AWARENESS AND PHONOLOGICAL WORKING MEMORY IN THE ADULTACQUISITION OF SECOND LANGUAGE PRONUNCIATION: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

As one of the micro skills of speaking ability, the role of pronunciation is quite essentialfor it differentiates one meaning to another. The early childhood acquisition of a secondlanguage pronunciation is found to have fewer constraints than those who learn the second language in their adolescence or adult time. The aim of this study is to answer this inquiry:What is the role of awareness and phonological working memory in the adult acquisition ofsecond language?(2) How are awareness and phonological working memory taken into accountin teaching pronunciation for adult? The data collected is in the form of autonomousacquisition cases (depicted in the life story of two postgraduate students of Sanata DharmaUniversity who possess native-like speaking performance: Marschall Eirence Metekohy andDita Anissa Johar) as well as guided acquisition (portrayed in the result of the implementationof Oral Diary as a teaching pronunciation technique for EFL students of grade XI SMA N 2 Bantul). The participants of this study had completed an awareness information questionnaire,and a learning outcomes questionnaire. In terms of validity and reliability, triangulationscaffolds the validation using Pearson’s Coefficient Correlation. It employs the journalistic andstatistical analysis. The result shows that awareness is in line with the activation of long-termmemory and thus becomes one salient factor to improve and to robustly strengthen theremembrance of the correct pronunciation. Henceforth, a further research in designing atechnique for teaching pronunciation which stimulates preponderance awareness is ardentlysuggested.