Teaching the Pronunciation of English as a Lingua Franca.

Foote, Jennifer A.

Teaching the Pronunciation of English as a Lingua Franca Robin Walker Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2010, 223 pages

Robin Walker's Teaching the Pronunciation of English as a Lingua Franca offers a straightforward and accessible introduction to the concept and practice of teaching pronunciation from an English-as-a-Lingua-Franca (ELF) perspective. When using the term ELF, Walker is referring "fundamentally to interaction between non-native speakers" (p. 6). He contrasts this with terms such as English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL), which "assume that all learners are seeking competence in English in order to communicate with its native speakers" (p. 5). This book outlines reasons for adopting ELF when teaching pronunciation, describes what the foci of ELF pronunciation instruction should be, and offers suggestions for how to teach and assess pronunciation in an ELF classroom. The book is divided into six chapters and includes an audio CD with 20 recordings of various ELF-speakers having short conversations and 10 recordings of ELF-speakers reading an elicitation paragraph.

Walker begins the book by discussing the changing role of English in the world. He argues that for the vast number of non-native speakers (NNS) of English who use English primarily with other NNSs, a native-speaker (NS) pronunciation model should be abandoned. Instead, only linguistic features that are likely to impede communication between NNSs should receive attention in the classroom. This set of pronunciation features make up the Lingua Franca Core (LFC). In the second chapter, Walker describes the LFC and discusses the reasons for including and excluding various features of pronunciation that are typically found in ESL/EFL classrooms. The LFC includes most consonant sounds (with the exception of /[theta]/ and /[eth]/as in think and them), consonant clusters, and vowels. However, when teaching vowels, instructors and learners are encouraged "to focus their attention on the longshort differences between vowels rather than achieving any exact, native-speaker quality" (p. 34). In terms of suprasegmentals, only one, nuclear stress placement, is included. Although some non-core pronunciation features are considered neutral or even slightly useful to ELF intelligibility, other features such as weak forms and connected speech are considered detrimental to intelligibility between NNSs, and readers are encouraged actively to avoid working on these features. Given the dramatic departure from current practice on the teaching of suprasegmentals, a stronger empirical argument for the exclusion of these features should have been included. However, in fairness, Walker's goal with this chapter is less about defending the features of the LFC and more about presenting and explaining these features.

Chapter 3 addresses various concerns that people may have with adopting an ELF approach and also highlights some of the benefits of using ELF. Some of his reasons for adopting the LFC include the relative ease with which it can be taught, the flexibility it offers in allowing learners to maintain their first-language accents, and the improved role of NNS instructors as pronunciation experts in the classroom. Chapters 4 and 5 offer teaching techniques and pronunciation suggestions for learners from specific first-language backgrounds. Although some of the pronunciation activities included are new or modified for the LFC, much of the information, although useful, does not differ significantly from standard pronunciation techniques offered in other more traditional pronunciation guides. For example, activities featuring minimal pairs and dictation are both included. The final chapter deals with issues

around planning and assessment, giving suggestions for how to integrate the LFC into regular ELF classes and how to create a syllabus using the LFC. Finally, Walker discusses the role of proficiency tests in pronunciation assessment and offers suggestions for in-class testing.

Using an ELF approach to pronunciation instruction may not be the most appropriate choice for many Canadian ESL classrooms, where most learners will speak regularly with native speakers and would probably benefit from a heavier focus on suprasegmental instruction. However, Walker does not claim that the LFC is ideal for all pronunciation teaching. A minor issue with the book is its slightly unbalanced view of traditional ESL/EFL pronunciation instruction. Walker states. "The long term aim of most pronunciation teaching has been to eliminate all traces of 'foreign' accent" (p. 100). Although this may be the case in some language programs, intelligibility is the goal of most informed pronunciation instructors. Nonetheless, overall this book is successful as an Oxford Handbook. It is clear, concise, instructor-friendly, and would be of interest to anyone interested in learning more about ELF and the LFC.

The Reviewer

Jennifer A. Foote (MEd TESL) is a doctoral student at Concordia University in Montreal. She has also taught English in Canada, Japan, the Czech Republic, and South Korea. She is interested in issues related to teaching pronunciation.