Language use, attitudes, perception and production of English vowels among tenth graders in a public high school in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

This thesis focuses on the perception and production of 11 English vowels of tenth graders (n=44) in a public high school in Puerto Rico. To provide social context information, the researcher used questionnaires to collect socio-demographic and language use data and a Likert Scale with statements to collect attitude data. To find out if participants could identify English vowels, the researcher constructed a 42-item Perception Test. To find out if participants could produce English vowels, the researcher used Praat Lab for spectrographic display and formant measurement of the voice-recordings of four participants. Results showed that the students formed two groups, those with and without stateside experience. In general, all had positive attitudes to English. Those with stateside experience had more uses for English across interlocutors, for media, and in domains of reading and use of computer were better able perceive and produce English vowels. Pedagogical implications are considered.