Pronunciation Learning Strategies Research Articles

Untangling the Tongues: Exploring Pronunciation Development Strategies for Learners of English at High Schools in Oromia Region of Ethiopia

One of the most important aspects of learning a new language is mastering the pronunciation of that language. It is crucial in helping second language learners improve their communication skills and overall performance. Mastering proper pronunciation is a difficult and subtle part of teaching English as a foreign or second language. The focus of this study is to assess the contributing factors affecting ESL students' pronunciation. The study used a quantitative research approach. A total of 189 students from Burayu High School were chosen at random sampling technique for this study. The researchers collected data through a questionnaire. SPSS version 26 was used to analyze the data obtained from the respondents of the survey. Factors influencing pronunciation that were identified in this study include poor motivation, lack of confidence, exposure, practice, interest, an unfriendly atmosphere, one's native language interference, age, personal traits of the learners, instructional approach, and feedback deficiency. The findings also provide valuable insights into preferred pronunciation learning strategies among students of English in the Oromia region of Ethiopia and explore the impact of individual and environmental factors, including first language influence, strengths, and weaknesses of current teaching methodologies in fostering pronunciation development in this specific context. This study will contribute to the development of more effective and learner-centered pedagogical approaches for pronunciation instructions in English language programs designed for English learners in the Oromia region of Ethiopia.

Mandarin Pronunciation Learning Strategies of MFL Learners in Malaysia

Pronunciation is the fundamental step in learning a second language (L2) or a foreign language (FL). This is a crucial step that cannot be excluded from the process of L2 or FL teaching and learning. Apart from that, pronunciation is not only an indicator to measure learners’ acquisition of a second language, but also a tool to ensure the effectiveness of communication between the speaker and listener. However, pronunciation instruction has been absent from second language classrooms for a long period, because it has long been believed that pronunciation is not crucial and can be learned by students. Consequently, learners have to pick up pronunciation learning on their own in order to achieve the learning goal. The literature review showed that a large number of existing studies revealed that MFL learners utilized MPLS, however, MPLS utilized by non-native learners of Mandarin in Malaysia are previously unstudied. Thus, this quantitative study seeks to explore the Mandarin language learning strategies (MPLS) employed by Mandarin as a foreign language (MFL) learner in Malaysia. A questionnaire namely “Strategy Inventory for Mandarin Pronunciation Learning” that was designed based on taxonomies presented by Oxford (1990); Peterson (2000) was used as the main instrument in this study. 151 students from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Rembau campus who enrolled in a Mandarin language course were invited to participate in this study. The findings revealed that the level of the use of MPLS among MFL learners is at moderate level which indicated that MFL learners in Malaysia were opportunely aware of the use of pronunciation learning strategies while learning Mandarin pronunciation. Social strategies were the most frequently used strategies as compared to other MPLS. It was followed by cognitive strategies, affective strategies, memory strategies, metacognitive strategies, and compensation strategies. Findings from this study can help MFL instructors better understand the need to close the gap between their students’ selection of teaching approaches and language learning strategies. However, there were several limitations need a greater exploration in future research, such as factors affecting the selection of MPLS, individual differences and so on.

English Pronunciation Learning Strategies among English Major Students

English Pronunciation Learning Strategies among English Major Students

A Study on American KFL Learners’ Attitudes Toward Korean Pronunciation Learning and Their Use of Pronunciation Learning Strategies

ABSTRACT Learning language in a foreign context requires some degree of learner autonomy. It calls for even more autonomy when learning a target language pronunciation. One of the ways to foster learner autonomy is by training students in the use of strategic devices that help learners to learn different aspects of pronunciation because skillful use of strategies is key to growing autonomy (Wenden 1991). However, since Pronunciation learning strategies (PLS) have received relatively little attention, the studies on PLS are limited in terms of the target language with a near exclusive focus on English (Pawlak, 2018). In addition, although researchers seem to have come to an agreement on what a reasonable goal should be for pronunciation instruction, in the view of learner autonomy, learners can set their own goals. Therefore, this article has attempted to sketch out the American KFL learners’ attitudes towards Korean pronunciation learning and their overall pattern in PLS use. Noteworthy findings were that the KFL learners’ attitudes towards learning pronunciation was highly positive, they were confined to a very limited set of PLS relying mainly on affective and cognitive strategies, and there was a significant correlation between attitudes and the PLS use.

Pronunciation Learning Strategy Use of EFL Learners: Focused on 5th and 6th Graders in Primary School

This study aims to investigate pronunciation learning strategies (PLS) use of 5th and 6th graders learning EFL in Korean elementary schools, including strategies they employ most and least frequently, and to discuss the relationship between PLS use and their grade, gender, and the level of interest in English. The questionnaire data about PLS use from 207 students were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVAs, and post-hoc tests. The responses to open-ended questions were qualitatively analyzed. Participants showed medium strategy use in six PLS categories. They also reported using memory and cognitive strategies most frequently, and metacognitive strategies least frequently. The most frequently used strategies involved repeating aloud and trying to remember the teachers’ pronunciation, whereas planning pronunciation learning and avoiding saying difficult words were used least frequently. Fifth graders and females used more strategies with higher mean scores than sixth graders and males. However, two strategies such as checking the sounds of words on a computer and learning pronunciation with peers varied significantly by grade, and a significant gender difference occurred in one strategy like practicing sounds in words and then in sentences. Noticeably, EFL learners’ levels of interest in English had the most significant effect on overall PLS use.

Pronunciation Learning Strategies Used among Thai EFL Tertiary Students with Different Self-Evaluated Pronunciation Abilities

The current research aimed to 1) identify the pronunciation abilities of EFL tertiary students at Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna Phitsanulok (RMUTL PLC) according to their self-evaluation, 2) reveal the English pronunciation learning strategies employed among EFL tertiary students with different self-evaluated pronunciation abilities, and 3) investigate whether there is any different employment of the English pronunciation learning strategies among the EFL tertiary students with different English pronunciation abilities. The participants were 270 EFL students enrolling in the second semester of the Academic Year 2019. Of the 270 participants, 40 participants anonymously and voluntarily took part in the semi-structured interviews. The data for analyses were obtained through the questionnaire and the semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were statistically analyzed, and the qualitative data were scrutinized using the thematic analysis method. The results showed that, of the three pronunciation ability groups, namely good (GG), moderate (MG), and low (LG) groups, most of the EFL tertiary students at RMUTL PLC evaluated themselves as having a moderate English pronunciation ability. The GG participants employed the cognitive pronunciation learning strategy most often, while the MG and LG used the affective and social pronunciation learning strategies most often. Accordingly, the divergent employment of pronunciation learning strategies exists among these EFL tertiary students with diverse pronunciation abilities. They relied on online applications, such as Google Translate, for pronunciation demonstration because of its convenience and ease to access. When the participants did not use an online application, they sought help from their classmates rather than asking the teachers owing to their proximity and intimacy.

Correlation Between English Education Study Program Students’ Strategies in Learning English Pronunciation and Their Achievement in Speaking

The aim of this research was to identify students’ pronunciation learning strategies and speaking achievement among students of the English Study Program at Universitas Bengkulu. Then, the research would like to find out whether or not there was any significant correlation between both variables. The research was a correlational research. The population consisted of 79 students of the English Education Study Program at Universitas Bengkulu in academic year 2018/2019. The total sample included 79 students. The instruments were pronunciation learning strategies questionnaire and students’ score in speaking for presentation course from the lecturer. The collected data were analyed by Pearson Product Moment formula. The result of this research showed that the Social Strategy was the most frequently used with a mean score 3.9 (“often” category). Then, high achievement students and middle achievement students used all strategies. The means of strategy score for high acchievement students was 3.9 and the middle achievement students was 2.98. The result of this research also revealed that there was a correlation between students’ pronunciation learning strategies and speaking achievement besause the correlation coefficient was 0.595, in “moderate” correlation category. It is concluded that it is needed to strength students’ achievement through introducing pronunciation learning strategies deeply.

Enhancing learners’ reflections in the process of learning EFL pronunciation through technology-based self-study

This article reports the findings of a qualitative study aimed at investigating how the use of technology-based resources in out-of-class self-study by learners of English affects their level of reflectivity during the process of learning pronunciation. Using as a research tool learners’ diaries submitted on Moodle, the study also explores the value of such diaries in promoting reflection in learners. The findings largely confirmed the considerable role played by technology-based self-study and diary writing in enhancing reflection on learning pronunciation in the participants. These reflections concerned their growing phonological awareness, the use of materials appropriate for pronunciation practice, pronunciation learning strategies, and the affective side of learning. The didactic implications include the need to employ a wide range of technology-based resources for self-study and to encourage learners to keep reflective diaries as part of their pronunciation instruction.

Assessing the Impact of Pronunciation Learning Strategy on Kurdish EFL Learners’ Pronunciation Accuracy

The study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of pronunciation learning strategies (in favor of Covert Rehearsal Model) in helping Kurdish EFL learners to acquire accuracy in English pronunciation and detecting the most frequently used strategy types and strategy group by the learners. A total of 50 Kurdish EFL students of Salahaddin University, English Department took part in the study. The instruments used for collecting data and information included were a validated questionnaire of pronunciation learning strategies. The questionnaire items were adopted from the synthesized taxonomy of pronunciation strategies presented by O'Malley & Chamots’ (1990) and Oxford's (1990) and adapted according to Kurdish learners' need. The results indicated that the use of various pronunciation learning strategies were useful for Kurdish learners to improve their pronunciation skills and then consolidate their self-confidence to bring positive changes in students' pronunciation performance.

Researching pronunciation learning strategies: An overview and a critical look

Disparate goals that learners might have in learning second or foreign language pronunciation and the scant classroom time that can be dedicated to teaching this target language subsystem dictate that learner autonomy is of vital importance in this case and adept use of pronunciation learning strategies (PLS) can be viewed as key to the development of this attribute. Surprisingly, research on these strategies is scarce, mainly focusing on the identification and classification of PLS, diverse instruments are used for data collection and the findings are inconclusive. The paper provides an overview of the available research on PLS with respect to their identification, learners’ preferences concerning their use, factors mediating the application of PLS, and the effects of strategies-based instruction in this area. An attempt is also made to assess research of this kind and to suggest how it could be taken forward to provide insights that would be of value to practitioners.

How Thai EFL Learners Deal With English Regular Past Forms: A Case Study of a Speech Sound Perspective

The pronunciation of regular past tense verbs seems to be difficult for most L2 learners, especially in L2 learners whose first language phonological system is different from the English one. It is predicted that Thai EFL students could encounter difficulties perceiving English coda clusters like the ‘-ed’ ending sounds. For this reason, this research investigates the extent to which the first-year and the third-year English major undergraduate students in a public university perceive the English regular past tense verbs. To be precise, this study compares the ability to perceive the regular past tense of the first-year and third-year students. In addition, the strategies they use to perceive the ‘-ed’ ending verbs among the three different allomorphs ([t], [d] and [ɪd]) are investigated. The data collection was derived from the perception tests of 30 first-year and 30 third-year students and a Pronunciation Learning Strategy (PLS) questionnaire. The perception tests were divided into two subtests: perception test and perception syllable identification test. The PLS questionnaire was employed to find out the strategies they used in English pronunciation learning. The overall results show that the third-year students demonstrated a better performance than the first-year students in both tests (t=-2.778; p<.01 in the perception test; t=-1.466; p>.05 in the syllable identification test). However, the syllable identification test’s results do not show consistency with Solt et al.’s (2004) model, while the perception test’s do. Moreover, the findings from the questionnaire reveal no statistically significant difference between the first and the third-year students in terms of pronunciation learning strategies (p>.05).

Research into pronunciation learning strategies of pre-service English teachers

Pronunciation, as being one of the core components of a language, plays key roles in language learning and language use. Many studies have already been conducted regarding pronunciation learning and its importance; yet, satisfactory attention has not been given to strategies and strategy use until recently. In line with this objective, this study aims to reveal pronunciation learning strategies of EFL learners in comparison with variables such as gender, age, grade level and years of learning English. A total of 27 pre-service EFL learners took part in the study. A strategic pronunciation learning scale was used to unearth most frequently used strategy types and strategy groups as well as effects of individual variables. Descriptive analysis was used to investigate the results. It was striking to see that there is a significant difference of pronunciation strategy use based on gender, and females use strategies more frequently. Another important factor was to see that even if there is statistically no difference, length of time for learning English can have a positive effect on pronunciation learning strategies.

Un-English Accentual Patterns Of The Interlanguage Prosody Of Students Reading For A Master’s Degree In Applied Language Studies, University Of Constantine :, Underlying Causes And Remedial Didactic Practices

The author of the present research paper digitally recorded the renderings of 260 monomorphemic and affix words of different accentual patterns and moraic structures along with ten utterances performed by thirty two MA English majors at the Department of Letters and English Language, Constantine University 1. This paper reports on the inferred causes underlying the diagnosed stress-allocation errors, and remedial didactic insights are sketched out. The findings reveal that the respondents have not accommodated their interlanguage phonology to L2 parameters due to a number of interlocked factors: (1) lack of internalised rules regarding stress correlates and stress-assignment guidelines; (2) non-strategic and infrequent usage of print and electronic dictionaries; (3) failure to take advantage of the copious merits of Computer Assisted Pronunciation Learning and (4) shallow pronunciation-promoting strategies.

Understanding Pronunciation Learning Strategy Use: a Vignette Analysis

As is clear in the related literature, pronunciation is a neglected area in English language education throughout the world, and thus the area needs to be investigated so that informed decisions regarding pronunciation teaching could be taken. Hence, the present qualitative case study was designed to find out the strategies employed by the preparatory English majors chosen via convenience sampling (n=56, 44 female and 12 male) in a middle-sized university in the north east part of Turkey. Inspired by Oxford’s Strategy Game, eleven problem-oriented vignettes applicable for EFL context were devised and piloted. The fabricated vignettes include ten different areas: natural pronunciation, difficult and long words, self-confidence, misunderstanding, sounds not existing in Turkish, tone, sounds existing in native and target language, IPA knowledge, and intonation. The vignettes were quantified and interpreted on the basis of Rokoszewska’s (2012) strategy taxonomy. The findings show that while cognitive metacognitive and memory strategies were frequently employed by the participants, social, compensation and affective ones were underused. The analysis also revealed that the participants used a wide variety of tactics in particularly cognitive strategies domain, including listening to tapes, music and watching TV/movie, pronouncing a difficult word over and over, memorising and practising target language sounds over and over, memorising and practising target language phrases, noticing mouth position or watching lips, practising listening, to list but a few. However, as language learning requires the development of not only cognitive and metacognitive but also emotional and interpersonal processes, it can be concluded that these underused strategies need to be promoted with strategy training and students’ awareness need to be increased. Thus, the portrayal of pronunciation strategy use is expected to help material developers to integrate pronunciation learning strategies into newly devised instructional materials. The results are also expected to help teachers to take informed decisions about the instructional steps they take in their classrooms and plan strategy training

ESL and EFL Learners Improve Differently in Pronunciation: The Case of Lebanon

Many ESL/EFL students in Lebanon reach the university level with poor English in general and underdeveloped phonetic competence in particular. Phonetic competence is one of the abilities to communicate regarding pronunciation skills (Saz, Rodríguez, Lleida, Rodríguez, & Vaquero, 2011). Students in Lebanon acquire Arabic as their mother tongue. Some learn English as their second language (ESL) in schools where English is the medium of instruction. However, in French schools, students learn English as their foreign language (EFL) and study the content subject matters in French, the medium of instruction. It's commonly known among many educators in Lebanon that French educated students develop their English language skills and proper pronunciation more perfectly than do their English educated fellows in middle/low class schools. This phenomenon is widely observed; however, it is not based on research findings. This study aims to investigate whether there is a difference among French and English educated students in terms of English pronunciation after intervention of pronunciation learning strategies (PLS) such as using phonetic symbols and transcriptions, repeating after the teacher/others, and minimal pair drilling. 22 EFL and ESL university students took part in this study. A checklist of frequent common pronunciation mistakes was used to collect data. Ten sounds (segments) were identified in the pretest as common mistakes. The post-test took place five weeks later. Findings showed that PLS improved the pronunciation of both EFL and ESL learners. However, there was no statistical difference in the improvements between these two groups. Limitations and recommendations are provided in this study.

Good English Pronunciation Users and Their Pronunciation Learning Strategies

The study investigates pronunciation learning strategies (PLS) deployed by those with good English pronunciation, as well as their beliefs concerning the variables that affect pronunciation competence. In order to collect data for analysis this study surveyed 61 participants who had learned English as a foreign language. They comprised 28 higher education teachers and scholars specialising in English phonetics and phonology, who were defined as good pronunciation users (GPU), and 33 EFL teacher training students, viewed as average pronunciation learners (APL). This cohort responded to a survey on pronunciation learning strategies and expressed their views on several aspects affecting the L2 pronunciation learning process. These aspects were: age of the first contact with L2 (age of onset), motivation, exposure to the target language, the teacher’s pronunciation model, and learning strategies. The study used both open- and close-ended question formats to collect data from both GPU and APL. The analyses of the data helped to create a tentative profile of a successful L2 pronunciation learner.

A Study on Identifying Pronunciation Learning Strategies of Turkish EFL Learners

Pronunciation is an integral part of foreign language learning since it directly affects learners’ communicative competence as well as performance. Poor communication skills can decrease learners’ self-confidence, restrict social interactions, and negatively affect estimations of a speaker's credibility and abilities. Therefore, one of the key elements of language proficiency is to secure acceptable pronunciation for the language learners. The literature on the pronunciation studies revealed that language learners use various pronunciation learning strategies; however, there are very limited studies in number on the use of pronunciation learning strategies in the Turkish context. Thus, this study is an attempt to gain some preliminary insights into the pronunciation learning strategies and diverse tactics that help students learn to produce a foreign language. The study focuses exclusively on the responses of two groups of university students collected through the use of a questionnaire and an interview. This is an experimental study which attempts to elicit a general view over the pronunciation learning strategy use and to compare whether there is any significant difference between the group of learners taking a pronunciation course and the group not attending to any specific course on pronunciation learning.

The influence of pronunciation learning strategies on mastering English vowels

The present paper focuses on the role of strategies in learning the pronunciation of the target language. First, an outline of various general classifications of language learning strategies is provided. Next, pronunciation learning strategies are defined and their various taxonomies are presented. This is followed by the description of the study which investigated the influence of pronunciation learning strategies on the perception and production of English pure vowels and diphthongs by first-year students of an English department. The results of the study indicate that students of English, who on average use pronunciation learning strategies rather occasionally, should receive some strategy-based instruction as there exists a significant relationship between the investigated phenomena, especially between the use of pronunciation learning strategies and the production of English monophthongs and diphthongs.

Questionnaire-Based Pronunciation Studies: Italian, Spanish and Polish Students’ Views on their English Pronunciation

This article is an attempt to review the most recent phonetic literature on the application of questionnaires in phonetic studies. In detail, we review the scope of pronunciation questionnaire-based surveys with respect to Polish and non-Polish students of English. In addition, this paper aims to examine European students’ beliefs and attitudes towards their own English pronunciation and is also intended to provide some arguments for or against the use of foreign-accented rather than native models of pronunciation in phonetic instruction.
 The data come from three groups of informants, namely: Italian, Spanish and Polish students of English. With respect to foreign, non-Polish respondents, the study was conducted at the University of Salento in Italy and the University in Vigo, Spain within the framework of the Erasmus Teacher Mobility Programme in two consecutive academic years: i.e. 2010/2011 and 2011/2012. As regards Polish respondents, our research involved subjects from six different tertiary schools, i.e. five universities and one college, located in various parts of Poland.
 On balance, the results of our study give an insight into the phonetic preferences of adult European advanced students of English with reference to the importance of good native-like pronunciation, the aims of pronunciation study, factors contributing to phonetic progress and their self-study pronunciation learning strategies. Our findings point to the fact that students of English wish to speak with good pronunciation, set a high native-like standard for themselves, report having benefited from their phonetic instruction and exposure to native English and that they work on their pronunciation by means of various, mostly cognitive, strategies.
 Rather than casting new light on teaching pronunciation, the outcome of this study is consistent with the findings of other research on foreign students’ choice of preferred pronunciation model, which is undeniably native rather than foreign-accented.

Designing and Piloting a Tool for the Measurement of the Use of Pronunciation Learning Strategies

Despite the fact that the last few years have witnessed a growth of interest in pronunciation learning strategies (PLS) (e.g. Petersen 2000; Pawlak 2008a; Wrembel 2008), this line of inquiry still remains neglected and is in urgent need of further empirical investigation. This is because the available research findings are primarily confined to the identification and description of the strategic devices that learners draw upon in their attempts to learn the various segmental and suprasegmental features, with only a handful of studies addressing such issues as the factors influencing PLS choice and use, the impact of proficiency levels or the value of strategies-based instruction in this area. Another problem is related to the use of diverging research methodologies and data collection tools, which renders it impossible to make comparisons between various studies, view their results in a cumulative way and arrive at conclusions concerning the effectiveness of specific strategies used by learners. What appears to be indispensable to drive the field forward and ensure that research findings will be comparable across studies and provide a sound basis for feasible pedagogic proposals is to draw up a classification of PLS and design on that basis a valid and reliable data collection tool which could be employed to measure the use of these strategies in different groups of learners, correlate it with individual and contextual variables, and appraise the effects of training programs. In accordance with this rationale, the present paper represents an attempt to propose a tentative categorization of pronunciation learning strategies, adopting as a point of reference the existing taxonomies of strategic devices (i.e. O'Malley and Chamot 1990; Oxford 1990) and the instructional options teachers have at their disposal when dealing with elements of this language subsystem (e.g. Kelly 2000; Goodwin 2001). It also introduces a research instrument designed on the basis of the classification that shares a number of characteristics with Oxford's (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning but, in contrast to it, includes both Likert-scale and open-ended items. The findings of a pilot study which involved 80 English Department students demonstrate that although the tool requires considerable refinement, it provides a useful point of departure for future research into PLS.