This study examines the effects of shadowing on the acquisition of English stops, with particular emphasis on English voiced lax stops [b, d, g] and voiceless tense stops [p*, t*, k*]. The test subjects consisted of forty males and females of Korean n...
This study examines the effects of shadowing on the acquisition of English stops, with particular emphasis on English voiced lax stops [b, d, g] and voiceless tense stops [p*, t*, k*]. The test subjects consisted of forty males and females of Korean nationality who were learning English as a second language and exhibited intermediate-level English fluency. These subjects were divided into four different groups: 1) pronunciation education and shadowing (ES group), 2) shadowing only (SO group), 3) listening only (LO group), and 4) no input (NI group). The purpose of the study was to test the following hypotheses. First, subjects performing shadowing can produce VOT values of stops which approximate those of a native speaker more closely than the VOT values of stops produced by learners who had only listened to the pronunciation of a native speaker. Second, the ES group will demonstrate VOT values of stops in a manner more comparable to native speakers than the way in which the SO group articulates the same values. Third, VOT values of stops acquired through shadowing can be applied to the pronunciation of novel words.
With regard to the conditions used in testing the four groups, the subjects in the SO and LO groups were required to participate in shadowing and listening respectively without engaging in any other process, whereas the subjects in the ES group performed shadowing after being shown the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds based on activation of vocal cords, place of articulation, and visual tongue movement through a pronunciation-teaching application developed by the University of Iowa. The VOT values of the four groups were measured twice, before and after shadowing and listening. The subjects were presented with words on a screen while listening to words and performing shadowing. The VOT values of the subjects were compared with those of a male native speaker of English and analyzed by employing four-way repeated measure ANOVA.
The results of the study are as follows. First, shadowing was confirmed to elicit more near-native VOT values than listening. Second, the subtle VOT difference between the ES and SO groups led to the conclusion that the effect of pronunciation education was not significant. Third, the VOT values of stops acquired by means of shadowing were applicable to the context of novel words. Fourth, Korean learners of English seem to be more proficient in imitating English tense stops than English lax stops due to the voicelessness of Korean stops. Fifth, the female subjects in the study proved superior to the male subjects in imitating the VOT values of stops produced by a native speaker.
Given the effects of shadowing on the acquisition of English stops, this study provides several findings and suggestions as to the role of shadowing in learning English as a second language. Shadowing, which has already been well-established as a method of learning suprasegmental elements, can also be conducive to the acquisition of segmental elements. Due to its involving simultaneous perception and production, shadowing is more effective in helping learners discern the difference between the sounds they produce and the sounds they hear compared to traditional listening-only approaches to English pronunciation. It is expected that the positive effects of shadowing would become more pronounced if a second language learner were to perform shadowing in a more consistent manner over an extended period of time.
Key words: voice onset time (VOT), shadowing, pronunciation learning, second language, stops, lax, tense, plosive
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