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Article published In: Journal of Second Language Pronunciation
Vol. 9:1 (2023) ► pp.103–129

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Is seeing believing?

The role of ultrasound tongue imaging and oral corrective feedback in L2 pronunciation development

ORCiD logo with link | Georgetown University
Published online: 25 September 2023
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.22051.bry
Abstract
This study compares the effects of visual and oral corrective feedback (CF) on L2 pronunciation development. While many studies have investigated the effects of oral CF for various types of L2 learner productions (Li, S. (2010). The effectiveness of CF in SLA: A meta-analysis. Language learning, 60(2), 309–365. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Mackey, A., & Goo, J. (2007). Interaction research in SLA: A meta-analysis and research synthesis. In A. Mackey. (Ed.), Conversational interaction in second language acquisition: A collection of empirical studies (pp. 407–451). Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar), research in visual biofeedback is still developing (Antolík, T. K., Pillot-Loiseau, C., & Kamiyama, T. (2019). The effectiveness of real-time ultrasound visual feedback on tongue movements in L2 pronunciation training: Japanese learners’ progress on the French vowel contrast /y/-/u/. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 5(1), 72–97. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar; Gick, B., Bernhardt, B., Bacsfalvi, P., & Wilson, I. (2008). Ultrasound imaging applications in second language acquisition. In J. G. H. Edwards & M. L. Zampini. (Eds.), Phonology and second language acquisition (pp. 309–322). John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar). In this study, 21 Japanese learners of English were divided into two groups: an oral CF group and a visual (ultrasound) CF group where participants received either oral or visual feedback on task-essential pronunciations of English /l/ and /r/ after induced communication breakdowns in task-based interactions. Development, determined by accuracy ratings of /l/ and /r/ productions and comprehensibly ratings of phrases from reading passages by naïve raters, was examined pre and post participation in task-based interactions. Introspective reports in the form of stimulated recall interviews assessed learners’ noticing of visual and oral CF and provided qualitative evaluations of the utility of ultrasound imaging for improving pronunciation. Findings uncovered gains for the group who received biofeedback using ultrasound on a story reading task, but not a word list task, when compared with learners who only received oral CF. The training was positively received by participants with those in the ultrasound group finding use of the ultrasound motivating and useful for their production of /r/ and /l/.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1Oral CF and task-based interaction
    • 2.2Japanese learners’ acquisition of English /l/ and /r/
    • 2.3Ultrasound tongue imaging for L2 research
  • 3.Research questions
  • 4.Methods
    • 4.1Participants
    • 4.2Procedure
    • 4.3Materials
      • 4.3.1Development tests
      • 4.3.2Interactive tasks
      • 4.3.3Stimulated recall and semi-structured interviews
    • 4.4Data processing and analysis
  • 5.Results
    • 5.1Research question 1
    • 5.2Research question 2
  • 6.Discussion
    • 6.1Potential for ultrasound as an instrument for biofeedback
    • 6.2Learners’ qualitative experiences
    • 6.3Limitations and future directions
  • 7.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
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