The English Pronunciation Teaching in Europe Survey: Initial Results and Useful Insights for Collaborative Work

Abstract

AbstractThe English Pronunciation Teaching in Europe Survey (EPTiES) is an on-line survey which aims to collect information about English pronunciation teaching practices in European countries, following the work of Canadian (Breitkreutz et al, TESL Can J, 19:51–61, 2002) and Australian (Macdonald, Prospect 17(3):3–18, 2002) studies. Jointly prepared by teachers in ten European countries (Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Macedonia, The Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland), the survey has 57 questions organised into nine categories. Initial results for 598 respondents are briefly presented in relation to six categories: characteristics of participants (e.g. age, gender, years teaching experience); teachers’ self-evaluation of their own pronunciation skills; teachers’ views on the pronunciation-related training they received; assessment of pronunciation; exposure outside the classroom (e.g. subtitled TV, live interaction with native and non-native speakers,); varieties and norms inside the classroom (e.g. for receptive and productive work). Some of the advantages and drawbacks of such collaborative research projects are also addressed.KeywordsFormative AssessmentDiagnostic AssessmentOral PerformanceOral ExamStrong ShowingThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.