English pronunciation teaching and learning for the world that speaks it

Abstract

Since its inception in 1986, IATEFL’s Pronunciation Special Interest Group (PronSIG) has been at the forefront of the field of pronunciation pedagogy, determined to share innovative research and practical techniques among its members and followers. One of the biggest changes we have seen since that time is the development of English into a fully fledged global language, now with more L2 speakers than L1 speakers (Crystal 2019). Due to this evolution, it is increasingly important to consider the needs and goals of learners who will not necessarily go on to use English with native speakers or in a native speaker environment, but instead as a common language, or lingua franca, to communicate with other international speakers. Back when such a change was unimaginable to many working in ELT, PronSIG was already responding to these developments, sharing innovative research within the pronunciation community. As will be outlined below, it was from this shift in perspective and the momentum created by it that PronSIG’s ethos emerged: English pronunciation teaching and learning for the world that speaks it. The following paragraphs now outline some of the key moments and contributors that led to this change as observed and disseminated through PronSIG events and publications over the last four decades.