Listening Comprehension in a GELT Class: An Explicit Phonological Instruction

Abstract

Among the English Language Teaching (ELT) methodologies, the Global Englishes Language Teaching (GELT) approach has been effective in teaching English in the era of globalization. The past GELT studies have focused on how exposure to various English varieties affects learners' attitudes toward Global Englishes, including the Inner, Outer, and Expanding Circles, without explicit phonological instructions. This study investigated the impact of explicit instructions on phonological features for the sake of improving learners’ listening comprehension. The participants were 43 Applied English freshmen from a university of technology in central Taiwan who were exposed to five varieties of English: English Received Pronunciation (ERP), Singaporean English (SGE), Japanese English (JPE), Standard American English (SAE), and Taiwanese English (TWE) with explicit instructions of the first three varieties during the autumn semester of 2021. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were used, including pre- and post-tests, pre- and post-questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. The study found that apart from the exposure to diverse English accents and pronunciations, explicit instructions on phonological features also enhanced listening comprehension. The participants also recognized the phonological characteristics of the three taught varieties. The results suggest that the participants can benefit from phonological explicit instructions to facilitate their listening comprehension and phonological awareness.

Keywords

Global Englishes Language Teaching (GELT), explicit instructions, listening comprehension, phonological awareness