Ego boundaries and attainments in FL pronunciation

Abstract

The paper reports on a study designed to examine the relationship between the thickness of ego boundaries and attainments in FL pronunciation after a clearly structured form-focused practical course of phonetics. The research involved 45 first-year students of the Institute of English Studies in Wroclaw, Poland, who had attended around thirty 90-minute classes in phonetics. To measure the thickness of their ego boundaries, the Hartmann Boundary Questionnaire (HBQ) was administered. This permitted an examination of which particular types of ego boundaries are related to accuracy in foreign language (FL) pronunciation. The basis for comparing the pronunciation levels of the participants was the Pronunciation Attainment Test consisting of three parts: reading a passage and two vocabulary lists. A t test demonstrated that the differences between the pronunciation levels of the thick and thin ego boundary learners were nonsignificant. However, further statistical analysis (Pearson correlation) showed a positive weak correlation between 3 types of boundaries (represented by Categories 7, 8 and 12 of the HBQ) and attainments in pronunciation. More specifically, the less organized the direct environment (e.g., the working place) of the subjects was and the more preference the participants showed for perceiving and accepting blurred borders between constructs, the better their pronunciation was. A closer look at particular students revealed the importance of boundaries between thoughts and feelings, and boundaries related to defensive mechanisms and to sensitivity in FL pronunciation learning.

Is multilingualism linked to a higher tolerance of ambiguity?

“…The student who is aware of, but not threatened by, linguistic differentiation, and who treats it as an occasion for introspection, experimentation and, ultimately, learning, is the one for whom tolerance of ambiguity will be a help, not a hindrance” (p. 93). This was confirmed in Baran-Lucarz's (2012) study on types of ego boundaries and accuracy in English L2 pronunciation. She found a weak positive correlation between pronunciation scores and a boundary representing “the subjects’ attitudes towards accepting objects, concepts and situations that lack clear borders” (p. 60).…”

Multilingualism, empathy and multicompetence

“…Some research has been carried out to see whether ego boundaries, that is, subjective inhibitions, can be weakened through consumption of alcohol or Valium (Guiora, Acton, Erard, & Strickland, 1980;Guiora, BeitHallahmi, et al, 1972). Baran-Lucarz (2012) investigated the link between types of ego boundaries and accuracy in L2 pronunciation. She found few relationships but a weak positive correlation ermerged between pronunciation scores and a boundary representing ''the subjects' attitudes towards accepting objects, concepts and situations that lack clear borders'' (p. 60).…”

Personality as a Correlate of Accentedness: The Case of Formal Setting Without Pronunciation-Focused Instruction

“…Many studies (Baran-Łucarz, 2011; Derwing & Rossiter, 2002;Horwitz et al, 1986;Kitano, 2001;Szyszka, 2011) have shown that anxiety the major constituent of Neuroticismhas a negative influence on the process of pronunciation learning and the level reached by L2 learners. Baran-Łucarz (2012) has also found important links between various dimensions of ego boundaries and pronunciation accuracy in the case of a formal setting with explicit PfI.…”