This volume was conceived as a "best practices" resource for pronunciation and speaking teachers in the way that Vocabulary Myths by Keith S. Folse is one for reading and vocabulary teachers. Like others in the Myths series, this book combines research with good pedagogical practices. The book opens with a Prologue by Linda Grant (author of the Well Said textbook series), which reviews the last four decades of pronunciation teaching, the differences between accent and intelligibility, the rudiments of the English sound system, and other factors related to the ways that pronunciation is learned and taught. The myths challenged in this book are: § Once you’ve been speaking a second language for years, it’s too late to change your pronunciation. (Derwing and Munro) § Pronunciation instruction is not appropriate for beginning-level learners. (Zielinski and Yates) § Pronunciation teaching has to establish in the minds of language learners a set of distinct consonant and vowel sounds. (Field) § Intonation is hard to teach. (Gilbert) § Students would make better progress if they just practiced more. (Grant) § Accent reduction and pronunciation instruction are the same thing. (Thomson) § Teacher training programs provide adequate preparation in how to teach pronunciation (Murphy). The book concludes with an Epilogue by Donna M. Brinton, who synthesizes some of the best practices explored in the volume.

This authoritative volume is a practical, comprehensive, and state-of-the-art overview of current knowledge and research on second and foreign language teaching and learning. Thorough and reader-friendly, the Handbook is organized logically into six parts that address all major areas of L2/FL teaching and learning: Part I: Learning Contexts and Language Teaching covers the diverse populations of language learners, their needs, and the challenges they face Part II: Curriculum and Instruction addresses curriculum and materials design, and includes exemplars of instructional approaches with wide applicability across contexts Part III: Listening and Speaking overviews listening pedagogy, speaking skills, and pronunciation, among other key topics Part IV: Reading and Writing includes chapters on all practical matters related to learning to write in another language, with attention to spelling, orthography, extensive reading, and more Part V: Vocabulary and Grammar discusses assumptions and practical approaches on vocabulary and grammar instruction, with attention to important topics such as academic writing and multiword expressions Part VI: Intercultural Communication and Pragmatics concludes the Handbook with an examination of language learning across social, cultural, and regional differences Bringing together leading experts in the field, the contributors offer important perspectives on major, established, and emerging topics. Each chapter overviews important developments, key research, and considerations and applications for effective second language instruction. A well-rounded, readable, and up-to-date resource, the Handbook is a compendium of the ongoing changes, innovations, and practices in L2/FL teaching and learning. It is an essential resource for students, teachers, faculty, and professionals.

This Handbook is a comprehensive volume outlining the foremost issues regarding research and teaching of second language speaking, examining such diverse topics as cognitive processing, articulation, knowledge of pragmatics, instruction in sub-components of speaking (e.g., grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary) and the attrition of the first language. Outstanding academics have contributed chapters to provide an integrated and inclusive perspective on oral language skills. Specialized contexts for speaking are also explored (e.g., English as a Lingua Franca, workplace, and interpreting). The Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition and Speaking will be an indispensable resource for students and scholars in applied linguistics, cognitive psychology, linguistics, and education.

This book focuses exclusively on child bilinguals or children exposed to a second language in various learning contexts. Through the presentation of research on how children learn the sound systems or lexicon in two languages and via different routes, the book aims to paint a comprehensive picture of child bilingualism and second language learning. In addition, the book features contributions focused on theoretical overviews and methodological approaches. Researchers from diverse disciplines such as linguistics, psychology, and speech-language pathology contributed to the book that thus represents an effort to integrate multiple views and perspectives. The book is useful for researchers, clinicians, and educators who work with children acquiring or learning a second language in different settings. It should also be of interest to university students studying bilingualism and/or second language acquisition or parents raising bilingual children.

Lending support to the search for the roots of the Altaic language family and pushing forward the field of Altaic mythologies and related topics, this comprehensive study of the early beliefs of China’s Altaic peoples is the first thorough, systematic academic treatment in this, as yet, underdeveloped research field. While discussing nine types of Altaic mythologies, A Comparative Study of Altaic Mythologies in China uses primary sources in several languages to explore Altaic myths’ origins, development over centuries, lineage relationships, and external influences. For this purpose, it compares the mythologies of various ethnic groups within the Altaic language family, Altaic mythologies with those of other cross-language and cross-cultural ethnic groups having direct, indirect or even no cultural exchanges with them in history, as well as Altaic mythologies with folklore, religion and other interdisciplinary domains of Altaic Studies by applying the theories and methods of comparative literature studies, comparative folklore studies and comparative mythology to a vast collection of mythological materials. As wide-ranging as it is deeply researched, this serious exploration of Altaic Studies breaks the boundaries of the previously closed research model, expands theoretical horizons, broadens the research scope, introduces a new mechanism for understanding myths and co-cultures of the Altaic language family, and offers insight toward the reconstruction of Proto-Altaic Mythology.

The Routledge Handbook of Phonetics provides a comprehensive and up-to-date compilation of research, history and techniques in phonetics. With contributions from 41 prominent authors from North America, Europe, Australia and Japan, and including over 130 figures to illustrate key points, this handbook covers all the most important areas in the field, including: • the history and scope of techniques used, including speech synthesis, vocal tract imaging techniques, and obtaining information on under-researched languages from language archives; • the physiological bases of speech and hearing, including auditory, articulatory, and neural explanations of hearing, speech, and language processes; • theories and models of speech perception and production related to the processing of consonants, vowels, prosody, tone, and intonation; • linguistic phonetics, with discussions of the phonetics-phonology interface, sound change, second language acquisition, sociophonetics, and second language teaching research; • applications and extensions, including phonetics and gender, clinical phonetics, and forensic phonetics. The Routledge Handbook of Phonetics will be indispensable reading for students and practitioners in the fields of speech, language, linguistics and hearing sciences.

The Handbook of English Pronunciation presents a comprehensive exploration of English pronunciation with essential topics for applied linguistics researchers and teachers, including language acquisition, varieties of English, historical perspectives, accent’s changing role, and connections to discourse, technology, and pedagogy. Provides thorough descriptions of all elements of English pronunciation Features contributions from a global list of authors, reflecting the finest scholarship available Explores a careful balance of issues and topics important to both researchers and teachers Provides a historical understanding of the importance of pronunciation and examines some of the major ways English is pronounced today throughout the world Considers practical concerns about how research and practice interact in teaching pronunciation in the classroom

The teaching of English in the Asian context is always challenging and dynamic because both teachers and learners have diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Equally important, where English is not widely used outside the classroom, English language classrooms are an authentic site of learner engagement. For these reasons, for all those concerned with contemporary English language teaching (ELT) in Asia, Asian English Language Classrooms: Where Theory and Practice Meet, provides an account of theoretical orientations and practices in the teaching of English to multilingual speakers whose primary language is not English. While covering the fundamental ELT areas (e.g., the teaching of language skills, educational literature, the use of technology in ELT, the role of pragmatics in ELT, social psychology of the language classroom, and language classroom management) with which every language teacher and teacher trainer must be concerned, this volume showcases how particular orientations shape ELT practices. We believe that practicing English teachers must have a heightened awareness of the theory behind their practice. At the same time, the theoretical stance must be firmly anchored in actual classrooms. Containing newly commissioned chapters written by well-regarded and emerging scholars, this book will appeal not only to beginning teachers or teachers in training but also to established teachers around Asia where English is used as a lingua franca. If you are a student teacher of English or an English teacher who would like to see what other progressive teachers like you are doing across Asia, this is the book you have been looking for.

This book presents high-quality, peer-reviewed papers from the International Conference in Information Technology & Education (ICITED 2021), to be held at the ESPM – Higher School of Advertising and Marketing, Sao Paulo, Brazil, between the 15th and the 17th of July 2021. The book covers a specific field of knowledge. This intends to cover not only two fields of knowledge – Education and Technology – but also the interaction among them and the impact/result in the job market and organizations. It covers the research and pedagogic component of Education and Information Technologies but also the connection with society, addressing the three pillars of higher education. The book addresses impact of pandemic on education and use of technology in education. Finally, it also encourages companies to present their professional cases which is discussed. These can constitute real examples of how companies are overcoming their challenges with the uncertainty of the market.

Mythical Ireland embodies the search for a soul among Ireland's ancient ruins, and is an attempt to retrieve something of deeper import from 5,000-year-old megalithic monuments and their associated myths. The book represents a fascinating and engaging journey through time, landscape and the human spirit. Dealing with archaeology, interpretive mythography, cosmology and cosmogony, the book attempts to grapple with a core meaning, something beyond the functional interpretations of academia. In this revised and expanded edition, Anthony Murphy delves further into the many enthralling aspects of this journey. Just how much knowledge did locals have of the secrets of Newgrange before it was excavated? Who is the Cailleach, the ancient hag goddess whose image is ubiquitous in the ancient landscape? What happened to make Ireland's Stonehenge disappear from the landscape? Who were the first kings of Tara? What were the indigenous Irish myths about the Milky Way? Did someone try to steal the Tara Brooch? Why are there myths in Ireland about flooded towns and cities? Lavishly illustrated with exquisite photographs of the Irish landscape and ancient monuments, Mythical Ireland represents a personal and yet universal journey, a quest to reimagine the shrines as empowering and transformative sacred places. Murphy invokes the druids and poets of the Boyne and thus the sídhe of the ancient texts are reawakened for a modern and turbulent world.