How can EFL teachers foster effective pronunciation instruction based on recent research findings?
By: Rana Fleihan
November 19, 2023
Introduction
Pronunciation is a key skill that EFL learners need to acquire. Extensive research underscores the significance of pronunciation instruction for language development and for fostering social and emotional well-being, contributing to feelings of inclusion, self-assuredness, and enhanced communication willingness.
Unfortunately, pronunciation has often been relegated to “orphan skill” status in second language acquisition (SLA), with educators rarely dedicating substantial classroom time to it or receiving proper training for effective instruction. However, that is changing, and recent research has been oriented toward improving teaching and learning practices to develop the pronunciation skills of EFL learners.
Addressing the Challenges: Strategies for EFL Instructors
Since pronunciation requires more attention from EFL educators, it is imperative that EFL instructors explore innovative approaches to pronunciation instruction, thereby making it a more prominent and integral aspect of language learning. Here are some strategies that educators can employ to optimize the teaching of pronunciation.
1. Focus on Comprehensibility and Intelligibility
Many teachers have expectations that their students should reach native speakers’ levels in pronunciation. They strive to make their students as proficient as native speakers, although research shows that very few EFL learners will develop native-like accents, and this gets especially difficult if learners start learning language at adolescence or older (Murphy, 2014). However, teachers’ focus should be on students’ ability to produce speech that is easily understood, which is referred to as intelligibility, and the degree of effort put in by listeners to achieve understanding, which is called comprehensibility. Now is the best time to embrace “world Englishes”, taking into consideration students’ different cultural backgrounds that could interfere with the acquisition of pronunciation.
Practical Classroom Tips:
- Hold targeted feedback sessions and offer specific feedback on aspects affecting intelligibility. Encourage students to focus on improving components that are more likely to affect comprehensibility, such as grammar or suprasegmentals (e.g. intonation, rhythm, phrasing and linking), rather than striving for native-like perfection.
- Promote cultural awareness through discussions about the diverse cultural backgrounds of your students. Highlight how these backgrounds can influence pronunciation and emphasize that clear communication is the ultimate goal.
- Embrace varieties of English by introducing students to various “world Englishes” and dialects, showcasing their unique pronunciation features. This widens their perspective and helps them adapt to different English-speaking environments.
2. Teach Pronunciation Through Real-Life Communication
Pronunciation is forgotten when taught in isolation. Teachers should allow students to participate in real-life activities that encourage authentic communication among students themselves and between students and teachers. Using a communicative approach to teach pronunciation also improves learners’ self-confidence and reduces bias based on pronunciation, as L1 accent interference in pronunciation may lead to broken communication, stereotyping and discrimination in the workplace (Kirkova-Naskova, 2023). Authentic communication will improve students’ fluency, accent, and other aspects of EFL pronunciation.
Practical Classroom Tips:
- Implement role-playing and authentic dialogues that mirror real-life interactions, such as ordering food at a restaurant or conducting job interviews. This encourages students to use natural pronunciation in context. In addition, you can use authentic audio materials, like interviews, podcasts, or news reports, and engage students in discussions about this real-world audio content.
- Create opportunities for peer conversations where students engage in meaningful conversations with peers. Encourage them to provide constructive feedback to one another on pronunciation while focusing on comprehension.
- Incorporate storytelling activities where students share personal anecdotes or experiences. This allows them to practice pronunciation while conveying real emotions and narratives.
3. Structure Tasks Effectively
When it comes to teaching a skill that has been ignored for a long time, EFL instructors may encounter challenges in designing purposeful tasks that facilitate the acquisition of intelligible and comprehensible pronunciation. To address this gap, it is imperative to structure tasks that provide learners with the opportunity to improve their sound production skills within the natural context of language. Moreover, instructors should diligently observe their students’ phonetic performance, noting the recurring trouble spots. Enough time should be granted to reteach and revisit troublesome sound patterns, instead of only introducing new patterns.
Practical Classroom Tips:
- Get the lowdown on pronunciation. Start by figuring out what pronunciation issues your students are facing. Which sounds are tripping them up?
- Practice makes perfect. Make sure there’s enough time in class to keep revisiting those troublesome sounds with focused drills and exercises.
- Guide students to the role of articulators (lip and tongue positions). The English language has 44 sounds. It is useful to teach students the positions of lips and tongue when producing sounds, raising awareness of tense and lax muscles involved in sound production.
4. Shift from Traditional Consonant/Vowel Approaches to Suprasegmental Aspects of Speech
Traditional methods for teaching pronunciation in EFL contexts have always focused on segmental production, including vowels, consonants, and consonant blends. New research suggests taking into consideration the suprasegmental aspects of speech, such as intonation, stress, and rhythm, that are essential for understanding the message of the speaker and the context of speech.
Practical classroom tips:
- Tune into intonation. Introduce students to different ways of saying things with intonation. Try out dialogues, debates, and stories to show how tone can change the meaning of an utterance. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xUxyeKErXQ)
- Spot the stress. Get your students to find the beat in words and sentences. Show them how stress can change the whole game in communication. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HZ2c5G3SaQ)
- Feel the rhythm. Do some fun rhythmic exercises and clapping to groove into the rhythm of English speech. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkn3JCU9V9g)
- Context counts. Teach students how stress and intonation can add emotion and emphasis to what they say. It’s like adding flavor to their words. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkgMFZMBfqQ)
- Listen up. Get students to listen to lots of English. The more they hear, the better they’ll get at understanding the melody of spoken language.
5. Invest in Proper Feedback Techniques
Corrective feedback is known to improve pronunciation skills in learners. EFL teachers can use prompts to correct learners’ pronunciation errors. Prompts aim at hinting at the error instead of explicitly correcting it. It requires the learners to think about the error and pushes them to think of correcting it on their own. Giving individualized feedback also helps learners to focus on their errors and find ways to improve their performance. Peer feedback is also welcomed in pronunciation classes, as learners can help each other while communicating in different natural contexts.
Practical classroom tips:
- Provide timely feedback. Provide feedback promptly after a learning activity or assessment. Timely feedback helps students connect it to their recent efforts.
- Be specific in your feedback. Pinpoint what the students did well and where they can improve. Use concrete examples and refer to specific parts of their work.
- Offer clear and actionable guidance. Ensure that your feedback is clear and actionable. Students should be able to understand what they need to do to improve.
- Include AI in self-assessment. Encourage students to use AI-supported programs and apps like Pronounce for self-assessment. AI-based websites and apps provide merits like real-time scoring and interactive learning.
Conclusion
Teaching pronunciation in EFL and ESL contexts should enhance learners’ abilities to achieve intelligible and comprehensible speech, allowing communication through real-life tasks that allow learners to use language communicatively, thus practicing pronunciation in a natural and authentic environment. Pronunciation is not only the knowledge of consonants, vowels, and blends. It is also about the stress, rhythm, and intonation that impact the message and meaning of speech. Investing time in practice and feedback can yield great improvements in learners’ performance in pronunciation.
References
Galante, A., & Piccardo, E. (2022). Teaching pronunciation: Toward intelligibility and comprehensibility. ELT Journal, 76(3), 375–386. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccab060
Gordon, J. (2021). Pronunciation and task-based instruction: effects of a classroom intervention. RELC Journal, 52(1), 94–109. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688220986919
Kirkova-Naskova, A. (2023). Engaging research: Empowering ESL/EFL teachers to teach pronunciation. Alice Henderson; Anastazija Kirkova-Naskova. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on English Pronunciation: Issues and Practices, pp.122-137, ff10.5281/zenodo.8232364ff. ffhal04179644f
Loci, Nguyen, & Bui, Hung. (2021). Communicative pronunciation teaching: Insights from the Vietnamese tertiary EFL classroom. System, 101.
Murphy, John. (2014). Intelligible, comprehensible, non-native models in ESL/EFL pronunciation teaching. System. 42. 258–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2013.12.007
Sánchez, M.D., Lutz, M.I., & Pérez, N.S. (2019). English vowel sounds: Pronunciation issues and student and faculty perceptions. Actualidades Investigativas en Educación. University of Costa Rica.
Wooldridge, Jordan. (2022). Teaching pragmatic suprasegmentals in the adult ESL classroom. School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects, 776. https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_cp/776
Zhou, J. (2019). Construction of artificial intelligence-based interactive oral English teaching platform based on application problems of present intelligent products. IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng., 569.