Cambridge Exams FCE - ESL Teaching

fceblog · Wed 18-Oct-06, 12:51 PM

Hello!

My name is Claudia and I am teaching English in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I wanted to share with this forum community the work I am doing online. I am writing a blog for First Certificate in English students who are in search for good online learning resources.

THE FCE BLOG by Claudia Ceraso

My aim is to connect teachers and students preparing for the FCE exam around the world. If you are interested, you may join us with your comments and advice.

Wishing all best in your exam preparation,

Claudia
fceblog at gmail.com

THE FCE BLOG by Claudia Ceraso: FCE Guest Map

gfell · Wed 18-Oct-06, 06:51 PM

Hello Claudia,

Thank you for your useful site. Some good information there. I noticed your discussion on:

Quote:

We need to analyse in more detail what is necessary to sound better and get rid off a strong foreign accent. Do not blame it on your vocal cords or lack of a musical ear:

Sometimes I think it's very difficult to get rid of one's mother-tongue accent. I have been living in Japan now for a number of years and consider myself quite capable speaking Japanese. However, if I were to speak to a Japanese person over the phone or even face to face, the Japanese native would soon know that I'm a foreigner. Even if it's 1 single word like "konnichiwa" on the telephone.

How much practice does one need in saying 1 word in order to sound like a local? I have known of many who immigrate to a country and after 20+ years still have their mother-tongue. Hence, I don't see any easy solution on how to achieve the goals you mentioned.

fceblog · Thu 19-Oct-06, 01:56 AM

Hello Gfell,

Thank you for your feedback.

For those students who may read this thread because of the FCE exam, I would like to clarify that the objective for an FCE student is not to achieve native-like pronunciation at all. The idea is to try to approximate the native model and lose a "strong L1 accent". It has never been my aim in class or in THE FCE BLOG by Claudia Ceraso to ask a student to get rid of his mother tongue accent completely. Frankly I wonder how useful that would be and whether the time and effort is worth it.

People learn languages for varied reasons. I believe that the aim we all share is communication. However, when it comes to your sounds, several things are communicated, your background or your place in society for instance. Your pronunciation is part of your identity. If I wanted to make English friends and tried to sound as if I were the Queen when I want to communicate I am a teacher... I would be setting up a barrier with a lot of people! Working with sounds is fine, but I would not recommend a personality transplant. As teachers, we have the responsibility of helping students setting achievable and reasonable goals.

About your question How much practice does one need in saying 1 word in order to sound like a local?, I would focus more on the quality rather than the quantity of practice. Repeating mistakes can definitely fix them. It is debatable whether we should start by working on the tones and then the individual sounds or the other way about. Traditionally course books have dealt with the individual sounds first. I also do that in my blogTHE FCE BLOG by Claudia Ceraso: Pronunciation Starter Pack.

That kind of practice did work when I first studied my sounds and I still do try to improve them. I have found that learning to pronounce is more like doing gym, you need to keep it up to maintain elasticity. Not all of us can keep the flexibility of a child to imitate the standards of gym or phonetics teachers. There are in Argentina Spanish or Italian people who have lived here many years and still speak Latin American Spanish with an accent. We all find that quite charming. Yet that need not be the attitude to foreign accents in every English speaking country. That is the magic of learning a foreign language, to open up to see things under a different light. If the aim is communication, students should be aware of what their sounds mean.

gfell · Thu 19-Oct-06, 01:17 PM

Thank you for your clarification. Totally agree with you.

The whole idea behind learning another language is to improve communication between different cultures. There is nothing wrong with having a thick accent as long as you can still communicate. But it all depends on whom you are communicating with.

Some schools, correction MOST schools will not employ teachers with a thick accent as it's too hard on the students for learning.

Wed 18-Oct-06, 12:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
fceblog ESL Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Occupation: Teacher Location: Posts: 4	Cambridge Exams FCE Hello! My name is Claudia and I am teaching English in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I wanted to share with this forum community the work I am doing online. I am writing a blog for First Certificate in English students who are in search for good online learning resources. THE FCE BLOG by Claudia Ceraso My aim is to connect teachers and students preparing for the FCE exam around the world. If you are interested, you may join us with your comments and advice. Wishing all best in your exam preparation, Claudia fceblog at gmail.com THE FCE BLOG by Claudia Ceraso: FCE Guest Map

Thu 19-Oct-06, 01:17 PM	#4 (permalink)
gfell Administrator Join Date: May 2005 Nationality: American Occupation: Teacher Location: Posts: 654	mother-tongue accent Thank you for your clarification. Totally agree with you. The whole idea behind learning another language is to improve communication between different cultures. There is nothing wrong with having a thick accent as long as you can still communicate. But it all depends on whom you are communicating with. Some schools, correction MOST schools will not employ teachers with a thick accent as it's too hard on the students for learning. __________________ English Teacher and Student Site Teach English and Study Abroad! Teaching Community at Teacher Forums ESL Teacher and Student Directory!

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Thu 19-Oct-06, 01:56 AM	#3 (permalink)
fceblog ESL Newbie Join Date: Oct 2006 Occupation: Teacher Location: Posts: 4	Hello Gfell, Thank you for your feedback. For those students who may read this thread because of the FCE exam, I would like to clarify that the objective for an FCE student is not to achieve native-like pronunciation at all. The idea is to try to approximate the native model and lose a "strong L1 accent". It has never been my aim in class or in THE FCE BLOG by Claudia Ceraso to ask a student to get rid of his mother tongue accent completely. Frankly I wonder how useful that would be and whether the time and effort is worth it. People learn languages for varied reasons. I believe that the aim we all share is communication. However, when it comes to your sounds, several things are communicated, your background or your place in society for instance. Your pronunciation is part of your identity. If I wanted to make English friends and tried to sound as if I were the Queen when I want to communicate I am a teacher... I would be setting up a barrier with a lot of people! Working with sounds is fine, but I would not recommend a personality transplant. As teachers, we have the responsibility of helping students setting achievable and reasonable goals. About your question How much practice does one need in saying 1 word in order to sound like a local?, I would focus more on the quality rather than the quantity of practice. Repeating mistakes can definitely fix them. It is debatable whether we should start by working on the tones and then the individual sounds or the other way about. Traditionally course books have dealt with the individual sounds first. I also do that in my blogTHE FCE BLOG by Claudia Ceraso: Pronunciation Starter Pack. That kind of practice did work when I first studied my sounds and I still do try to improve them. I have found that learning to pronounce is more like doing gym, you need to keep it up to maintain elasticity. Not all of us can keep the flexibility of a child to imitate the standards of gym or phonetics teachers. There are in Argentina Spanish or Italian people who have lived here many years and still speak Latin American Spanish with an accent. We all find that quite charming. Yet that need not be the attitude to foreign accents in every English speaking country. That is the magic of learning a foreign language, to open up to see things under a different light. If the aim is communication, students should be aware of what their sounds mean.

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