This word has appeared in 18 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
Imitation versus Retrieval Practice in Foreign Language Pronunciation Learning
The question then is whether imitation is the best approach to learning pronunciation or whether an alternative approach is equally or more effective. Kang et al. (1) investigated exactly this research question. They looked at comprehension and production (i.e., pronunciation) of foreign language words and pitched an imitation approach against a retrieval practice approach. In two experiments, undergraduate students in the US studied 40 Hebrew nouns in 3 or 6 learning cycles in one of two conditions:
Imitation condition: The image of the word was presented and the audio file pronouncing the word was played simultaneously. The learner then repeated the word aloud.
Retrieval practice condition: The image of the word was presented, and the learner was prompted to attempt to pronounce the word. Then, the audio file was played.
Final comprehension and production tests were given immediately after practice or two days later. For the comprehension test students heard each of the words and had to pick the correct picture for them. They found no difference between the imitation condition and retrieval practice condition on this test given immediately after practice. However, on the delayed test students performed better after having studied the material using retrieval practice than imitation. For the production test students were presented with images and asked to say the word out loud. Here, retrieval practice outperformed imitation on both immediate and delayed tests.
Importantly, performance in pronouncing the word correctly and overall quality of pronunciation during the final practice cycle was significantly lower in the retrieval practice condition compared to the imitation condition. This in itself is not surprising because one would assume that a learner’s performance to pronounce the right word correctly will be higher in a condition where they have just heard an audio file of it compared to a scenario where they have to retrieve it from memory. What is surprising is this additionally invested effort in attempting to retrieve the word from memory to pronounce it during practice pays off by resulting in better comprehension and pronunciation scores on the final tests after practice. This results pattern aligns well with the idea of desirable difficulties (2) that states that introducing effortful processes during practice (e.g., retrieval practice) is more beneficial in the long term even though during practice they may result in lower performances.
What to take away from this? After reading this study, I changed my behavior slightly when engaging with the pronunciation task on the language learning app: Before the audio file plays, I press the recording button and attempt to pronounce the sentence first. It does feel a bit more effortful, and I do make more mistakes than with the imitation approach, but that additional challenge makes it also more fun and hopefully more effective in the long run. In the classroom, teachers could embed activities that prompt students to attempt pronouncing words or reading out sentences first before offering them the correct pronunciation as feedback. That said, I would not completely discontinue imitation as a strategy. I think it has its place and can help scaffolding processes, too. Maybe mixing it up with retrieval practice is a good middle ground as it offers variation in practice which can be motivating.
The Great Subscription Trap
We are honoring the Top 10 winners of our Student Open Letter Contest by publishing their entries. This one is by Michael Shin, age 16.
To the Teachers Who Think Louder Means Leader
We are honoring the Top 10 winners of our Student Open Letter Contest by publishing their entries. This one is by Anna Xu, age 15.
Reduce Hiring Risk: Use Objective Data Alongside Interviews
Every business owner knows that hiring decisions are among the most crucial decisions they make. This is especially true for small to medium enterprises (SMEs). Making an incorrect choice could greatly impact the profitability and productivity of the entire company. Despite this, companies rely too heavily on traditional interviews to make hiring decisions. However, these decisions can be biased and leave room for missed red flags.
A simple solution to this problem is to combine interviews with tangible data that is fair and objective. Alison offers an LMS+ tool that is perfect for accessing such insights, thus helping recruiters and HR personnel to make informed decisions which save time and money in the future.
Why Are Interviews Limiting?
Interviews are necessary and should not be ruled out entirely. They assist employers in gauging whether a person is the right cultural fit, has good communication skills and good mannerisms.
But they are fallible and subjective. Two interviews with the same candidate could be worlds apart in their results. Things like first impressions, unconscious bias can overshadow key factors such as competence, and key areas of expertise. Not to mention that things can just go wrong on the day – especially in the world of online video interviews!
Even the most experienced HR personnel or hiring manager can, at times, go with their gut feeling, and while these decisions may feel right at the time, they can fall short in their validation of the candidate’s abilities.
The Importance of Objective Data
Objective data can be measured, and it also offers an unbiased view of what an employee is actually able to do. Assessments measure an employee’s aptitude and whether they are able to take on a specific role. They also measure their abilities and problem-solving skills.
When this type of information is used together with interviews, an employer is able to make a better-informed decision.
Here are a few ways to reduce hiring risk with assessment data:
- Validation of skills: This confirms whether or not a candidate can deliver what they stated on their resumé.
- Communication: This is especially true for global or remote teams. It is imperative that they have strong English skills for seamless collaboration and productivity.
- Culture fit: Here, you will be able to see if candidates have invested in upskilling and how they’ve handled structured learning environments.
Why Is This Important for SMEs
It must be made known that all companies will benefit from these tools and make smarter hiring decisions, but SMEs do have the most to lose when it comes to poor employee decisions. They have smaller teams, and each person plays an integral role.
When someone is underperforming, it will inevitably lead to a decline in business operations.
SMEs also do not have access to large HR teams that will be able to provide this type of insight. It is often the duty of a multitasking manager, and in times when the position needs to be filled urgently, it may be difficult to decide with clarity. Alison provides high-impact assessment tools which help with this decision-making.
Global Teams With Aligned Communication
If your company works remotely, as most do these days, English proficiency is of paramount importance. It is the lingua franca of most businesses, and gaps in communication may lead to misunderstanding and mistakes.
Alison’s English test offers a quick and reliable way to check whether or not candidates are ready to work in an English-based environment. Whether you are hiring personnel from the Philippines, India, China, Poland or Africa, it is important to have clear English standards in place.
It isn’t just about good grammar, it is about ensuring that your team can work together efficiently, write reports if necessary and engage with clients.
How Can Alison’s LMS+ Help With Hiring And Beyond?
One of the biggest challenges that HR and L&D teams face is simply not being able to access the right data. Without it, decision making is not complete and thorough which leads to slower onboarding and hiring risk.
Alison seeks to change this. Alison’s LMS+ includes a Psychometrics Assessment Suite and is more than a learning management system. It’s a talent intelligence platform which includes:
Aptitude Tests
These cover three major areas: numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning and abstract reasoning. These focus areas were designed to ensure that a person’s skills are fully evaluated: problem solving, comprehension and analytical skills.
Workplace Personality Assessments
Personality assessments make it easier to understand their behavioural traits, communication styles, and what motivates them to ensure your hiring choice will be a good cultural fit.
English Language Test
For companies wanting to hire remote staff from around the world, infiltrating new markets, or managing multicultural teams, English proficiency may be a key competency to look for and should be measured effectively.
With Alison LMS+, you can:
- Verify candidate skills objectively
- Get a true answer to the question “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
- Measure verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning
- Test English proficiency
- Track learning progress
- Find the high-potential individuals
- Onboard the best candidates with custom learning paths
All these features are available from one easy-to-use dashboard.
Whether you’re levelling up and growing your team or just want to make smarter decisions regarding who you hire, LMS+ reduces the time and guesswork. You don’t need expensive software to acquire these insights. Alison puts these tools in your hands and is accessible for businesses of every size.
Make The Smart Choice
Hiring will always have to include a human element, and that’s a good thing. But to make the best hiring decisions, it is best to have the subjective (interviews, gut instinct) coupled with the objective (tests, data, performance score).
Making a simple addition to your hiring process, such as assessments, you not only reduce risk but also raise the bar for your team.
Ready to use data to find the right candidates? Set up a quick demo to see how quickly you can adopt a data-led approach to hiring.
Word of the Day: pliable
This word has appeared in 42 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
Timed Tests Don’t Measure Aptitude, They Measure Speed and Memorization
We are honoring the Top 10 winners of our Student Open Letter Contest by publishing their entries. This one is by Claire Mauney, age 16.
Word of the Day: taciturn
This word has appeared in 34 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
The Winners of Our Second Annual Open Letter Contest
This year’s winning letters — chosen from nearly 10,000 entries — on ChatGPT, class participation, American history, and more.
