A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON EFFECTS OFA VOICE TRAINING PROGRAM ON APPREHENSION AND INTONATION PERFORMANCE FOR EFL ADULTS

• Main Authors: Torulf Karlsson, 徒瑞福
• Other Authors: Dr. Chang Yu-ling
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/63718302211643926280

碩士 === 高雄師範大學 === 英語學系 === 98 === The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a voice training program (VTP) applied to a one month EFL course. Three situational oral communication apprehensions, group discussion, dyadic, and public speaking, were examined. In addition, oral proficiency, stress and intonation, and fluency for the participants were explored. The participants of the study were 16 civil servants in southern Taiwan divided into a control group (CG) and an experimental group (EG). Six quantitative instruments were applied to the study. The participants were given three different oral communication apprehensions questionnaires regarding group discussion, dyadic, and public speaking apprehension at the beginning and end of the study. An oral proficiency test was administered at the beginning and end of the study. Audio recordings of the participants from the beginning and end of the study were analyzed for stress and intonation performance, and fluency. Qualitative instruments in form of journals and interviews were also analyzed. Based on the data analysis, the findings of the study are summarized as follows: 1. There is no significant difference between the pre-questionnaire and the post-questionnaire of group discussion apprehension for the EG compared with the control group CG. 2. There is no significant difference between the pre-questionnaire and the post-questionnaire of dyadic apprehension for the EG compared with the CG. 3. There is a significant difference between the pre-questionnaire and the post-questionnaire on public speaking apprehension for the experimental group (EG) compared with the control group (CG). 4. There is a significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test of oral proficiency for the EG compared with the CG. So the VTP did not change EG’s speaking proficiency. 5. There is no significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test of intonation performance for the EG compared with the CG. So the VTP did not change EG’s speaking proficiency. 6. There is no significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test of fluency for the EG compared with the CG. So the VTP did not change EG’s speaking proficiency. On the basis of the study findings, the application of the VTP is has insignificant effects on the EFL course for one month. The application of the VTP over one month is too short to achieve any significant results in terms of apprehension and spoken proficiency. The VTP may help enhance EFL learners’ voice, intonation performance, spoken fluency, and decrease oral apprehension if the VTP is implemented for one or two semesters. In addition, the VTP does not necessarily wholly integrated in a second language (L2) class but can also be applied with L1 classes in terms of voice enhancement and decreased apprehension.