The Effectiveness of Phonics-based Multi-modal Instruction on English Language Connected Speech Perception in Chinese EFL Children

This study investigates the efficacy of a phonics-based intervention in
improving connected speech perception among Chinese elementary
school children learning English as a foreign language (EFL). While prior
research has largely focused on adult learners and emphasized rule
extraction through abstractionist models, this study employs a hybrid
model that integrates both abstractionist and exemplar-based
methodologies. Over a five-week period, 68 fifth-grade students
participated in classroom interventions designed to enhance their
connected speech perception skills through structured training and
comprehensive linguistic input. Results demonstrate significant
improvements in connected speech perception across most types of
connected speech processes, with the exception of elision, which
exhibited the lowest accuracy rates and no significant improvement post
intervention. These findings suggest that phonics-based multi-modal
instruction effectively supports the development of connected speech
perception in young learners and highlight the need for future instruction
to focus on enhancing children's ability to flexibly process various
phonological cues, particularly in challenging areas such as elision.