Neutralizing the Ala-Eh accent in the Spoken English of Grade 11 students using ELSA (English Language Speech Assistant) in the enhancement of Oral Communication: A Teaching activity

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

English is primarily regarded as the primary vehicle for global communication (Albert, 2013). The argument arises from the given that English is by far the most commonly spoken language and is also the same mode of communication used in the world wide web or the Internet (Lewis, 2009). In this regard, the school plays an integral role, the English subject as a curriculum and the English teacher are at the frontline of this goal. This paper anchors itself in the augmentation of helping students residing in Batangas City towards the aim of reducing their regional accent. The province of Batangas is known for having a peculiar accent which manifests itself in the spoken English of the students and this paper aims to develop a way towards regional accent neutralization.

METHODS

The study is primarily categorized as a Descriptive research. The researcher utilized a speech application ELSA or English Language Speech Assistant which was administered to purposely chosen 55 Grade 11 students in a span of two weeks. This study is limited to accent neutralization in the spoken English of the students and may require further studies for improved validation. The statistical method that the researcher employed was Simple Mean Analysis.

RESULTS

The study showed that there is a significant correlation between the utilization of the learning application in the accent neutralization of the study participants. Further, the demographic profile (gender, sex and length of stay in Batangas of the students) is a significant factor in English Second language learning. The students highly agreed in the presence of a distinct regional accent in Batangas, thus, they also have this strong embedded Batangueno accent. They believed that this accent can be neutralized and mitigated through the use of learning application. This heuristic analysis demonstrates the significant impact that English Language Speech Assistant can contribute in the accent neutralization of students.

DISCUSSIONS

The study intends to contribute on the existing literature that harbors on regional accent and spoken English with the necessary corrective tools that can be used to reduce regional accent in spoken English.