Pronunciar para comunicar: uma investigação do efeito do ensino explícito da pronúncia na sala de aula de LE

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the effects of explicit instruction, as well as the durability of such effects, in foreign language teaching. It is believed pronunciation instruction ought to be planned taking into consideration the specif difficulties that leaners' native language imposes, especially in Brasilian teaching context in which this research was carried out, since most foreign language classrooms in Brazil have homogeneity concerning the students' monthe tongue. Therefore, the approach chosen was the interventionist aqction research, which had as participants two classes of basic level, teenager learners of english as a foreign language at a binational center, where students have english classes as an extra-curricular activity. In one of the classes there was intervention of weekly explicit lessons of pronunciation for one semester. All participants were recorded once before and twice after the intervenions, one shortly after, so that both the immediate and the long-term effects of the explicit instruction could be assessed. All recordings were phonetically transcribed an analyzed having as basic second language acquisition and phenetics and phonology theories. The results indicate that, among other conclusions, there are positive effcts of explicit pronunciation teaching and that these effects are durable.