Pronunciation can be one of the most difficult parts for a language learner to master. To make matters worse, the speech that learners encounter outside the classroom is much more wilder than the forms they encounter in the classroom. Such speech contains phenomena which are rarely seen in textbooks. They are squeezed into bursts of the stream of speech, and it becomes difficult to recognise where one word begins and another ends, or indeed whether word-endings, syllables, or whole words have occurred at all.
It is widely believed that pronunciation skills are related to musical skills. However no link between musical ability and pronunciation ability has ever been demonstrated, and there are large numbers of people who have one of these ‘natural talents’ but not both. The general consensus is that second language pronunciation is a cognitive skill for which some people may have more natural aptitude and / or interest and motivation than others, but which everyone can learn to a certain degree if given appropriate opportunities.
As a rule of thumb, teachers have taught what they thought was good pronunciation via repetition drills on both a discrete word or phrase level, or give the students the rules of pronunciation. Some learners believe that what they need is instruction in the articulation of specific English sounds. Some teachers justify a focus on articulation with reference to the learners’ desire for this information. This type of instruction is meant to help students with decoding words for the purpose of reading rather than pronunciation. Instead, pronunciation must be viewed as more than correct production of individual sounds or isolated words. It must be viewed as a crucial and integral part of communication that should be incorporated into classroom activities. Teachers can actively encourage the students’ actual production, build pronunciation awareness and practice through classes gradually building skills in listening and speaking in both formal and informal situations.
As a whole, what learners need are as follows:
- Plenty of authentic conversation practice, supplemented by guidance on how to understand and correct their mistakes.
- Considerable drilling and repetition - but this must directly exercise the speech that they will actually use in real life.
Written & Edited by E.Kerr
It is widely believed that pronunciation skills are related to musical skills. However no link between musical ability and pronunciation ability has ever been demonstrated, and there are large numbers of people who have one of these ‘natural talents’ but not both. The general consensus is that second language pronunciation is a cognitive skill for which some people may have more natural aptitude and / or interest and motivation than others, but which everyone can learn to a certain degree if given appropriate opportunities.
As a rule of thumb, teachers have taught what they thought was good pronunciation via repetition drills on both a discrete word or phrase level, or give the students the rules of pronunciation. Some learners believe that what they need is instruction in the articulation of specific English sounds. Some teachers justify a focus on articulation with reference to the learners’ desire for this information. This type of instruction is meant to help students with decoding words for the purpose of reading rather than pronunciation. Instead, pronunciation must be viewed as more than correct production of individual sounds or isolated words. It must be viewed as a crucial and integral part of communication that should be incorporated into classroom activities. Teachers can actively encourage the students’ actual production, build pronunciation awareness and practice through classes gradually building skills in listening and speaking in both formal and informal situations.
As a whole, what learners need are as follows:
- Plenty of authentic conversation practice, supplemented by guidance on how to understand and correct their mistakes.
- Considerable drilling and repetition - but this must directly exercise the speech that they will actually use in real life.
Written & Edited by E.Kerr
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