FLED 112 Week 1 Assignment 1:

Due: Thursday, Feb 18 practicum hour (please hand in a printed copy)

Conduct a small interview with a friend of yours (preferably not a FLED student). The friend should not be a native
speaker of English and preferably a Turkish speaker of English. If your native language is not Turkish feel free to talk to a
person who speaks your native language as their first language but in that case you will need to do external research for
the phonemic inventory of your native language for your explanations. Ask your friend one Type 1, one Type 2 question
from the list below and record their speech. (DO NOT discard this recording as you will be using it in future assignments.)
Type 1 questions:
1. What is your dream job?
2. What is your preferred learning strategy?
3. Think of a place that makes you feel relaxed and peaceful. Describe it and explain why it is relaxing and peaceful for
you.

Type 2 questions:
1. Do you agree or disagree that a higher education means a better career? Use details and examples to support your
explanation.
2. Do you agree or disagree that grades encourage students to learn? Use details and examples to support your
explanation.
3. Some students prefer studying within groups and others prefer studying by themselves. Which do you think is better?
Explain why.

1. Analyze their speech and identify 10 sounds or syllables that they pronounce target-like (similar to a native
speakers pronunciation). Give an IPA transcription of the word that the sound/syllable occurs in and indicate
the sound/syllable in boldface. Explain why you think your friend was target-like in his/her pronunciation.
2. Identify 10 sounds/syllables that your friend does not pronounce target-like (pronunciation not similar to a
native speakers). Explain why you think your friend was NOT target-like in his/her pronunciation. Make tables
similar to the ones below while completing your assignment.
Note: Please use a sound/syllable only once. Do not repeat the same sound multiple times.

Name: ______________________________

Practicum section: ______

The questions you asked your friends for your interview:

Type 1 question: ..................................................................................................................
Type 2 question: ..................................................................................................................

Examples of 10 target-like pronunciations

The sound
or the
syllable

The word the

sound/syllable occurs in
(IPA transcription)

Explanation (What could be the reason for your

friends target-like pronunciation of this
sound/syllable?)

Examples of 10 non-target-like pronunciations

The sound
or the
syllable

The word the

sound/syllable occurs in
2 IPA transcriptions:
(a) the way your friend
pronounced
(b) the way it should have
been pronounced

Explanation (What could be the reason for your

friends non-target-like pronunciation of this
sound/syllable?)