Using a corpus-aided pronunciation instruction on Mandarin tones training for Cantonese learners

This study developed a corpus-aided pronunciation instruction on Mandarin Tones and investigated the effectiveness of this approach. Three cases, two males and one female, participated in five face-to-face training sessions and two online self-learning sessions about Mandarin tones. Pre- and post-tests were first used to measure the three cases' production of Mandarin tones. Follow-up interviews were conducted after each training session to evaluate the changes of their attitudes toward the corpus-aided task design, the corpus-aided Mandarin teaching approach, and the effectiveness of corpus-aided pronunciation instruction. The results showed that corpus-aided pronunciation instruction was effective and helped the participants improve significantly in the quality of the production of Mandarin tone 2 and tone 4 compared with their performances in the pre-test. The interview results showed that the corpus-aided tasks were well designed. Case 1 (male) and Case 3 (female) were motivated and attracted by corpus-aided instruction at the beginning of the training session. Case 2 (male), who had held a negative attitude toward the application of corpus-aided Mandarin tone instruction and learner samples, changed his views to a positive attitude in Week 5 because of his improvements in Mandarin pronunciation. This approach has significant implications for Mandarin teaching, and particularly for teaching Mandarin as a second language in Hong Kong and other bilingual Chinese contexts.
本文設計了基於語料庫輔助的國語發音教學課程，並對此課程進行了評估。本研究用此種發音教學法，設計了五堂面授課程和兩堂網上課程。三位受試者，二男一女，參加了課程並參與評估。本文採用前後測試，以及每堂課程之後作後續採訪。受試者對文中所用的發音教學設計、發音教學法，以及教學成效三方面作評估。實驗結果指出，基於語料庫輔助的國語發音教學是有效的，其幫助受試者提升了國語陽平（2聲）和去聲（4聲）的發音。訪談結果表明受試者對文中所用的國語發音教學持有正面的態度，並且認為課程設計很好。受試者1和3從課程開始時，就被基於語料庫輔助的國語發音教學吸引，並且對國語學習很有動力。受試者2從一開始對此教學法持有負面的態度，但至第五週轉變為正面肯定。這種轉變的原因是來自他在國語發音上的提升。此教學方法有很重要的教學啟示，並且可以被廣泛應用到香港或其他華語雙語情境的國語教學課堂。 Copyright © 2020 台灣華語文教學學會.