本研究旨在比較有系統之字母直接拼讀教學與改良式默示法對國小發音教學之成效。本研究對象為55位來自台南市一所國小的四年級學生。這些學生只在學校學過基礎口語英文,不曾在校外補習也不曾學過字母拼讀法。經隨意分配到直接拼讀法組與改良式默示法組上課。

　　2組學生各自接受每週兩次80分鐘的課程, 全程共10週（大約26小時）。由於本研究著重在六種不同類型的母音與多音節的單字, 因此課程的目標是培養學生具有辨識母音與朗讀英文單字的能力。課程結束後，學生接受三種測驗項目：辨音，拼字，和朗讀單字。

　　研究結果顯示:
一、26小時有系統之字母直接拼讀教學與改良式默示法課程對國小學童辨音、拼字、和朗讀單字的能力皆有顯著的成效。
二、直接拼讀法組在辨音方面顯著優於改良式默示法組。在朗讀單字方面，雖然兩組沒有顯著差異，但是改良式默示法組似乎得分較高的項目比較多。至於拼字方面，兩組進步的程度沒有顯著差異。
三、就學習難度而言，兩組呈現顯著的差異。直接拼讀法組中比較多人覺得簡單。至於教學方法、學習成就、與學習進步方面的反應，兩組沒有顯著差異。

　　總結而論，本研究顯示國小學童經過密集的發音訓練後，可以獨立讀出英文單字。有系統之字母直接拼讀教學法可能比較容易理解，所以學生們大多覺得進步很快。可是由於沒有明確的符號可以參考，學生們容易混淆字母與字母發音，而且在運用發音規則時，也不太有信心。雖然改良式默示法組的學生需花了很多時間去熟悉母音、顏色、與拼字之間的對應關係，但是因為有顏色的協助，在幫助年幼學童熟練發音規則，進而嘗試朗讀較長的單字上，改良式默示法似乎比較有效。

　This study compared the effects of explicit phonics instruction and the revised Silent Way method on EFL elementary school students’ pronunciation. Fifty-five fourth-grade students in an elementary school in Tainan City with very limited knowledge about phonics were selected to participate in two conditions: explicit phonics instruction and the revised Silent Way instruction.

　The experiments of the respective conditions lasted ten weeks (about 26 hours) and consisted of weekly two 80-minute phonics instruction sessions. Since the main focus of this classroom quasi-experiment is on students’ performance on six different patterns of vowels and multi-syllabic words, the aim of the instruction was to provide the students with the ability to identify vowel sounds and read aloud English words. Students were then administered three posttest measures: sound discrimination, word spelling, and reading aloud words.

　The findings of the study are summarized as follows:
1. Both explicit phonics instruction and the revised Silent Way method in 26 hours have positive effect on EFL elementary students’ ability to discriminate vowel sounds, spell English words, and read aloud English words.
2. Phonics group significantly outperformed the revised Silent Way group in sound discrimination task and the revised Silent Way group appeared to generate higher scores, though not significantly, on more sound patterns in reading aloud task. However, no significant differences existed on the improvement range of word spelling.
3. The two groups differed significantly when they were asked if they felt easy in learning English pronunciation. More students in the Phonics group agreed that the lessons were easy to them. As to the responses to the way of teaching, learning achievement and learning improvement, there were no significant differences between the two groups.

　In conclusion, this study shows that EFL elementary students could read English words independently after intensive phonics training. Explicit phonics instruction might be easy for students in understanding and could make more students feel big progress. However, without concrete device to rely on, students might confuse letter names with letter sounds easily and feel unconfident in application. Although the revised Silent Way method occupied students plenty of time to familiarize the sound-color-letter correspondences, it seemed to be more effective in helping young learners master the phonics rules and try reading long words aloud with the help of colors, the concrete device.

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