down camp.They describe bottom-up strategies as being structuralist and nativist in character, and generally approaching both segmentals and suprasegmentals in a decontextualized way.Conversely, the top-down approach is presented as communicative, focusing on intelligibility, social factors, and learner identity.In chapter two the book moves on to give an overview of theories the authors classify as bottom-up, explaining structuralist language analysis, then cognitive theories including behaviorism, innatism, and developmental.They then offer Variationist theory as top-down theory.These are all presented in their historical context, which is helpful for readers who are not overly familiar with how perspectives on language learning in general, and pronunciation learning specifically, have
Author: Jennifer A Foote
Institutions: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, University of Alberta
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: University of Alberta
OpenAlex ID: W4404814558