As expected, the subjects belonging to Group A have obtained better scores after the training
than before the training. This result proves that the segmental training has helped them
increase their pronunciation capacities concerning read speech.
Table 4 below shows the mean pre-training scores and post-training scores that were given
to Group A by the three listener-judges. The last column shows the global evolution in
percentage:
Table 4: Pre-training to post-training evolution of Group A
When looking at the mean scores of Judge 1 and Judge 2, one can observe that Group A
evolved in a similar way for the two listeners. From the pre-recordings to the postrecordings,
the mean scores of Group A as given by Judge 1 changed from 2.61 to 3.37 out of
7, which corresponds to an evolution of +29%. Our claim that the groups will have evolved
positively after their trainings is confirmed with this first result. Judge 2’s scores show a very
similar evolution within Group A of +27%. From 3.37 before the training, the participants of
Group A went up to 4.29 after the training. As to Judge 3’s mean scores, the evolution is
slightly weaker than it is with the two other judges. With a change from 2.83 to 3.24, the
evolution corresponds to +14.5%.
The calculation of the overall mean scores within Group A confirms Hypothesis 3 #1. The
global score of the group has increased from 2.94 in the pre-training productions to 3.63 in
the post-training productions. For that matter, the evolution of +23.5% is quite strong. The
hypothesis is confirmed, and the segmental training has helped the subjects improve their
overall pronunciation. By the same token, it may be concluded that French learners do not
have much difficulty in understanding and applying theoretical knowledge on English
segments.