Pronunciation Teaching Issues: Answering Teachers’ Questions

RELC Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 003368822096404
Author(s):  
Graeme Couper
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Expanding Circle ◽  
Bilingual Speaker ◽  
Pedagogic Knowledge ◽  
Theory Research

This article reviews questions that non-native (NNEST) and native speaker (NEST) teachers, working in different contexts, have about pronunciation teaching. It draws on theory, research, and practice to answer those questions as far as possible. The data was collected across two projects that investigated teachers’ cognitions: their knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and practices. The first project involved semi-structured interviews with 28 NNESTs in Uruguay while the second was set in New Zealand and involved questionnaires (N=83), semistructured interviews (N=19) and classroom observations (N=6). The 19 New Zealand interviews involved 11 with New Zealand English native (L1) speakers, six with Inner Circle variety of English L1 speakers, one Outer Circle bilingual and one Expanding Circle bilingual speaker. While a number of results from these studies have already been reported (Couper, 2016a, 2016b, 2017, 2019), this article revisits the data in order to isolate questions and issues, and compare them across the two contexts. The data from Uruguay reveal insights into NNESTs’ perspectives while the data from New Zealand provide perspectives from those teaching Asian L1 students. Questions relate to: 1. the learner; 2. what to teach; 3. how to teach; 4. dealing with curriculum, textbook, and time issues; 5. teacher’s pronunciation ability and knowledge of phonetics and phonology There are some differences between the groups, such as NNESTs lacking confidence in their own pronunciation and NESTs lacking knowledge of phonetics and phonology. However, there are more similarities, with many questions not being specific to either context. These involve pedagogic knowledge and issues around priorities, setting goals, and space for pronunciation teaching. The questions and issues are addressed in terms of theories and what is known from the increasing body of research into pronunciation teaching. Practical examples of how this knowledge can be applied in the classroom are also suggested.

Youth Organizing for Social Change: Theory, Research, and Practice

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seema Shah ◽  
Sara McAlister ◽  
Kavitha Mediratta ◽  
Roderick Watts ◽  
Obari Cartman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Change Theory ◽  
Youth Organizing ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Social Change Theory ◽  
Theory Research

A Bibliography of CIP Theory, Research, and Practice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Sampson ◽  
Janet Lenz ◽  
V. Casey Dozier ◽  
Debra Osborn ◽  
Gary Peterson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research And Practice ◽  
Theory Research

Cytisine as an alternative smoking cessation product for Pacific smokers in New Zealand

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-95
Author(s):  
Vili Nosa ◽  
Kotalo Leau ◽  
Natalie Walker
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Partial Agonist ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Liquid Form ◽  
Pacific People ◽  
The Pacific

ABSTRACT Introduction: Pacific people in New Zealand have one of the highest rates of smoking.  Cytisine is a plant-based alkaloid that has proven efficacy, effectiveness and safety compared to a placebo and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smoking cessation.  Cytisine, like varenicline, is a partial agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and blocks the rewarding effects of nicotine. Cytisine is naturally found in some plants in the Pacific region, and so may appeal to Pacific smokers wanting to quit. This paper investigates the acceptability of cytisine as a smoking cessation product for Pacific smokers in New Zealand, using a qualitative study design. Methods: In December 2015, advertisements and snowball sampling was used to recruit four Pacific smokers and three Pacific smoking cessation specialists in Auckland, New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews where undertaken, whereby participants were asked about motivations to quit and their views on smoking cessation products, including cytisine (which is currently unavailable in New Zealand). Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, with thematic analysis conducted manually. Findings: Pacific smokers reported wanting to quit for loved ones and family, but did not find currently available smoking cessation products effective. Almost all participants had not previously heard of cytisine, but many of the Pacific smokers were keen to try it. Participants identified with cytisine on a cultural basis (given its natural status), but noted that their use would be determined by the efficacy of the medicine, its cost, side-effects, and accessibility. They were particularly interested in cytisine being made available in liquid form, which could be added to a “smoothie” or drunk as a “traditional tea”.  Participants thought cytisine should be promoted in a culturally-appropriate way, with packaging and advertising designed to appeal to Pacific smokers. Conclusions: Cytisine is more acceptable to Pacific smokers than other smoking cessation products, because of their cultural practices of traditional medicine and the natural product status of cytisine.

Meeting the Needs of Gifted Learners Who Just Don’t ‘Fit’: Parent Perspectives

2019 ◽  
pp. 6-16
Author(s):  
Nadine Ballam ◽  
Anne Sturgess
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Gifted Education ◽  
Support Staff ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Parent Perspectives ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Gifted Learners ◽  
Initial Cohort ◽  
Data Informed

In February 2018, a full-time provider of gifted education opened in New Zealand with its initial cohort of children. This provider catered for learners from ages 1-15 years who did not ‘fit’ in mainstream education settings. This paper reports on a research project that focused on the effectiveness of the learning approach at this school in its inaugural year. Two sources of data informed this research, including semi-structured interviews with parents and learning and support staff, and an analysis of documents related to the philosophy, curriculum, and learning approach. This paper reports on benefits and limitations of the learning approach identified by the parent participants in the study.

scholarly journals NICU and postpartum nurse perspectives on involving fathers in newborn care: a qualitative study

BMC Nursing ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine W. Buek ◽  
Dagoberto Cortez ◽  
Dorothy J. Mandell
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Father Involvement ◽  
Perinatal Care ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Newborn Care ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Provider Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Sense Of Efficacy

Abstract Background Perinatal care nurses are well positioned to provide the education and support new fathers need to navigate the transition to fatherhood and to encourage positive father involvement from the earliest hours of a child’s life. To effectively serve fathers in perinatal settings, it is important to understand the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of healthcare providers that may encourage and engage them, or alternatively alienate and discourage them. Methods This qualitative study involved structured interviews with ten NICU and postpartum nurses from hospitals in two large Texas cities. The interview protocol was designed to elicit descriptive information about nurses’ attitudes and beliefs, sense of efficacy and intention for working with fathers, as well as their father-directed behaviors. Nurses were recruited for the study using a purposive sampling approach. Interviews were conducted by telephone and lasted approximately 25 to 35 min. Data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach. Results Overall, study participants held very positive subjective attitudes toward fathers and father involvement. Nevertheless, many of the nurses signaled normative beliefs based on race/ethnicity, gender, and culture that may moderate their intention to engage with fathers. Participants also indicated that their education as well as the culture of perinatal healthcare are focused almost entirely on the mother-baby dyad. In line with this focus on mothers, participants comments reflected a normative belief that fathers are secondary caregivers to their newborns, there to help when the mother is unavailable. Conclusions Nurse attitudes and practices that place mothers in the role of primary caregiver may be interpreted by fathers as excluding or disregarding them. Further research is needed to validate the results of this small-scale study, and to assess whether and how provider attitudes impact their practices in educating and engaging fathers in newborn care.

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