Phonological Aspects of English Teaching and Learning #2 Research Paper

Phonological Aspects of English Teaching and Learning #2 - Research Paper Example As the number of non-native English speakers rises due to globalization, there is a growing interest in phonology as the original language, which is fundamentally Standard English, has undergone some modifications (Mohammed and Alzughaibi, 2012). The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the phonological aspects of teaching and learning English by Arabic students who are not native English speakers. The several variants of English make it a wide area of research. Most ESL (English as a second language) teachers agree on the necessity of teaching explicit pronunciation in language courses (Montrul, 2010). While confidence in pronunciation facilitates the learners’ interactions with native speakers and improves their linguistic development, poor pronunciation masks good language skills and condemns learners to less academic, social, and professional advancement than they deserve (Clark, Yallop & Fletcher, 2007). When learners interact more with native speakers, they will greatly improve their pronunciation, but their hindrance stems from the fact that such interactional skills do not come naturally. As Kavaliauskiene (2009) points out, foreign language is influenced by their mother tongue and learners analyze and digest the information they receive from the perspective of their mother tongue first and then the new foreign language. Acknowledging this observation, it can also be said that the Arabic L1 phonological system can either facilitate or interfere with the learning of the L2 English phonological system. More specifically, it can be demonstrated that Arab learners insert vowels unintentionally in the onset and coda of some English syllables. For example, the syllable structures in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) did not allow clusters of the type CCC initially as English language did. So, as a result, the Arabic learners of English will insert the high front short

Profile about the life and beliefs of Amanpreet Gill, a young girl who Essay

Profile about the life and beliefs of Amanpreet Gill, a young girl who was Born West Bengel, India - Essay Example Years back, Gill and her family went to visit her uncle in Punjab and her younger brother was viciously attacked by her uncle’s dog. This incident traumatized her and left her with a very bad taste in her mouth about dogs. Each country has got its own culture and traditions. According to the traditions of Gill’s people, when a visitor visits a home, residents of that home are supposed to anoint the door through which the visitor entered the homestead. This is supposed to welcome good spirits that the visitor came with into the home. They do this because according they believe that visitors are forms of good spirits that come to bless a home. Gill’s dad was not an educated man, neither was he academic in nature. However, this did not hither him from encouraging Gill to partake English and other English related courses. Gill took this encouragement seriously and due to her positive attitude, she performed well in her English papers. Interestingly, whenever Gill sat an exam, the teacher would award her 19 ? points out of the total of 20 points. This was very irritating to Gill since she would be forced to write another better composition. One of the most interesting experiences for Gill while in class was when they were having reading sessions. She enjoyed reading and would always express what she was reading on her face. For instance, if the character in the book was angry or scared, she would portray this on her face, creating clear images of the character in the minds of her classmates. Gill also enjoyed reading since her teacher always told her class that the more one reads, the more one became knowledgeable and expounded on the vocabulary prowess. This was a tip Gill took seriously and spent every opportunity she got to read and read out loud, something that contributed to her strong command of English. Besides being good in class, Gill took part in other curricular activities. She took part in card making competitions, and painting sessi ons. Gill also made use of her expertise in essay writing and took part in essay writing competitions. She took part in one particular essay writing competition where she was youngest in the group. The topic of the essays that they were supposed to write was â€Å"An event that happened to a younger sibling.† Gill wrote of an incident where her brother had put peanuts in her food and she had an allergic reaction after eating the food. Gill won the competition for her well written piece and her school was recognized as an award-winning school when it came to essay writing. The school won first prize, thanks to Gills well placed efforts. Gill still works hard because she wants to maintain her high G.P.A. of 4.0. Her dad always told her that getting to the top is very easy. The task is remaining at the top and maintaining the high standard. This has always served as a motivating factor for Gill and she always goes an extra mile to make sure that she maintains her good writing sk ills and her command of English. In addition to that, Gill works hard to ensure that she completes her core requirements so she will always have an advantage over her colleagues. This has helped her confidence in her abilities, another reason for her exemplary excellent performance in all activities that she takes to, besides academic work. Gill’s dream career is to be a Registered Nurse. Her aunt, who is also a nurse, has greatly influenced Gill’s decision to be a nurse. Gill has therefore taken special interest in what her aunt does saying that she wants to know everything that it takes for one to be a successful aunt. Gill, being a very ambitious girl, wants to practice her nursing skills in Dallas, Baylor. One thing that Gill believes in is that attaining personal goals makes a