2. Introduction.
To learn a new language means know each component of it. Considering the
English language and to be able to speak it properly, we should consider the view
of experts relate to linguistics who explains the systems of the English language.
The objective of this piece of work is the analysis of a particular student language,
inquiring in his/her problems. First, exposing the background knowledge of the
random student with a short interview (written in this work), explaining the linguistic
problems and possible recommendations to improve his/her language.
The analysis will consist in some student errors according to the English language
system (Grammar/ Syntax, Phonetics/ Phonology).
3. English background
He is a first year student of English pedagogy, who just has eight years of English
studies previous to the university (from fifth year in the elementary school until the
twelfth year in secondary school). He studied in municipals schools and He likes
the idea of be a teacher more than just learn English. Now he is in a KET level.
Taped interview
A: Alex
I: interviewers
1.-I: Good afternoon
2.-A: Good afternoon
3.-I: What’s your name?
4.-A: Alex
5.-I: And your last name?
6.-A: Fuenzalida
7.-I: Why did you decide to choose this mayor?
8.-A: Because I like the Pedagogy. More than English I like the context of
Education. But I prefer English, and compared with other careers, because English
is more funny an a way
9.-I: Do you have other studies of English apart from this university from
elementary and secondary school?
10.-A: No, no, nothing else
11.-I: And at secondary school?
12.-A: Yes but only the class, at secondary school
13.-I: How many years did you study English before to enter to this
university?
14.-A: Eight years, primary school and secondary school
4. 15.-I: So did you start in fifth grade?
16.-A: I don’t remember, I think fifth grade
17.-I: Another question. In your opinion how were your English
lessons? Could you compare your English lessons before and now?
18.-A: In the university the classes are a little bit hard. It has more content on the
class, but the teacher are very good, they has a big availability for answer
questions.
19.-I: And how do you feel studying English at this university?
20.-A: Yes is, I don’t study in others universities but this one is very cool, is very
nice, the contact with other people, I like this university but I didn’t study in others.
21.-I: Which aspects would you like to improve?
22.-A: Speaking skill, I think we have to speak more, improve that skill on this
career.
23.-I: How do you feel with the level of your skills?
24.-A: I feel comfortable because I have class in KET level and I know how to
speak and write and listening in KET level, so I feel comfortable and good.
25.-I: Another question, Can you describe your classes at elementary
school?
26.-A: I think is awful because only teach verb to be and nothing else, so here we
have to learn linguistic function from the classes and Elementary school didn’t.
27.-I: How were the speaking lessons at Secondary school?
28.-A: No, nothing, we speak nothing. Only hear Spanish classes, nothing else. We
don’t have space to speak or listen English. Just Spanish classes
29.-I: What are your expectations after the university?
30.-A: Work, work a couple of years and study a magister, to study a magister if I
can. But only work, work for now after the university
31.-I: What is your opinion about the scholarship abroad? Are you thinking
about that?
32.-A: I prefer to teach in secondary school, that’s that?
5. 33.-I: You can win a scholarship and study one semester in another
university in another country? Have you heard about that?
34.-A: Yes, but I think is a little bit expensive. I don’t know the cost of passages, I
have to cost them, but the studies is, the home is the if lo que cubre la beca. I don’t
know.
35.-I: Do you have any fear?
36.-A: Fear? Only ghosts and spiders.
37.-I: But about the mayor.
38.-A: No, I think not. I have the personality for speak and teach, and then for in
front of the class. That’s no problem for me.
Phonetic transcription
/jes is aɪ dɒnˈstɒdi ɪn ‘ɒðers ˌjuːniˈversɪtis bʌt ðɪs wʌn ɪs ‘veri kuːl ɪs ‘veri nais ðe
ˈkɒntʌk wɪð ‘ɒðer ˈpiːpəl aɪ laik ðɪs juːniˈversɪti bʌt aɪ dɒnˈstɒdi ɪn ‘ɒðers/
/ˈspiːkɪn skɪl aɪ θɪŋk wi hæv tʊ spiːk mɔːr ɪmˈpruːv ðæt skɪl ɒn ðɪs kəˈrɪr/
Analysis and Examples
General analysis:
During this interview we have seen some characteristics of this student, the main
of these is the acceptable level of fluency that he has and the low levels of anxiety.
On the other hand, the weakness more evident is the lack of Grammar knowledge
and vocabulary, which are very common in beginners.
6. Grammar analysis
Analysis n°1
-How were the speaking lessons at Secondary school?
S) No, nothing, we speak nothing. Only hear Spanish classes, nothing else. We
don’t have space to speak or listen English. Just Spanish classes
-Another question, Can you describe how were your classes at the primary school?
S) I think is awful because only teach verb to be and nothing else, so here we
have to learn linguistic function from the classes and Elementary school didn’t.
In this question, we asked about a specific experience in the past. Here we could
see the troubles in the form of the language in an oral production. According of
what we learnt in classes, this mistake is common with beginner students of the
English language, the use of past tense is difficult in the most of the English
productions, but it is even more problematic in oral productions for aspect such as
anxiety or affectivity. Evidently, here we inferred that there is an L1 intervention,
because in Spanish language there is not a big differences between L1 present
form verbs, yo veo; and L2 past form verbs, yo ví; but in English language there
are some big differences.
In general terms a possible solution would be simpler, practice and more practice.
However, in our opinion, the English teaching does not happen just by explaining
language functions or grammar rules, in contrast we are teaching a new culture.
Thereby, it would be a good idea if he starts with listening practice but with basic
speech videos in specific contexts. For example a video or a teacher's exposition
when he hears a past situation, and it exaggerates the past form verbs in the
speech.
Analysis n°2
-What are your expectations after the university?
S) Work, work a couple of years and study a magister, to study a magister. But
only work, work for now after the university
-How were the speaking lessons at Secondary school?
7. S) No, nothing, we speak nothing. Only hear Spanish classes, nothing else. We
don’t have space to speak or listen English. Just Spanish classes.
In these answers we found a very interesting sentence. The problem is in the
structure (form) of language. Here we saw a particular custom of the Spanish
language native speakers; we tend to omit the subject. In the first sentence should
be the repetition of the pronoun and also in the second answer is the use of the
coordinator and, or, etc. even if it is an oral production.
In this opportunity the intervention of L1 is even more evident. However, we
concluded that for this kind of mistake, the best option is to speak slowly and
sentence by sentence with the idea to create a good sentence with a good
structure, thinking carefully what he is going to say. Adding to this, there should be
an increase in self-monitoring or pairs-monitoring, obviously motivated by the
teacher, this relate to the acquisition of the English culture and its development in
the speech to avoid a possible fossilization.
Analysis n°3:
-You can win a scholarship and study one semester in another university in
another country? Have you heard about that?
S) Yes, but I think is a little bit expensive. I don’t know the cost (of?) passages, I
have to cost them, but the studies is, the home is the if lo que cubre la beca. I
don’t know.
In this instance and in our opinion, we saw one the basic factors which affects the
development of the language acquisition. The lack of vocabulary or the difficulties
to create other sentences with the same meaning (paraphrase) is the real
challenge, that we as a teacher, are going to deal. Maybe the instance was not
formal enough, but the idea is that student must elaborate the manner of explain
the same in English with other words. Sometimes there are aspects that affect this
part of the speaking skill, and as we could think in this instance the lack of
vocabulary was the big wall.
Concerning with this, the best suggestion would be the study of more vocabulary
and that is all. However, to us was not as simple as that, thus the best way to
incorporate new and useful vocabulary is reading short texts relate with the
specific context and content, for example the scholarship. Moreover, the idea is
that he could use the vocabulary later in discussion about the texts. Having a text
from a book or wherever and use it in real situations he would understand and use
more words and create more ideas.
8. Phonetics and phonology analysis
Analysis n°1
More than English I like the context of Education
Wrong pronunciation Correct pronunciation
Education /edʊˈkeɪʃən/ /edjʊˈkeɪʃən/
This example shows that the learner’s pronunciation is influenced by the
spelling of the word, but read as a Spanish one. For this reason we can evidence
the use of /ʊ/ instead of /jʊ/.
We have to make the difference between pronunciation and spelling, that is
one of the factors that difficult the learning and good production of sounds. Also
we, as future teachers, have to be aware of this and make corrections opportunely,
to avoid fossilization.
Analysis n°2
Only hear Spanish classes, nothing else.
Wrong pronunciation Correct pronunciation
Nothing /ˈnɒθɪn/ /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
Again we can consider the interference of spelling and Spanish reading of it
in this mistake. But there is another element in this example, which is the omission
of the final sound; this particular phenomenon occurs often when we find a
consonant cluster. This case is the omission of the prolongation of the sound has
as result just the sound /n/ instead of /ŋ/
As a suggestion we should consider the one that was given previously; and
also the use of intensive exercises of speaking, to focus on a certain aspect of
phonetics.
Analysis n°3
It has more content on the class, but the teachers are very good, they has a
big availability for answer question
9. Wrong pronunciation Correct pronunciation
Teachers /ˈtiːʃər/ /ˈtiːtʃərz/
There is an interesting mistake in this line, which is very common in Chilean
speakers: /ʃ/ and /tʃ/ in Spanish are allophones; therefore we do not distinguish
between them. The second one was the most common during the interview that
was the omission of final sound.
In this case, one effective technique could be the comparison between
minimal pairs through repetition, which is borrowed from the Audio-lingual Method.
Proposal
In terms of grammar, the conclusion of the previous suggestions is that the
best way to acquire some grammar rules is the contextualization in order to use the
language. For example, pieces of texts which are relate to the content and the
main grammar points to then use the new vocabulary; using videos previously
prepared to point the use of grammar structure in real situations with the idea of he
uses the new content constantly. Also this accompanied by the constant self and
pair monitoring. All this to improve the aspect that we considered are more urgent.
In the area of phonetics and phonology we have seen mistakes related with
omission of sound in consonant clusters, no differentiation of similar sounds and
interference of spelling. These problems of production are related with lack of
exposure and fossilization. One of the recommendations is the implementation of
extensive listening; students could have the chance to listen new words and their
respective way to pronounce them, including in the process the ability to
differentiate sounds that is crucial in appropriate pronunciation. Also it could be a
good idea to start correcting to this student more often than before, because he
has reached an acceptable level of fluency, thus now the focus on accuracy is
becoming more important in this stage.
