Pronunciation In Efl Instruction

This book addresses issues and debates at the centre of English pronunciation teaching. It offers new theoretical ideas and practical solutions to phonodidactic problems that arise in EFL contexts, approaching pronunciation instruction from global and local perspectives and supporting its theoretical claims with extensive empirical evidence.

In view of recent debates on the global spread of English and its international lingua franca role, what pronunciation models are appropriate for millions of EFL learners? Which aspects of English phonetics should be taught to foreign students and which can be neglected with little loss to successful communication? How can English pronunciation be taught in an interesting and effective way which is both learner- and teacher-friendly, in accordance with the latest scholarly and technological achievements? This research-based book addresses these and many other fundamental issues that are currently at the centre of pronunciation teaching. It offers a wealth of new theoretical ideas and practical solutions to various phonodidactic problems that arise in EFL contexts, approaching pronunciation instruction from global and local perspectives and supporting its theoretical claims with extensive empirical evidence. It will be of interest to EFL teachers and teacher trainers, pronunciation specialists and students of applied linguistics.

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2008 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: none, Jahangirnagar University (Department of English), course: English Pronunciation, language: English, abstract: Pronunciation is an integrated and integral part of second/foreign language learning since it directly affects learners’ communicative competence as well as performance. Notwithstanding, teaching EFL pronunciation is still peripheral and/or neglected in the syllabus, material and classroom, especially in Bangladesh. Therefore, based on my experience both as a student and a teacher-researcher as well as on a number of existing studies, this paper examines and addresses four major issues concerning teaching EFL pronunciation to learners at different levels. Firstly, I have explored and uncovered the reasons for overlooking teaching pronunciation. Secondly, I have endeavoured to justify the teaching of pronunciation together with the other skills of the target language. Thirdly, I have tried to ascertain a level and the aspects of EFL pronunciation that should be taught. Finally, I have discussed some pronunciation teaching approaches and advocated a variety of techniques/activities for teaching EFL pronunciation in the classroom.

English Pronunciation Instruction: Research-based insights presents recent research on L2 English pronunciation including pedagogical implications and applications, and seeks to bridge the gulf between pronunciation research and teaching practice. The volume’s 15 chapters cover a range of aspects that are central to pronunciation teaching, including the teaching of different segmental and suprasegmental features, teachers’ and learners’ views and practices, types and sources of learners’ errors, feedback and assessment, tools and strategies for pronunciation instruction, reactions towards accented speech, as well as the connection between research and teaching. Chapters offer a fully developed section on pedagogical implications with insightful suggestions for classroom instruction. This format and the variety of topics will be informative for researchers, language teachers, and students interested in English pronunciation, as it explores the diverse challenges learners of different L1 backgrounds face, and also provides research-informed techniques and recommendations on how to cope with them.

This book provides an overview of pronunciation teaching and learning practices in secondary schools, providing insights into secondary school learners' needs, expectations and motivation regarding the importance of learning English and particularly English pronunciation. It presents a summary of the research on L2 pronunciation acquisition, teaching techniques and factors affecting the learning process as well as the results and conclusions of a longitudinal study conducted in a Polish secondary school. The study indicates that learners consider pronunciation a crucial component of English learning and a predictor of successful communication. Moreover, it shows that accuracy is highly valued by learners, and that systematic and regular pronunciation instruction, even if devoted mainly to segments, has the potential to contribute to the overall improvement in learners' communicative competence and their confidence as speakers and users of English. The book is based on the first-hand experience of a teacher-researcher.

This book presents and discusses theoretical and practical perspectives on English pronunciation theory, research and practice in order to establish evidence-based pronunciation teaching models, teaching and research priorities, and recommendations for best practices in teaching English pronunciation. The chapters provide a balanced view of theory and practice based on the authors’ empirical findings and their extensive professional experiences in English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) and lingua franca contexts. The book identifies pronunciation teaching priorities that take into account individual learner variables, disseminates knowledge about theoretical frameworks, explores teachers’ and learners’ beliefs and practices regarding pronunciation instruction, and shares empirical findings regarding teacher education and teaching interventions in diverse contexts with English learners of different ages and language backgrounds. Overall, the chapters highlight the need to focus on intelligibility models that consider individual learner differences, and teacher and contextual variables.

Practical resources designed to help language educators apply the latest research and most effective pedagogical methods to classroom pronunciation instruction In Second Language Pronunciation: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Teaching, a team of distinguished researchers and educators delivers an incisive and practical approach to evidence-based pronunciation instruction in second language classrooms. Developed for language teachers who want to incorporate and implement the most effective pedagogical methods in their language instruction, this edited volume offers 15 essays that connect the latest research with practical applications in the classroom. In addition to exploring recent but less well-known methods—like High Variability Phonetic Training, discourse-based teaching, communicative classrooms, and technology-based methods—these chapters are unified in bringing theory to bear on practical questions faced by language teachers. The chapters follow a standard format, moving from critical research issues to pedagogical implications, and practical resources to equip language teachers, scholars, administrators, and teachers-in-training with the tools they require to develop their students’ pronunciation abilities. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to using empirical evidence to guide pronunciation instruction in second language students Comprehensive explorations of the integration of pronunciation instruction into second language education Practical discussions of perception training in pronunciation instruction and the importance of L2 segmental and suprasegmental contrasts in pronunciation learning In-depth examinations of classroom research for pronunciation and the use of technology to explore L2 pronunciation Perfect for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students studying TESOL, applied linguistics, and second language acquisition, Second Language Pronunciation: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Teaching will also earn a place in the libraries of researchers, scholars, and teachers of language and education.