Presentation

Instructional modality in focus: Fostering engagement and phonological awareness through connected speech in the second language classroom

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Abstract

This quasi-experimental study investigated how instructional modality was associated with learners’ ability to identify connected speech processes in English as a foreign language. Two groups of undergraduates from a Teacher Education and Translation program at a public university in Patagonia, Argentina, participated. The Audio Group received auditory input only, while the Audiovisual Group was exposed to the same materials with video. Participants completed pre- and posttests on assimilation, elision, coalescence, and linking, plus a post-instruction questionnaire on motivation, enjoyment, and input preference. Both groups improved: the Audio Group showed larger gains in identification accuracy, whereas the Audiovisual Group reported higher motivation. Qualitative responses suggested that audio-only input supported attentional focus, while audiovisual input fostered contextual understanding but sometimes redirected attention away from phonological detail. Findings suggest that the two modalities may contribute differently, yet complementarily, to pronunciation instruction.

Keywords: input modality, phonological processes, motivation, pronunciation instruction

How to Cite:

Blázquez, B. A., & Luchini, P. L. (2026). Instructional modality in focus: Fostering engagement and phonological awareness through connected speech in the second language classroom. In P. Trofimovich, A. Bodea, T.-N. N. Le, R. Suzuki, & C. Teló (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference (pp. 1–17). Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, October 2025. https://doi.org/10.31274/psllt.21251