南台科技大學
應用英語研究所
碩士學位論文初審
自然發音法結合 KK 音標對兒童英語識字
能力及學習態度之影響
The Effects of Phonics Teaching Method
with K. K. Phonetic Symbols on Students’
Word Recognition and Learning Attitudes
研究生：曾千嘉
指導教授：傅玉慧
中華民國九十九年一月
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Introduction
Background and Motivation…………..…………………………...5
Purpose of the Study…...…………......………….……….………..7
Research Questions…………………….………..……….………..8
Definition of Terms………………………………..…….…………8
Chapter 2: Literature Review
K. K phonetic symbols……….……….….………….…………...10
Empirical studies of K. K. phonetic symbols…………….....12
The relationship between K. K. phonetic symbols and word
recognition..……...................................................................13
Phonics
Phonics instruction…………………………….……….…...13
The function of Phonics……………….……………………16
Empirical studies of Phonics…………………………..……16
The relationship between phonics and word recognition..….17
Teaching using Phonics Instruction plus K.K. Instruction …..…..18
Attitude to Learning English.......…..…………….……….…..….19
Attitude to learning a language in school…………...………20
Effectors of attitude to learning a foreign language...…..…..21
The feedback loop between attitude and achievement.....…..22
ii
Empirical studies of attitude to leaning English…………….23
Chapter 3: Methodology
The Pilot Study…………………………………………………...25
Formal Study……….……………………………………….........26
Research design………………………………………………26
Setting and participants...……………...……………………..29
Instruction……………………...……………………………..29
Ability grouping……………………………………..……….30
Pre- and post test………………………….……….…………31
Questionnaire………………………............................…...…31
Interview…………………………….………..…………...…32
Data analysis..………..………………………………………..…32
References……………………………………………………………..34
iii
LIST OF TABLES
Table
1. K. K. phonetic symbols………………………..……………..........11
2. The forty-four sounds of English…..………………………………14
3. The instructional groupings……..…………………………………30
iv
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
1. Research design……………………...….........................................28
v
LIST OF FIGRUES
Appendices………………….…………..……………………..………..39
Appendix A……….…………...………………………..………..39
Appendix B……….…………...………………………..………..40
1
Chapter 1
Introduction
This study explored the effect of teaching K.K. to elementary school EFL
learners in Taiwan on word recognition and attitude to learning. In this section, the
background and motivation for the study is presented, followed by the purpose of the
study, research questions and definition of terms.
Background and Motivation
In Taiwan, the trend for learning English at an earlier age has become a
mainstream, evidenced by the actions of the Ministry of Education (MOE) over recent
years. In 2001, English became a compulsory subject in schools from the fifth grade
of elementary school, and in 2005 it became compulsory from the third grade (MOE,
2005). It has become apparent, however, that extending the English curriculum into
elementary schools does not automatically mean greater success for all students
learning English. It has been observed that a typical class of English learners contains
a group of high-achieving students and a group of low-achieving students, with
achievement related to students’ different learning backgrounds. Researchers have
termed this observation the ‘double peak phenomenon’ (Liu, 2008; Tsai, 2009; Wu,
2006). One effect of the double peak phenomenon is to make teaching English to the
whole class a more difficult endeavor.
2
The Taiwan MOE requires that elementary schools include phonics in their
English teaching programs. Phonics is a method of helping beginners to read and
pronounce words via the teaching of sound-letter correspondences. Once students
have learned phonics rules, they are more able to read words that they have not seen
before. Phonics can therefore improve the ability of students to convert text into
thought or oral production, but unless that production is recognized (i.e., the word is
already in the reader’s oral repertoire), it may not help comprehension. Additionally,
some learners may find it difficult to combine and blend the sounds when reading
words.
English was a high school subject in Taiwan for many years prior to its
introduction into elementary school and for all this time English pronunciations were
taught using a set of phonetic symbols known as K.K. Despite the adoption of phonics
in elementary school English instruction, the K.K. symbols are still used in high
schools in Taiwan. Consequently, students in their first year of junior high school are
faced with a competing system for learning pronunciations; one that also requires
them to learn a new set of symbols. Some students, especially those already struggling
with English, may find it difficult to cope with the change. In order to smooth the
transition from elementary school phonics to junior high school K.K., the Taipei City
Local Education Department declared that elementary schools could teach sixth-grade
3
students K.K. phonetic symbols (Lin, 2003).
Recently, some studies have suggested that there are advantages in teaching K.K
phonetic symbols. In Chu’s (2005) study, students who were taught K.K. phonetic
symbols outperformed those who were taught using phonics on overall, monosyllabic,
polysyllabic, and regular and irregular word pronunciation. Additionally, Hsu (2003)
found that K.K. instruction improved students’ spelling and phoneme segmentation
skills.
In this study, the effect of adding K.K. instruction into the English language
instruction program for sixth graders is explored and pedagogical implications for
English language teaching are drawn.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of adding K.K. instruction
into the English language instruction program on the learning of sixth-graders of
different ability levels. Learning was assessed via listening and reading
comprehension tests. In addition, participants’ attitude to learning was investigated
before and after the teaching instruction. The specific aims of the study are listed
below.
1. To investigate the effect of phonics instruction on high- achieving and
low-achieving students’ word recognition
4
2. To examine the effect of phonics plus K.K. instruction on high- achieving
and low-achieving students’ word recognition
3. To investigate the effect of phonics plus K.K. instruction on students’
attitude to learning English
Research Questions
The following research questions were addressed:
1. Does phonics instruction result in improvement in word recognition skills for
students who are high-achievers in English?
2. Does phonics instruction result in improvement in word recognition skills for
students who are low-achievers in English?
3. Does phonics instruction plus K.K. instruction result in improvement in word
recognition skills for students who are high-achievers in English?
4. Does phonics instruction plus K.K. instruction result in improvement in word
recognition skills for students who are low-achievers in English?
5. What is the attitude of experimental group toward phonics instruction plus K.K.
phonetic symbols?
Significance of the Study
This study has practical significance for elementary school teachers in teaching
pronunciation and reading to students. Teachers can teach learners new words in
5
phonics instruction plus K. K. phonetic symbols. Introducing K. K. phonetic symbols
to elementary schools can help compensate the limitation of phonics. The results of
this study can provide some references for elementary English teachers in designing
their curriculum and educational policy-makers.
Definition of Terms
1. Phonics
Phonics is a method of teaching beginners to read and pronounce words in which the
correlation between letters or groups of letters and sounds is taught. This method is
currently used in elementary schools in Taiwan when teaching EFL.
2. K.K. phonetic symbols
K.K. phonetic symbols are a set of phonetic symbols that are commonly used in
Taiwan. These symbols are used in most English textbooks and English dictionaries
in Taiwan (Fang, 2006).
3. Attitude to learning English
Attitude to learning English can include attitude to speaking English and to English
speakers, to English society and culture, and to English itself (Chen, 2005). In this
study, attitude to learning specifically refers to students’ feelings about English
lessons in general, English assignments, and the teaching method, and also to their
self-image regarding learning English.
6
4. Word recognition
The ability of word recognition lies on letter recognition, phonetic recognition and
semantic encoding. (Hsu, 2002) In this study, word recognition means that students
can identify the sounds and meanings of words and the grades of the Tainan County
English Achievement Test and pre-tests and post-tests structured in the same way as
the Tainan County English Test.
7
Chapter 2
Literature Review
The review and discussion of relevant literature in this chapter is presented in
three sections, under the following headings: K.K. Phonetic Symbols, Phonics, and
Attitude to Learning.
K.K. Phonetic Symbols
K.K. is a set of phonetic symbols presented by John S. Kenyon and Thomas A.
Knott in 1944 as a pronunciation guide for General American English. The symbols
mostly correspond to symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), although
there are some differences. There are forty-one K.K. symbols in total; seventeen
vowels and twenty-four consonants (Table 1). As with all phonetic alphabets, each
symbol represents one sound and all sounds in the target language (in this case
General American English) are represented, meaning that a student who learns all
forty-one symbol-sound correspondences can use the system infallibly to pronounce
words in General American English. Furthermore, because of the aforementioned use
of K.K. in dictionaries in Taiwan, students who learn K.K. are immediately able to
access pronunciation information when looking up a word in the dictionary.
8
Table 1.
K.K. Phonetic Symbols
Vowels
Consonants
[i]、[ ]、[ ]、[e]、[ ]、[ ]、[o]、
[b]、[p]、[d]、[t]、[f]、[v]、[g]、
[ ]、[u]、[ ]、[ ]、[ ]、[ ]、[ ]、
[k]、[ ]、[ ]、[
[
]、[
]、[
]
]、[
]、[m]、
[n]、[l]、[r]、[s]、[z]、[ ]、[ ]、
[ ]、[j]、[w]、[h]
Knowledge of K.K. phonetic symbols can help students learn English more
effectively as it is a reliable pronunciation guide and once learned it may be used by
students for independent study. Students only have a limited time in school to learn
English and hence only a limited exposure to correct word pronunciations (modeled
by the teacher or teacher-provided media). If those word pronunciations are practiced
in school with K.K. phonetic symbols, it may be easier to remember the pronunciation
because there is only one sound to remember for each symbol compared with the
multiple possible sounds for each letter or letter combination in the English alphabet.
Furthermore, students are able to correct their own pronunciation of words if they
study and apply their knowledge of K.K. phonetic symbols. The more students
understand the relationship between K.K. phonetic symbols and the pronunciation of
words, the more their reading and writing improves (Tang, 1989).
9
When used in combination with phonics, K.K. can either confirm a
pronunciation suggested by a student’s phonics knowledge or correct an erroneous
pronunciation, and it therefore enhances the learning of the range of sounds that are
possible for any one letter or letter combination.
Another point in favor of K.K. is that many students in Taiwan who wish to use a
phonetic alphabet when learning new English words currently resort to using Zhuyin
Fuhao, the phonetic alphabet that is used in Taiwan to teach children the sounds of
Mandarin Chinese. The sounds are Chinese sounds and hence do not all equate
exactly to the sounds of English, meaning that students may not learn the correct
pronunciation of English words. Therefore, teaching K.K. gives students who wish to
use a phonetic alphabet an accurate one (Fang, 2005).
Empirical studies of K.K. phonetic symbols
Relevant research includes the study of Hsu (2003), who reported that teaching
K.K. phonetic symbols improved learners’ ability in phoneme segmentation, word
recognition, and spelling. In Chu’s (2005) study, sixty-two sixth graders were divided
into two groups and one was taught phonics and the other K.K. The K.K. group
outperformed the phonics group in overall, monosyllabic, polysyllabic, and regular
and irregular word pronunciation. Additionally, it was found that the phonics group
made more vowel errors.
10
These studies confirm that learning K.K. phonetic symbols can enhance learners’
English ability.
The relationship between K.K. phonetic symbols and word recognition
Because K.K. phonetic symbols represent all the phonemes in an individual word,
they provide the learner with a complete and accurate record of the spoken word and
so enable the learner to pronounce the word accurately and to remember the sounds
of the word. Once the sounds of a word have been acquired and the word accurately
pronounced, recognition of the word becomes easier. Indeed, Liu (1988) stated that
students’ word recognition was improved by learning K.K. phonetic symbols. In
addition, Lu (1999) reported that K.K. instruction was an effective way of improving
spelling and writing ability. It appears that correct pronunciation and an accurate
symbolic representation of a word, achieved by using K.K. phonetic symbols, are
important facilitators of word recognition.
Phonics
Phonics instruction
Phonics instruction involves the teaching of ‘phonics rules;’ teaching the speech
sounds that correspond to letters and letter groups. Phonics instruction therefore
teaches students how to connect letters to pronunciations (Yeh, 2007). Learners are
able to use the phonics rules to read new words by themselves and are additionally
11
able to spell new words they hear by applying the phonics rules (Guo, 2003). It must
be noted, however, that because English is orthographically irregular the learner is
often confronted by words that contain letters or letter combinations that are linked to
a number of possible speech sounds, making the application of phonics rules a
sometimes frustrating task. The table below (Blevins, 2006, p.117) lists the most
frequent spellings of the forty-four sounds of English.
Table 2
The forty-four sounds of English
Consonants
Vowels
1.
[b]
(bat)
1.
[e]
(cake)
2.
[d]
(dog)
2.
[i]
(feet)
3.
[f]
(fan)
3.
[
4.
[g]
(gate)
4.
[o]
(boat)
5.
[h]
(hat)
5.
[ju]
(cube)
6.
[
6.
[ ]
(cat)
7.
[k]
(kite)
7.
[ ]
(bed)
8.
[l]
(leaf)
8.
[ ]
(fish)
9.
[m]
(mop)
9.
[ ]
(lock)
(nest)
10. [ ]
(duck)
10. [n]
]
(jump)
]
(bike)
12
11. [p]
(pig)
11. [ ]
12. [r]
(rock)
12. [
13. [s]
(sun)
13. [ ]
14. [t]
(top)
14. [
15. [v]
(vase)
15. [ ]
16. [w]
(wagon)
16. [
(alarm)
]
(chair)
(bird)
]
(car)
(ball)
] (boy)
17. [j]
(yo-yo)
17. [
]
18. [z]
(zebra)
18. [u]
(moon)
19. [ ]
(book)
19. [ ]
(cheese)
20. [ ]
(shark)
21. [ ]
(treasure)
22. [ ]
(thumb)
23. [ ]
(the)
24. [hw]
25. [ ]
(house)
(wheel)
(ring)
The fundamental principles of phonics instruction, as noted by Adams (1990)
and Blevins (2006), are to (1) present phonics rules as a tool for spelling words, (2)
encourage use of the phonics rules to recognize words, (3) use commonly used words
to teach phonics rules, and (4) teach students exceptions to the rules.
13
The function of phonics
The function of phonics is to teach the correspondence between letters/letter
combinations and pronunciations and hence to enable learners to transform written or
printed symbols into speech and vice versa. Phonics knowledge may be applied to the
pronunciation of words, the spelling of words, and the reading of words (Huang, 1999;
Yi, 1997).
Adams (1990) stated that phonics helps beginners understand the relationship
between spellings and pronunciation rules and therefore helps the development of
early literacy. Chen (2003) agreed, and added that spelling and writing were also
enabled by phonics instruction. Once relationships between spellings and
pronunciations are understood, learners are able to predict word pronunciations
(Johnston & Watson, 2005). Phonics instruction may therefore help students
internalize the sound-spelling correspondences and remember not only the
pronunciation but also the shape and meaning of a word. Fox (2007) recommended
the teaching of phonics for the following reasons: students are able to use the rules of
phonics to read new words; a large reading vocabulary and reading fluency is enabled;
students can become independent readers.
Empirical studies of phonics
Chang (2003) found that systematic phonics instruction was more effective than
14
reading-writing instruction in improving letter identification, word recognition, and
word spelling. However, as already mentioned, Chu (2005) found that students
receiving phonics instruction were outperformed by those receiving K.K. phonetic
symbols instruction on pronunciation assessments. Of note was that the phonics group
made more vowel errors, and it was suggested that segmental errors in the phonics
group may have resulted from the effect of phonics generalization. Furthermore,
Blevins (2006) reported that phonics instruction may lead children to confuse the
long-vowel spellings in English.
As already alluded to, there are various ‘exceptions’ to the phonics rules
(O’Gardy and Dorbrobolsky, 1998, p.401) that can make their application erroneous
and/or frustrating for the learner. For example, some letters are not pronounced, such
as the ‘gh’ in night and the ‘k’ in knife, different letter combinations may at times
have the same pronunciation, such as the vowels in bread and smell, and the same
letter may have multiple different pronunciations, such as ‘a’ in hat, any and car.
The relationship between phonics and word recognition
Phonics helps beginning learners to transform letters into sounds. As learners’
phonics knowledge expands, they are therefore more able to decode written/print
words into sounds and hence spoken words. Hsu (2000) emphasized that beginners
must rely on phonological awareness to recognize words. A systematic phonics
15
method can therefore improve learners’ ability to recognize words (Adam, 1990).
Teaching using Phonics Instruction plus K.K. Instruction
Although students can read unfamiliar words using phonics, the multiple
exceptions to the phonics rules that result from the orthographic irregularity of
English mean that students will inevitably make mistakes in their attempts to
pronounce new words using phonics. Chu (2005) found that students who received
phonics instruction made mistakes particularly with vowel sounds. On the contrary, it
has been shown that K.K. phonetic symbols can help students read unfamiliar words
correctly. As phonics teaches the relationship between letters and sounds and K.K.
teaches a reliable pronunciation system, it may seem that teaching the two systems
together would provide students with a complete set of knowledge for word
recognition and pronunciation. Indeed, Yeh (2004) stated that the two systems were
complementary and could be taught simultaneously without conflict. Conversely,
however, Hsu (2000) found that because some K.K. symbols are the same as letters of
the alphabet but represent different sounds, beginning learners may be confused if
taught both phonics and K.K. at the same time (Hsu, 2000). As these two systems
may both help beginning learners learn correct pronunciations, a program of learning
which clearly delineates one from the other may prove useful. Students who have
learned the phonics rules and then learn K.K. phonetic symbols are able to learn word
16
pronunciations more quickly and easily (Hsieh, 2002).
Currently, students start learning English (and hence phonics) in third grade.
Current sixth grade students have therefore already had three years of phonics tuition.
As referenced above, it has been found that learners who have learned the phonics
rules can benefit from learning K.K. phonetic symbols, and as sixth graders already
possess at least a basic knowledge of phonics they are the subjects of choice to test
this assertion. Therefore, the researcher taught sixth graders K.K. phonetic symbols
and phonics at the same time to investigate whether this could improve the word
recognition skills of students. A control group was taught using phonics only.
Attitude to Learning English
Chen (2000) divided attitude into three parts: affective attitude, cognitive attitude
and behavior. The affective component of attitude is that which is determined by
feelings and emotions, whereas the cognitive component is that which is determined
by rational thought and evaluation. Additionally, the behavior of a person is an
expression of attitude. In relation to English, a person might be excited at the idea of
learning English (affective), or decide that English ability will lead to a better job and
therefore be interested in learning English (cognitive), and may express their attitude
by turning up early to classes and listening closely to the teacher (behavior).
Smith (1980) referred to the idea of a ‘good attitude’ as one in which a person
17
consistently felt good about a situation or task. A good attitude towards a situation or
task is something that results from experience and can therefore be cultivated through
teaching: no one is born to like or dislike any language. Therefore, as Pan (2002)
states, if teachers can teach students in ways that encourage positive feelings
(affective attitude), those students should develop positive attitudes to learning.
Attitude to learning has a significant influence on the quality and rate of language
learning (Richard-Amato, 1996).
Attitude to learning a language in school
Attitude to learning a language in school is formed by the accumulation of
experience and environmental influence, and is impacted by parents, teachers and
peers. Furthermore, there are many parts which make up the whole when assessing an
individual’s attitude to learning. These include attitude to oneself, attitude to learning
goals, attitude to other learners, and attitude to teachers and the classroom
environment.
Huang (2003) described attitude to learning in terms of (1) attitude toward
lessons, including students’ attitudes toward studying, the instruction, and what they
learned in class, (2) quality of learning strategies, techniques and habits in class, (3)
motivation to learn and interest in the class, and (4) attitude toward classmates,
teachers, the school and the classroom environment. Chen’s (2004) description lists
18
the components of attitude to learning as attitude toward lessons, attitude in class,
attitude toward homework, attitude toward tests, attitude toward the school, attitude
toward activities in school, attitude toward teachers, attitude toward the campus, and
attitude toward school identity and school ceremonies. This description appears to
place greater emphasis on attitude to the school as a determiner of attitude to learning.
The overlap seen in these descriptions, however, shows that the effectors of
attitude to learning include the people learners interact with, the places in which they
learn, and the things they are required to do. Attitude to learning may be assessed by
observation of student responses to these things.
Effectors of attitude to learning a foreign language
In addition to the people learners interact with, the places in which they learn, and
the things they are required to do (extrinsic factors), attitude to learning a foreign
language may be affected by intrinsic factors including gender, and nationalism.
Freeman and Long (1991) referred to parents, peers, teachers, learning environment,
and nationalism as effectors of learning attitude. They reported that parents’ and peers’
negative attitudes to the language and teachers’ negative attitudes to the language
and/or the learner can be transferred to the learner, a positive and active learning
environment has positive effects on learner attitude, and strong nationalism tends to
equate to poor attitude to learning foreign languages.
19
Gender is often discussed as a factor in attitude to learning. On the whole, girls
appear to have a better attitude to learning languages than boys. Moreover, there are
clear differences in the interactions of boys and girls with teachers, differences which
also tend to result in more positive attitudinal outcomes for girls. Chen (1984) and
Tang (1988) both referred to the relationship between students and teachers,
describing how girl students may benefit more from the mentoring and
encouragement offered by teachers.
An individual’s attitude to learning a foreign language is mostly shaped by the
learning experiences they have. The teacher, a highly important factor in shaping
attitude, must teach with sensitivity and present quality lessons if positive attitudes are
to be maintained. As Chen (2005) stated, attitude to learning is closely related to
classroom atmosphere, teaching materials and the assignments that teachers give, and
to the language itself.
The feedback loop between attitude and achievement
A positive attitude to learning results in motivation and behavioral changes
(students work harder and better!) that have a positive influence on achievement. In
turn, students who achieve more receive inputs (such as improved self-image and
praise from the teacher) that have positive effects on attitude. Chen (2005) referred to
this relationship, stating that self-image and achievement affect each other. It is
20
important that teachers establish this positive feedback loop and continue to provide
inputs into it.
To help establish the positive feedback loop, it is useful to agree the teaching
content and goals with students beforehand. In this way, students feel more involved
and their motivation to achieve is raised. The teacher must also ensure that activities
are suitable and goals achievable, thereby ensuring success and continued inputs into
the positive feedback loop.
Empirical studies of attitude to learning English
Investigation of attitude to learning is relevant because it affects effort and
achievement in learning a language. Ho (2007) investigated attitudinal outcomes
subsequent to a period of whole language oriented instruction with English story
telling and found that the experimental group had a positive attitude to English
learning. Additionally, the girls were found to be more active learners.
Chao (2006) found that low-achievers who read vocabulary aloud and
consequently demonstrated improvements in listening skills, writing, and sentence
comprehension also mostly demonstrated a positive attitude toward reading
vocabulary aloud. Although the percentage of students that liked reading vocabulary
aloud did not increase, the percentage that disliked it decreased greatly.
Tseng (2004) used predictable book instruction to teach students English and
21
found that this engendered positive changes in the affective component of attitude
toward learning English. The predictable book could use repeating words or sentences
to let students guess the following contents. It could attract students’ attention and
encourage students to involve the activity.
These studies confirm that pleasurable and/or successful experiences result in
improved attitude to learning English.
22
Chapter 3
Methodology
This chapter presents the overall design and methodology of the study. First, the
pilot study is described. This is followed by a description of the research design of the
main study, with reference to the setting and participants, instruments, data collection
and the statistical methods for data analysis.
The Pilot Study
The pilot study, aimed at testing methods and assumptions, was more limited in
scope than the later formal study, seeking only to examine word recognition ability.
Hence just two questions were addressed:
(1) What is the impact on students’ word recognition ability of teaching that uses
phonics only and teaching that uses phonics and K.K. instruction?
(2) What is the impact on different ability-level students’ word recognition of
teaching that uses phonics and K.K. instruction?
The participants were two sixth grade classes from an elementary school in
Tainan County. There were twenty-five students in these two classes. Students in each
class were designated as high, mid, or low English achievers in accordance with their
grades in the previous semester.
A pre-test was administered and instruction started one week later. One class was
23
taught using phonics only and the other was taught using phonics plus K.K. Each
class received 80 minutes instruction in a week, for a period of four weeks.
Immediately after the last teaching session, students were given a post-test containing
the same vocabulary items as the pre-test but in a different sequence to assess
improvement.
There was an observable improvement in word recognition skills in the phonics
plus K.K. group in the pilot study. In addition, some students were able to pronounce
words more accurately by reading the K.K. phonetic symbols.
The pilot study revealed that some students were unfamiliar with K.K. phonetic
symbols. The researcher therefore elected to pre-teach K.K. phonetic symbols to the
experimental group students before the main experiment.
Main Study
Research design
The study used quasi-experimental in nature. Two classes of sixth-year
elementary school students were selected as the participants and the goal of the study
was explained to them to motivate interest.
Before the experiment, the researcher would give all the participants the Tainan
County English Test for sixth graders. According to their grades in the Tainan County
English Test for sixth graders, the participants were distributed their English abilities
24
into three levels. After grouping the participants, the researcher would give all the
participants the pre-test. One class acted as the experimental group and one as the
control. The experimental group was taught using phonics and K.K. and the control
group was taught using phonics. The teaching content was taken from Hi! English
(Book 7).
After the experiment, the researcher would give all the subjects the post- test. A
questionnaire was administered in the experiment group after the post- test to examine
whether there was any change of opinions toward English learning attitude. At the end
of the study, an oral interview was conducted to the participants’ feelings and thoughts
regarding K. K phonetic symbols plus phonics instruction. The researcher would
interview three HEAs and the three LEAs in the experiment group individually to
determine their opinions and attitudes regarding K. K phonetic symbols plus phonics
instruction. The oral interview was videotaped and transcribed by the researcher.
Findings from the interview served as authentic feedback from the participants. The
research design would be illustrated as Figure 1.
25
Participants taking the English test for the sixth graders of
Tainan County
Participants taking the pretest
Control group with phonics instruction
Experimental group with phonics
instruction plus K. K. phonetic
symbols
Participants taking the posttest
Experimental group answering the
questionnaire and are interviewed
Data analysis
Figure 1. Research design
26
Setting and participants
Students in this study were from an elementary school in a rural area of Tainan
County. The total enrollment at the school was six hundred and forty students. Some
students were under the poverty line, from single parent, grand-parenting, or
dysfunctional families. There were two science labs, one student center, two computer
labs, one audio-visual classroom, twenty standard classrooms on campus.
The participants were sixth-grade students from an elementary school in Tainan
County. This school had three sixth-grade classes and the researcher selected the two
with approximately equal numbers of students for the study. Two of these classes
contained 27 students and the other 26. So the researcher chose the two class with the
same numbers of students. These participants completed the Tainan County English
Test for sixth graders. The results of this test allow a designation of HEA (High
English achiever), MEA (Middle English achiever), or LEA (Low English achiever).
In each class, the high-achieving students’ scores were the first 27% among all the
students, and the low-achieving students’ scores were the last 27% among all the
students (Madsen, 1983 & Hsu, 2007).
Instruction
The class groupings were retained and both classes were taught the same
materials. Table 3.2.1 shows the instructional groupings. The experimental class was
27
taught using phonics plus K.K. instruction whilst the control class was taught using
phonics. Both classes received one 40-minute teaching session per week for 10 weeks,
from February 2010 to May 2010. The researcher taught the experimental group
whilst a colleague taught the control group.
Table 3.2.1
The Instructional Groupings
Group
Instruction
Pre-test
Instruction
Post-test
Control
group
Phonics
O1
X1
O3
Experimental
group
Phonics
+K.K.
O2
X2
O4
The primary text used during instruction was the English textbook “ Hi! English,
book 7” (Hess Publishing), which was the textbook being used in the school at the
time.
Ability grouping
As stated, the Tainan County English Test for sixth graders allows ability
designations. There are two sections in the test: listening comprehension and reading
comprehension. The listening comprehension section is composed of six parts. Parts
1-4 are multiple choice answers whilst parts 5-6 require written answers. The reading
comprehension section is composed of four parts. Part 1 requires students to write the
alternative case of a provided upper case or lower case letter. Parts 2-3 require
students to read a word and choose the correct picture, whilst part 4 is a short reading
28
with associated questions to answer.
Pre-test and post-test
The content of the pre-test and post-test was chosen from the textbook key
vocabulary and sentences which constituted the material for instruction in the main
study. These tests were structured in the same way as the Tainan County English Test
described above, with the same sections. Students were given 40 minutes to complete
each test. Each item was worth one point and the total score was 32 points. The
specific post-test items were different to the pre-test items.
The pre-test was administered to the two classes before the treatment. The
purpose of the pre-test was to assess performance before the treatment and to provide
a base for comparison with the post-test after treatment. The post-test was
administered after the treatment. Scores were compared with those in the pre-test to
investigate the effects of phonics instruction and phonics instruction plus K.K.
phonetic symbols.
Questionnaire
The questionnaire (Appendix A), adopted from Li (2009) and Hsu (2007), aimed
to investigate change in attitude to learning English post-treatment. The questionnaire
was divided into four parts. Part A (Q. 1-4) investigated students’ attitudes toward
English class, Part B (Q. 5-9) students’ attitudes toward English assignments, Part C
29
(Q. 10-13) students’ attitudes toward the English teacher’s method, and Part D (Q.
14-20) students’ self-image related to learning English. Students were required to
agree or disagree with statements and responses were scored using a five-point scale
ranging from “strongly agree” (5 points), “agree” (4 points), “neutral” (3 points),
“disagree” (2 points), and “strongly disagree” (1 point). The higher the score was, the
more positive learning attitudes toward English participants had. Item 6,7,17 and 20
needed to be reverse-coded. The scores of the reverse-coded items were the opposite
of positively described items: “1” stood for “strongly disagree” with score 4, “2”
stood for “disagree” with score 3, “3” stood for “neutral” with score 3, “4” stood for
“agree” with score 2, and “5” stood for “strongly agree” with score 1. The higher the
score was, the more negative learning attitudes toward English participants had.
Interview.
After the experiment, the researcher interviewed the three HEAs and three LEAs
who were chosen randomly in the experiment group individually to determine their
opinions and attitudes regarding the phonics instruction + K.K. phonetic symbols (See
Appendix B). Findings from the interview served as authentic feedback from the
participants.
Data Collection
In this study, the grades of pre- and post- tests were collected. Furthermore, the
findings from the interview were collected as the data to be analyzed and the
questionnaire was administered in the experiment group after the post- test to examine
30
whether there was any change of opinions toward English learning attitude.
Data Analysis
The data analyzed in this study included the results of the pre-test and post-test
and the questionnaires. The program used for data analysis was SPSS (Statistical
Packages for the Social Sciences). To examine the possible effects of the treatment, a
t-test was applied to compare the experimental and control group scores of the HEAs
and LEAs in both the pre-test and post-test. A t-test was also employed to compare the
questionnaire results of each group to discern any statistically significant difference in
attitude toward English. The transcripts from the oral interview were coded and
categorized to explore if there was any significance between different English
achievers’ attitudes and their grades.
31
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Chang, J. (2003). Developing fourth graders' word recognition and spelling abilities
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32
Fang, S. F. (2006). The effects of instruction of K. K. phonetics symbols with stories
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Fox, B. J. (2008). Word Identification strategies--- Building phonics into a classroom
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Freeman, D. L. & Long, M. H. (1991). An introduction to second language
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H. S. Madsen (1983). Techniques in testing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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33
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Li, T. L. (2009). A comparison of elementary school students’ learning attitudes
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36
Appendix A
英語學習態度量表 六年____班 ____號 姓名:__________
親愛的小朋友：
這份問卷是為了瞭解你對英語課的看法。這不是考試，也
沒有標準答案，請根據你的想法來回答。這份問卷結果絕對保
密，並將作為老師教學的參考與研究的資料。所以請你仔細的
作答。謝謝你的幫忙!
南台科技大學應英所
指導教授 傅玉慧博士
研究生
曾千嘉 上
作答說明：請你根據你的實際感受和經驗，在最適合的格子下面打ˇ，每題只能
打一個ˇ，請務必作答。
不
同
意
中
立
意
見
同 非
意 常
同
意
1.
2.
非
常
不
同
意
我覺得這個課程對我英文學習很有幫助。………………………
□
我希望學校早一點開始教 KK 音標。………………………………… □
□
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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11.
我覺得這個課程對我在認字上有幫助。……………………………
我覺得這個課程對我在發音上有幫助。……………………………
我覺得 KK 音標對我來說太難了。……………………………………
我希望每星期的英語課能多上幾節。………………………………
這個課程會讓我混淆 KK 音標和單字。………………………………
我看到不認識的字時，會利用字典裡的 KK 音標來發音。……………
英語老師的教法對我的英語學習幫助很大。………………………
英語老師上課的方式與內容，我都能了解。………………………
我覺得這個課程能加深我對於英語單字的認識。…………………
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我平常會和同學用課堂中學過的英語練習對話。…………………
我相信只要多練習就可以學好英語。………………………………
我相信遇到不會的字，只要多念幾次就能記住。…………………
當我看到不認識的字時，會利用 phonics 來發音。………………
我相信正確的英語發音能增加我對單字的記憶。…………………
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37
20.
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38
AppendixB
Interview
訪談題目
這次的訪談主要是了解你對使用英語學習網站來學習英語的看法和感想。 這不
是考試，答案沒有對錯，不會影響英語成績，也不會讓其他人知道你的回答，請
放心作答。
Q1:你認識所有的 KK 音標嗎？是去哪裡學的呢？學多久了？
Q2:你覺得上課加上 KK 音標對你來說上課有困難的地方嗎？
Q3:你覺得上課加上 KK 音標會讓你搞混英文單字嗎？
Q4:你覺得上課加上 KK 音標能讓你比較容易記住英文單字嗎？
Q5:你覺得上課加上 KK 音標能對你的英語成績有所幫助嗎？為什麼？
Q6:你覺得學校應不應該教 KK 音標呢？如果你覺得應該的話，大概幾年級學比較
好？
39