Musicians, seeking stress relief and vocal/instrumental enhancement, often turn to the Tomatis Method of sensori-neural integration training, based on the interdependence and interaction between hearing and listening, psychological attitude and speech and language. The paucity of impact studies on musicians, despite its acclaimed efficacy, has prompted the current multidisciplinary pilot study, involving a two group, pre-post experimental design. Listening aptitude, psychological well-being and vocal (voice) quality were assessed in availability samples of culturally diverse young, adult musicians (n=28), recruited from two tertiary institutions and assigned to a control group (n=10) and an experimental group, consisting of sub-experimental group one (n=10) and sub-experimental group two (n=8). Reasonable preprogramme group equivalence was established between the two sub-experimental groups and the control group. A Tomatis programme of 87.5 half hour listening sessions and concomitant counseling was completed by the total experimental group (n=18). Results indicated practically significant enhancement of: (i) listening aptitude on the Listening Test and (ii) psychological well-being, in terms of reduced negative and increased positive mood state (vigor) on the POMS in both sub-experimental groups, together with enhanced behavioural and emotional coping in sub-experimental group 1 on the CTI. (iii) Vocal enhancement, perceived both by singer-participants in both sub-experimental groups and a professional voice teacher, culminated in (iv) distinctly enhanced musical proficiency in 28% of all programme participants. Despite indications of multimodal enhancement, further research, necessitated by current methodological limitations, remains a prerequisite for achievement of definitive results.

Daan Wissing, Research Focus Area: Languages and Literature in the SA Context, Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir CHO, Private Bag X600 1, Potchefstroom, Rep. of South Africa. nffdpw@puknet.puk.ac.za Wynand du Plessis, Institute for Psychophonology, Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir CHO, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, Rep. of South Africa. ipvwfdp@puknet.puk.ac.za.This study investigates the impact of Audio-psycho-phonology (APP), a process of hearing stimulation by means of a device called the Electronic Ear, as an aid to second language (L2) pronunciation training. The outcomes of APP and traditional pronunciation training on the vowel perception LI Zulu-speakers who use English as a business language were explored. This group was chosen because intelligible pronunciation is important in their designations. Perception of English vowels was isolated as a base for testing. Pre-and post testing of vowel perception indicates that APP did not have a significant impact as an aid to pronunciation training. A post hoc attitude assessment, conducted amongst the business community, yielded interesting results regarding the connection between pronunciation and language attitudes. Die irnpak van Audio-psigo-fonologie (APF) op tweedetaalonderrig (L2), meer in die besonder uitspraak, is in hierdie studie ondersoek. APF is 'n proses waardeur die gehoor gestimuleer word by wyse van 'n apparaatgenoem die Elektroniese Oor. Hierdie metode van uitspraakonderrig is vergelyk met 'n tradisionele uitspraakonderrigmetode, en we1 met verwysing na die vokaalpersepsie van Zulusprekende persone wat Engels as besigheidstaal in hulle professionele hoedangheid gebruik. Die groep is gekies weens die belang van goed verstaanbare Engelse uitspraak in hulle werksomstandighede. Die resultate toon aan dat APF nie 'n beduidende invloed gehad het op die uitspraak van die deelnemers nie. 'n Post hoc-opname onder lede van die besigheidgemeemkap het egter interessante resultate met betrekking tot die verhouding tussen uitspraak en taalhoudinge geopenbaar. S. Afi. J. Ling., Suppl. 38

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