#90, Resource of the week: Verbs Online
ELTWeekly Newsletter Vol. 3 Issue#90 | June 20, 2011 The Verbs Online site provides foreign language students with a good selection of activities for practicing verb conjugations. This site offers practice…
#90, Research Article: ‘Using Fiction (Novel) To Improve The Sentence Structure Of Graduate Level Students (Esl/Efl Learners)’ by Shabnum Iftikhar
ELTWeekly Newsletter Vol. 3 Issue#90 | June 20, 2011
Introduction
This research article aims at emphasizing the use of fiction (novel) as a resource to improve the sentence structure of students. Sentence structure is also called “Syntax”. In the dictionary definition, syntax is a grammatical arrangement of words in sentences, but in a broader sense, the structure of a sentence is a unifying relation also. The words combined with one another must form a cohesive relation in a sentence. In order to write with correct sentence structure, a deep knowledge of grammatical aspects and a clear understanding of syntactic cohesion are indispensable. In recent years, the role of different genres of literature as a basic component and source of authentic texts of the language has gained currency to a great extent. There has been a continued debate on this issue as to how, when, where and why fiction should be incorporated in the ESL/EFL curriculum. This research by providing a pragmatic approach explores various strategies of using fiction to teach grammar/syntax in the language class.
The novel has a great capacity to catch the attention of the reader due to its story-telling method and its linguistically rich environment helps learners in acquiring competency in different areas of language. So far as the sentence structure is concerned, novel can be proved a powerful pedagogical tool in relation to the target language. Novels provide real life-like settings and characters and characters speak to each other, therefore, variety and versatility of sentence structures are copiously found in novels. (more…)
#90, Susan M Ryan’s Article: ‘Accent Reduction for Indians: Pronunciation Problems for South Asians’
ELTWeekly Newsletter Vol. 3 Issue#90 | June 20, 2011
Many Indians (South Asian English speakers) are puzzled when they realize that Americans have difficulty understanding their spoken English.
If this sounds familiar you may find yourself wondering, “Why is my English so difficult for Americans to understand?” One reason is because most Indian English speakers are not aware of American English syllable stress patterns. They use syllable stress incorrectly.
One of the most significant features of American English is its use of syllable stress. Syllable stress patterns create a speech rhythm that American listeners use to identify words. Here is a true story that illustrates why stressing syllables correctly is so important.
In my accent reduction coaching program I have an Indian client who works in information technology. He is brilliant at his job but he has problems with American English pronunciation. (more…)