Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente

Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 20 - No. 35 2020

ISSN Impreso: 1409-0112 ISSN Electrónico 2215-3586

Filosofía, Artes y Letras

Período Diciembre 2020-Mayo 2021

032. - 042.

DOI 10.15517/PA.V20I35.44375

Henry Sevilla Morales - Lindsay Chaves Fernández

A Register-Based Perspective to Suprasegmentals in ELT

El enfoque de registro lingüístico en la enseñanza de aspectos suprasegmentales del inglés

Henry Sevilla Morales¹

Lindsay Chaves Fernández²

Fecha de recepción: 17-01-2020

Fecha de aceptación: 26-06-2020

Resumen

La presente reseña sistematiza las experiencias pedagógicas de dos docentes de inglés que imparten cursos de aspectos supraseg-

mentales o prosódicos utilizando un enfoque de registro lingüístico. Dicho enfoque propone que los elementos prosódicos deben

abordarse desde una perspectiva comunicativa, donde los actos del habla se ajusten a las situaciones comunicativas específicas,

con base en el nivel de formalidad requerido (casual, informal, formal o fijo). En su mayoría, la propuesta deriva de la experiencia

empírica de los autores impartiendo cursos de pronunciación en la Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica (UNA) y la Universidad de

Costa Rica (UCR) durante los últimos cuatro años.

Palabras clave: registro linguístico, discurso interconectado, acento, ritmo, entonación.

Abstract

The current paper is a systematization of EFL experiences around the teaching of suprasegmentals courses from a register-ba-

sed perspective. Simply put, the proposal is based on the notion that prosodic elements must be taught from a communicative

perspective, where speech acts are adjusted to specific communicative situations considering the formality level required (casual,

informal, formal, or fixed). To a large degree, the approach derives from the authors’ empirical evidence gained while teaching

suprasegmentals at Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica (UNA) and Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) over the course of four years.

Keywords: language register, connected speech, stress, rhythm, intonation.

Máster en Segundas Lenguas y Culturas. Universidad Nacional, Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje; Universidad de Costa Rica,

Sede de Occidente, Costa Rica. Correo electrónico: henry.sevilla.morales@una.ac.cr

Máster en Segundas Lenguas y Culturas. Universidad Nacional, Escuela de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje, Costa Rica. Correo

electrónico: lindsay.chaves.fernandez@una.ac.cr

Filosofía, Artes y letras

I. Introducción

ESL contexts, which encourages the running of studies to

test its degrees of effectiveness in other settings. (2) For

English pronunciation (EP), a central sub-skill across

practice, it provides hands-on resources for immediate

virtually any English Language Teaching (ELT) program,

application in the ELT classroom. It is our hope to open

continues to gain unprecedented attention both in theory

a space for dialogue and an avenue for further research

and in practice (e.g., Bakla, 2018; Cerezo, Calderón, &

around this subfield of study.

Romero, 2019; Gamboa, Chaves, Vásquez, & Gapper,

2019; Kralova, Skorvagova, Tirpakova, & Markechova,

In order to narrow down the scope of our paper, a

2017; Sevilla, 2019; and Zoghbor, 2018). A major challenge

theoretical grounding section is offered in the lines

appears, however, in classroom application, since EP

ahead, and has been arranged into four subsections: (1)

instruction often involves making sensitive decisions

an introduction to the prosody pyramid, where Gilbert’s

around the type and amount of input, the choice of

(2008) principles for English prosody are outlined,

modeling accents, responding to the program’s goals,

including aspects such as thought groups, focus word,

assuring curricular flexibility, fostering pedagogical

stressed syllable, peak vowel, and pitch drops to signal

empowerment, and the not-so-uncommon lack of

thought completion; (2) the basics of stress, intonation,

methodological expertise on the part of teachers and

and rhythm, where key terminology is defined and an

program designers at large. Particularly when addressing

inventory of intonation patterns is be discussed; (3)

suprasegmentals (i.e. word and sentence stress, rhythm,

adjustments in connected speech, where suprasegmental

intonation, connected speech, etc.), difficulties arise if we

features such as blending and word reductions, linking,

teach EP across different language registers (levels of

pausing and phrasing, assimilation, cluster simplification,

formality) to suit interlocutors’ communicative purpose

omission, and others, are exemplified in context; and (4)

and contexts (see Breitkreutz, Derwing, and Rossiter,

2001; Baker, 2011).

according to specific levels of reading and spoken formality

are addressed. The paper also features potential contexts

Such difficulties intensify because the acquisition of

of implementation and samples key teaching resources

suprasegmentals involves an overwhelming number of

for immediate usage. Based on our systematization, we

technical processes and breaks away from the discrete-

lay out a few conclusions, identify some limitations, and

point approach commonly used in segmental (vowels and

propose future directions for empirical research.

consonants) courses. Within this complexity, students

must learn to shift from slow, careful pronunciation

II. Theoretical Grounding

to a number of adjustments and phonetic processes in

connected speech such as elision, assimilation, vowel

Because this is a systematization of teaching experiences

neutralization, substitution, allophonic variation, aphesis,

in EFL and as such it does not seek to test previously

epenthesis, cluster simplification, blending, palatalization,

drawn hypotheses, this section does not offer a review of

pausing, phrasing, and many more.

previous studies. While seminal work on pronunciation

was naturally considered as baseline for the paper

In an attempt to offer partial solutions to this issue, this

(e.g., Murphy, 2017; Jarosz, 2019; and Derwing and

systematization paper discusses pedagogical practices

Munro, 2015), below we only discuss some theoretical

we have used to meet the challenges described above.

underpinnings that guided the implementation of the

Such practices have consolidated from several years

activities (for expansion, see Creswell, 2014, p. 29).

of experience and research-based decisions we have

made as EP instructors at UNA and UCR. While our

To better understand the conceptual framework below,

proposal does not seek generalizations of any sort, our

some key terms need to be defined. The first one is

work is significant at two levels: (1) For theory, it builds

segmentals, which refers to the acquisition of separate

a working framework for the EP instruction in EFL and

speech units; i.e., vowels and consonants (Saito, n.d.,

Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 20 - No. 35 2020 - Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente

p. 2). The second is suprasegmentals, or the study of

focus word, this author adds, stressed syllables get special

rhythm, stress, pitch, intonation, and other phonological

attention because they represent the peak of information

processes in connected speech. We call it suprasegmentals

in the thought group. Within that stressed syllable, there

because it is the study of speech beyond individual (supra)

will always be a peak vowel, which is extra clear and

segments (ibid.). Connected speech stands for the third

extra-long for the purpose of meaning accuracy. Below

element. Also called connected discourse, reduced

is an adaptation of the prosody pyramid diagram offered

speech, or Sandhi variation, connected speech refers to

by Gilbert.

spoken language which exhibits the natural elements of

a language system, as in casual conversations (British

Figure 1: The Prosody Pyramid

Council, n.d.). In English, connected speech means

articulating discourse that includes linking, elision (also

called deletion), assimilation, aphesis, epenthesis, and

many others (Celce-Murcia, Brinton, & Goodwin, 1996).

That said, the lines ahead address the first four theoretical

considerations upon which our discussion is based. The

last part (sample activities) will be developed in the

methodology section.

2.1. The Prosody Pyramid

Fuente: Gilbert (2008, p. 10)³

According to Gilbert (2008), the prosody of English can be

compared to a pyramid. Such pyramid has at the base a

Since spoken English (or any other spoken language)

thought group, and then a focus word, which in turn has

holds no punctuation, “listeners must rely entirely on

a stressed syllable, which also contains a peak vowel (p.

prosodic markers in order to know which words are

10). Thought groups, according to the author, are phrases

grouped together” (id., p. 11). For instance: We arrived

or chunks of spoken language that carry a thought; they

lAte, so we couldn’t see the mOvie. They must also be

can be a short sentence, a clause, and even a word such as

attentive to pitch drops which signal the end of thought

wow! ouch! or hey! The focus word is the most important

groups. While there would seem to be rules for when

word in a thought group, and its emphasis is usually

a thought group ends, EFL students and teachers are

determined by the context and the speakers’ intention. As

encouraged to develop phonological awareness on this

a general rule, focus words in a thought group are usually

not only in everyday conversational language, but also

content words (i.e., nouns, adjectives, interjections, verbs,

in other language registers such as radio talk, academic

adverbs, and other major words). On the other hand,

conferences, and specialized fields to figure out the pitch

structure words (or function words) are not usually the

patterns of each context. Gilbert (2008) provides the

focus word in a thought group and they include pronouns,

following advice on how to interpret pitch drops:

prepositions, articles, auxiliary verbs, etc. (ibid.)

In general, a pitch drop means “the end,” and

The stressed syllable is that which receives the primary

there is a relationship between the degree of

stress in multi-syllable words. In the words of Gilbert,

finality and the size of the drop. For instance, a

“every English multi-syllabic word has a syllable that

slight drop in intonation typically marks the end

receives the main stress” and should therefore be

of a thought group within a sentence; a bigger

pronounced with greater prominence (id., p. 14). In the

drop marks the end of a sentence or an entire

Gilbert, J. B. (2008). Chapter 2: The Prosody Pyramid. In Teaching Pronunciation: Using the Prosody Pyramid (pp. 10-20). New York:

Cambridge University Press.

Filosofía, Artes y letras

comment; a major drop indicates, “I have finished

a question, or make a request more polite or assertive,

my remarks, and it is now your turn to speak.”

and “make a speaker sound happy, sad, sincere, angry,

(pp. 11-12)

confused, or defensive” (p. 123). While more than one kind

of intonation has been identified by professionals on the

2.2. Stress, Rhythm, and Intonation: The

subject, three essential typologies have been suggested

Basics

by Yoshida (ibid): 1. a final fall (typical in statements,

commands, -wh questions, and irony), 2. a final rise

Put simply, stress refers to the emphasis placed in

(common in yes-no questions, echo questions, and

syllables, words, and sentences in spoken language.

repetitions), 3. and a partial fall (common in incomplete

Syllable stress refers to the primary, secondary or tertiary

thoughts or a sudden interruption to elaborate on one’s

stress received by each syllable in multisyllabic words,

thoughts) (pp. 129-130).

which also implies that the syllables are “said louder, […]

on a higher pitch, and […] held longer than the other vowel

2.3. Adjustments in Connected Speech

sounds in the same word” (Orion, 1997, p. 19). Word stress,

along the same lines, deals with where the stress falls in

Along with the stress, rhythm, and intonation elements of

words, be them base words, noun compounds, noun-verb

English pronunciation, real-life communication requires

homographs, or word compounds of several prefixes and

a number of other adjustments. These include, among

affixes. In English, most experts agree with three levels

others, blending and word reductions (putting various

of word stress: strong, medial, and weak (Celce-Murcia et

words together to form a single speech unit, as though

al., 1996, p. 132). Lastly, sentence stress is understood as

everything was one word), linking (one final sound in a

emphasizing and deemphasizing words across utterances

word to the first sound of the next word), and phrasing

to attain natural rhythm (Dale & Poms, 2005, p. 91) or,

and pausing (dividing utterances into thought groups

as Celce-Murcia et al. have simplified it, as “the various

depending on punctuation, connectors, conjunctions,

stressed elements of each sentence” (id., p. 151).

etc.), as Dale and Poms (2005, p. 99) have suggested. In

addition to these processes, sounds also become more like

The latter define rhythm as “the regular, patterned beat

one another depending on the conditioning environment

of stressed and unstressed syllables and pauses,” which

around them; thus, spoken English undergoes three types

is achieved by combining effective syllable, word, and

of assimilation: progressive, regressive (or backward), and

sentence stress (id., p. 152). This stress-timed nature of

coalescent (or reciprocal) (Vásquez, 2020). In progressive

the English language is what determines the length of an

assimilation, a succeeding phoneme is affected by the

utterance and stands and helps give intonation a more

phoneme immediately before it, as in the case of “They

natural-sounding quality. It is this ‘musical’ trait what

wanted to come” = [ðeɪ ˈwɑntɪd tə kʌm]; in regressive

helps give sentences such as “CATS CHASE MICE”, “CATS

assimilation, the assimilated sound is affected by the

have CHASED MICE”, “the CATS have CHASED the MICE”

sound following it, such as in “You have to believe it”

AND “the CATS have been CHASING the MICE” virtually

= [jʊ hæftə bəˈliːv ɪt]. In coalescent assimilation, two

the same duration (ibid.).

neighboring sounds influence each other and give way

to a whole new phoneme, often an affricate (/tʃ / or /

Along with rhythm, effective communication requires

dʒ/) in a process called palatalization, as in “Is that your

effective intonation; that is, the melody of language: the

best idea?” = [ɪz ðæʧər bɛst aɪˈdiə?] (see Dawood &

rises and falls used to signal various types of melodic

Atawneh, 2015).

patterns in different utterances such as statements;

-wh, tag, echo and confirmation questions, commands;

To add to the existing intricacies of connected speech,

alternatives with or; enumerations; and a wide host of

students often need to “unlearn” the pronunciation of

others. According to Yoshida (2014), proper intonation is

carefully articulated clusters such as “sts” (/sts/) or “th’s”

vital since it helps, for example, change a statement into

(/θs/) and simplify them to conform to the ways in which

Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 20 - No. 35 2020 - Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente

native speakers would pronounce them. Thus, a cluster

TESOL for young adults, 2. B.A. in TESOL for children,

like “sts” in “tests” becomes /s/ in a chunk of connected

and 3. B.A. in English. Nonetheless, the activities can

speech like “We take tests all weeks” = [wiː teɪk tɛs‿ɔːɫ

be adapted to other populations, such as bilingual high

wiːks] (see Dauer, 1993, pp. 159-160). Lastly, some vowels

schools and elementary schools, INA⁵ courses, and other

and consonants can be omitted in rapid speech, such as

programs where pronunciation courses are part of the

the first /r/ in “surprise” or “February” in most varieties

curriculum. For all cases where the proposal has worked

of General American English.

out well, students have possessed a high level of English

proficiency so that they can shift registers from context

2.4. Register Shift

to context.

In addition to the above, actual communication always

IV. Suggested Resources

demands shifting from one degree of formality to

another based on the speech acts the interlocutors

This section offers a quick inventory of activities to

engage in (be that spoken or in writing), which in the

foster suprasegmental skills across various language

case of oral discourse calls for adjustments in the type

registers and communicative contexts. Each resource

of suprasegmental features needed for such speech acts.

is described in terms of learning goal(s), target register,

This swapping of formality levels is what we prosaically

time, resources, and procedures.

understand as linguistic register. In the words of Gray and

Egbert (2019), register refers to “the linguistic differences”

4.1. Activity 1: “Happiness” (Short Film by

employed by language users “depending on the context

Steve Cutts)

of use” (p. 1).⁴ To attain this shift, in courses covering

suprasegmentals, students should be provided with

Learning Goal: to reflect upon the elements of connected

the learning opportunities to use rhythm, intonation,

speech fluently and accurately across three levels of

pitch drops, reductions, cluster simplifications, etc., to

formality6

navigate different registers required for formal, casual, or

informal communication. In the lines ahead, we provide a

Target Registers: informal, casual, and formal

description of the contexts where we have used register-

based activities to reach this goal.

Suggested Time: 60 minutes

III. Suggested Implementation Setting

Resources: A video projector, speakers, a laptop or a

PC, a handout with these instructions, paper and pencil

The proposal has so far worked well with college students

already possessing knowledge of segmentals. It has been

Procedures:

implemented by the two researchers of this paper since

Students will watch the video “Happiness,” by

2016 at two public universities in Costa Rica: Universidad

Steve Cutts,⁷ where the author depicts a world of

Nacional and Universidad de Costa Rica. Student ages

mice who become alienated in their own pursuit

have ranged from 19 to 28 and have all attended classes

of happiness. —The comparison between these

on a regular basis in three language programs: 1. B.A. in

mice and the human race is more than obvious.

For a full review of papers on register studies across various disciplines, see the journal Register Studies, inaugurated in 2019 by John

Benjamins Publishing Company, and which by January 2020 had published three issues dedicated explicitly to the thriving subfield of language

Costa Rica’s National Learning Institute (by its initials in Spanish)

To do this activity, students need previous knowledge of suprasegmentals.

Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9dZQelULDk

Filosofía, Artes y letras

2. Once they have watched the video, they will

Elements of Connected

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

complete the following speaking tasks about

Speech

(Casual-

(Formal-

Informal)

Formal)

Academic)

the content of the video. They will keep the

Short pitch drops

communicative contexts in mind, adjusting their

pronunciation register to each context.

Longer pitch drops

Extra-long pitch drops

a) An informal Conversation

Rising intonation for

Context: A cafeteria on campus. Students bump into each

suspense

other and talk about the content of the video they saw and

Falling intonation to

signal end of thought

how it impacted them personally. They should be free to

groups

use contractions, reductions, emotional intonation, rising

Pausing and phrasing

intonation to create suspense, and other elements studied.

Emphasis on content

b) A Job Interview

words

Reduction of function

words

Context: A Call Center. The interviewer is a relaxed,

Vowel clarity and quality

casual recruiter who wants to know the interviewee’s

for emphasis

standpoint on consumerism and happiness. S/he asks the

Blending and reductions

interviewee to talk about a recent video they watched on

the subject. Students should feel free to use contractions

Consonant cluster

simplification

and reductions here and there, rising intonation to create

Suprasegmental processes

suspense from time to time, and other elements studied.

(deletions, omissions,

(Then students swap roles.)

assimilations, linking, etc.)

c) A Verbal Essay

4. While the students work on step 3, the professor

circulates, offering help and inviting students to

Context: A colloquium at a conference: The students are

share their feelings about the activity with him/

given 5 minutes to share their ideas on happiness and

her. The activity can be wrapped up with a plenary

consumerism. As typical in a verbal essay, they should

session to discuss the results from 3 above.

include discourse markers to introduce their topic, develop

three sub-topics, issue a conclusion, and invite questions

4.2. Activity 2: IPA Transcriptions in

from the audience. The audience will be integrated by

Various Forms of Connected Speech

professionals of different areas, including commerce,

economy, and sociology.

Learning Goal: to compare the elements of connected

speech across three types of language registers using

3. Once the three speaking activities have been

the IPA, diacritical marks, and some common phonetic

conducted, students comment on the experience

processes such as assimilation, omission, linking, vowel

of switching levels of formality for one same topic.

neutralization, palatalization, etcetera.

They rate the frequency of elements of connected

speech used in each task: 1= never, 2= almost

Target Registers: casual, formal, and fixed

never, 3= sometimes, 4= almost always, and 5=

always.

Suggested Time: two hours

Resources: internet access, a media player device (a

laptop, a smartphone, etc.) paper, and pencil

Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 20 - No. 35 2020 - Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente

Procedures:

Aspects of connected speech represented (omissions,

reductions, blending, etc.)

This activity works well as a graded out-of-class

assignment. Students will compare the elements of

Activity 3: Shadow Reading

connected speech across three types of language registers

(casual, formal, and fixed) using the IPA, diacritics, and

Learning Goal: to identify elements of the prosody

the phonetic processes already studied (assimilation,

pyramid to emulate the suprasegmental elements of an

omission, linking, and neutralization, blending, etc.).

interview excerpt

Students are advised to complete this assignment either

in pairs or in groups of three.

Target Registers: formal to casual

Instructions:

Suggested Time: 40 minutes

This assignment needs be hand-written.

Resources: internet access, a media player device (a

laptop, a smartphone, etc.) paper, and pencil

Students will watch three video clips and provide

a phonetic transcription using the IPA and the

Procedures:

diacritical marks studied in class.

For the first video (Sheldon’s Speech), transcribe

Part A (Identification): Students watch two sections of the

from 1’22 to 2’05.

video where Fox News anchor Lauren Green interviews

Reza Aslan, a scholar of religious studies, about a new

For the second video (Best Moments of Sheldon

book he has published.⁸As students watch each section,

Lee Cooper…), transcribe from 0’40 to 0’56.

they should pay attention to where each thought group

begins and ends. Also, they are encouraged to locate the

For the third video (Why Socrates Hated

focus word and its stressed syllable and peak vowel.

Democracy), transcribe from 0’56 to 1’23.

To access the videos, click on the following links:

Segment 1: 0’26-0’46

Green: "You're a Muslim, so why did you write a book about the

a) https://w w w.youtube.com/watch?v=

founder of Christianity?"

2tSfSZ8zu8s (fixed language register)

Aslan: "Well, to be clear, I am a scholar of religions with four degrees,

b) https://w w w.youtube.com/watch?v=

including one in the New Testament, and fluency in biblical Greek,

HfPtD5oSXaw (casual language register)

who has been studying the origins of Christianity for two decades,"

c) https://w w w.youtube.com/watch?v=

Aslan says, "who also just happens to be a Muslim."

fLJBzhcSWTk (formal language register)

****

Segment 2: 6’55-7’19

This assignment needs be hand-written.

Green: Taylor Cain says, “so your book is written with clear bias and

Suggested Assessment Criteria:

you’re trying to say it’s academic; that’s like having a Democrat write

a book about why Reagan wasn’t a good Republican; it just doesn’t

Accuracy of vowel transcriptions

work.” What do you say about that?

2. Accuracy of consonant transcriptions

Aslan: It would be like a Democrat with a Ph.D. in Reagan who has

been studying his life and history for two decades writing a book

3. Diacritical marks used

about Reagan.

Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_0UkKHy1U4

Filosofía, Artes y letras

Part B (Shadow Reading):

Instructions:

Now that students are familiar with the segments

Before the round table:

from above, they watch a video about the

shadowing technique for pronunciation rhythm

The team must divide the topic into sections

and intonation. Here they will learn about how

(depending on the number of speakers), assign

to emulate a native speakers’ rhythm, intonation,

a sub-topic (section) to each speaker, and agree

pitch, and other elements of connected speech.

on the order for the discussion, as well as other

logistic details.

The professor then plays the closed captions for

the first 2 minutes of the video and asks students

2. The team must also create an agenda to organize

to act out the segment in pairs, trying to emulate

their ideas and order of participation. They are

the speakers’ suprasegmental elements as they

advised to inform about this agenda at the

do through the captions.

beginning of the round table.

The professor pauses the video segments at

five-second intervals so students can imitate the

During the round table:

speakers’ prosody.

3. One of the members will give a short overview

The activity concludes with a reflection session

of the topic. Then, the discussion will follow with

where students verbalize their strengths and

each participant presenting their sub-topic to the

weaknesses trying to implement the shadowing

rest of the team.

technique.

4. Once everyone has presented their share of the

work, someone will issue a brief conclusion.

Activity 4: Round Table

The team may: (1) finish with a small recount

or summary of the main points you discussed,

Learning Goal: to speak formally about a topic students

or (2) use a general concluding statement that is

have previously inquired on

memorable and serves to both signal the end of

your speech and close your presentation.

Target Register: formal

Suggested Time: 5 to 6 minutes (this might change

Optional: To assess ability to switch to a more casual

depending on class time availability)

informal conversation between friends at a public place

Resources: Students are allowed to research about the

(a cafeteria, for instance). They should be reminded that

topic they choose using the Internet, books, magazines,

casual speech uses fewer pauses, employs more connected

or any other resources they deem necessary.

speech, can be more emotional, might use higher pitch,

and lends itself for shorter interventions and frequent

Procedures:

interruptions.

Prior to this activity, students must get into groups,

Suggested Assessment Criteria:

choose a topic, divide it into sections, and be ready to

• Speech fluency

perform the round table in class.

• Accuracy of vowel sounds

• Accuracy of consonant sounds

Revista Pensamiento Actual - Vol 20 - No. 35 2020 - Universidad de Costa Rica - Sede de Occidente

• Intonation and rhythm

contexts. Further efforts should be addressed to testing,

• Different aspects of connected speech (omissions,

empirically, the impact of such approach in students,

substitutions, reductions, blending, etc.).

instructors, and the school curriculum. For now, some

modest bases have been built to allow for replication

of this pedagogical experience and open an avenue of

reflection, best practices, and further research around

V. Conclusions

this subject area.

Insofar as our experience is concerned, this proposal

VI. References

has proven effective for the teaching of register-

based suprasegmentals in the contexts where it has

Baker, A. (2011). Pronunciation Pedagogy: Second

been implemented (UCR and UNA). With a good

Language Teacher Cognition and Practice.

dose of caution and the necessary adjustments to suit

ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. http://

contextual variables, these insights can be transferred

scholarworks.gsu.edu/alesl_diss/16

to larger populations across Costa Rica and elsewhere.

Nonetheless, there are a number of limitations which

Bakla, A. (2018). Learner-generated materials in a

need to be kept in mind. First of all, a good deal of

flipped pronunciation class: A sequential

knowledge on suprasegmentals and language registers

explanatory mixed-methods study, Computers

is needed, along with expertise on scaffolded language

& Education, 125, 14-38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.

education to lead students from the most basic to the

compedu.2018.05.017

most intricate elements of suprasegmentals within this

methodology. Secondly, students must possess a high level

Breitkreutz, J., Derwing, T., & Rossiter, M. (2001).

of English proficiency before they are required to shift

Pronunciation Teaching Practices in

across levels of formality. In doing so, instructors might

Canada. TESL Canada Journal, 19(1), 51-61.

easily risk accuracy at the expense of fluency, misleading

https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v19i1.919

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