Online Survey | Built with Qualtrics Experience Management™

Q1.

Request Letter to those who is taking Pronunciation class at ALI/ Language Academy at the USC (or pronunciation class which offered by USC) now or took it before.

Dear participant:

I would like you to participate in my pilot study on teaching international students English pronunciation at the University of Southern California. The research discusses common teaching strategies in pronunciation classes, most students’ pronunciation learning problems, as well as teaching strategies students benefit from.

I sincerely invite you to assist me to accomplish my research. All your answers will be confidential and will not be used against you. Your personal information will not be disclosed in the whole research paper. Thank you!

Best regards,

Ting-Yu Wu

tingyuwu@usc.edu

M.S. TESOL candidate of USC

January, 01, 2009

Q2.

Consent Form

I agree to participate in a study being conducted by Ting-Yu Wu for her master’s research project. As a participant in this study, I realize that I will be asked to complete a questionnaire and provide sincere answers to the questions I chose.

Participant’s name:

Participant’s e-mail address

Participant’s Signature

Date

Q3.

Section 1: Background Information

1. What is your name?

Q4.

2. How old are you?

Q5. 3. What is your gender?

Male
Female

Q6. 4. Where are you from?

Q7. 5. What native languages do you speak?

Q8.

Section 2: Purpose of English Learning

1. At what age did you start to learn English?

Q9.

2. How many years have you been learning English?

Q10.

3. What is your purpose of learning English?

English is a required subject in school
For passing entrance exams
Parental expectation
To communicate with foreign language speakers
To communicate with native speakers
To get a higher salary
To study abroad
I am interested in English
Other

Q11.

4. Where do you usually use English?

Q12.

Section 3: Pronunciation Problems

1. Have you been instructed in English pronunciation before you came to the U.S.A.?

Yes
No

Q13. 2. If your answer to Q1 is Yes, was it a separate class or a component of general English class?

a separate class
a component of a general English class

Q14.

3. Has your pronunciation improved after taking a pronunciation class?

Yes
No

Q15. 4. If you have a foreign accent, do you want to keep it or would you prefer to acquire a native-like accent?

To keep my accent
To acquire native-like accent pronunciation

Q16.

5. If you have a foreign accent, does it ever cause misunderstanding?

Yes
No

Q17.

6. If your answer to Q5 is Yes, will you feel upset or frustrated when people misunderstand you?

Yes
No

Q18.

Section 4: Pronunciation Teaching Strategies

1. What are your teacher’s priorities in teaching pronunciation?

Q19.

2. Which activities did your teacher use?

Description and analysis (the teacher explains how to produce the sounds. E.g., put your tongue between your teeth when you say “thank you”)
Listening discrimination (the teacher pronounces different sounds to let students to distinguish them. E.g., Did I say /b/ or /v/? )
Speaking (E.g., role-play, read the story)
Other

Q20.

3. What methods and materials did your teacher use?

Q21.

4. Does your teacher correct your mistakes immediately or afterwards when you make mistakes?

Immediately
Afterwards
My teacher does not correct my mistakes

Q22.

5. Do you prefer being corrected immediately or afterwards when you make mistakes?

Immediately
Afterwards

Q23.

6. Will you feel frustrated when being corrected?

Yes
No

Q24.

7. What techniques that you feel really IMPROVED your English pronunciation?

Imitating
Memorizing
Choral
Individual
Pair work
Team/Group work
Conscious awareness—knowing the difference/similarities between English and native language
Other

Q25.

8. When students face pronunciation problems, does your teacher adjust different teaching strategies according to students’ language background and learning situation?

Yes, my teacher adjusts different teaching strategies according to students’ language background and learning situation.
No, my teacher uses one strategy to teach all students.

Q26. 9. Does your teacher set up different goals for students to improve according to their learning situation or does your teacher set up a general goal?

My teacher sets up different goals for students to achieve according to their learning situation.
My teacher sets up one general goal for all students to achieve.

Q27. Are the pronunciation instruction or materials relate to your culture? (using cultural and linguistic contexts, E.g., using maps, flags, and customs about your culture in pronunciation texts, or pointing out common pronunciation errors made by people from the same L1...any part of instruction relates to your culture)

Yes
No

Q28. This is the end of the survey
Thank you so much for completing this survey.
I appreciate your help