Rationale
English has become integral to education, yet learners often lack exposure to native speakers, leading to pronunciation challenges Overcoming these difficulties requires a strategic approach to pronunciation practice Raising students' awareness of effective learning methods is crucial for professional English development.
To succeed in life, mastering English is crucial, yet Vietnamese students often misplace sentence stress Identifying the causes of these errors is essential for effective English communication, as learners must focus on sentence stress alongside vocabulary and grammar.
Pronunciation, including sentence stress, is vital for clear communication, as incorrect pronunciation can lead to misunderstandings Sentence stress, which involves emphasizing certain words in a sentence, is a key component of English intonation Intonation organizes words into sentences, distinguishes between different types of sentences, and adds emotional coloring to utterances.
All the above reasons have inspired the writer to choose the title of the theis – suggested techniques to improve pronunciation for first year English major at HDU.
Aims of the Study
This research identifies common pronunciation challenges faced by Vietnamese speakers learning English and proposes targeted techniques for improvement, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of English pronunciation for Vietnamese learners.
Vietnamese learners often face specific intonation challenges when learning English Addressing these issues and developing skills in sentence stress is crucial for first-year specialized English students Enhancing awareness of correct sentence stress patterns significantly improves English speaking and overall communication skills.
Methods of the study
To achieve the above mentioned aims, the study employs the following methods of study:
A video recording was conducted with first-year English majors at HDU to identify their pronunciation challenges, evaluate the issues they face, and understand their expectations regarding pronunciation, aiming to improve language learning outcomes.
Secondly, using a qualitative research with six survey questionnaires to collect data on the importance of sentences stress.
Scope of the study
Stress plays a crucial role in sentence meaning and interpretation Given the extensive research available and my personal experience limitations, this paper focuses on English stress challenges for Vietnamese speakers The study suggests techniques to enhance pronunciation skills, specifically addressing stress-related issues.
Design of the study
This theis consists of three part:
Part I – Introduction: Rationale, Aims, Scope, Methods and Design of the study
Part II – Development which consists of three chapters as following:
Chapter 2: Research methodology – provide context of study, methodology, purpose of the surveyquestionaire
Chapter 3: Findings, problem and suggested
Part III – Conclusion: restates the knowledge mentioned on the role of sentencestress through three chapters above A suggestion for further research on sentence stress is also provided in this part
DEVELOPMENT
LITERTURE REVIEW
Pronunciation, encompassing speech sounds arranged in patterns of pitch, loudness, and duration, is fundamental to language In communication, it shapes the encoding stage's output and the message's external appearance for decoding As both speaker's action and hearer's perception, pronunciation is basic to any language discussion.
Orthoepy, or correct pronunciation, mirrors orthography, correct spelling, becoming a point of inquiry when value judgments are involved Questions about pronunciation often serve to identify deviations from a perceived standard, potentially revealing differences in dialect or individual speech patterns Mispronunciations are particularly salient as they can introduce distractions, effectively reducing the efficiency of communication.
Speech production involves creating vibrations in the air, similar to any sound production, but unlike noise or music, speech organs can modify sound quality, pitch, loudness, and duration This dynamic alteration resembles playing multiple instruments in quick succession, blending into a continuous flow of speech.
Pronunciation focuses on variations in speech sounds, stresses, and tones that distinguish words, according to Encyclopedia Britannica Voice quality aspects like nasality are excluded unless they serve to differentiate meaning.
Pronunciation encompasses the sounds of a language, while intonation applies to speech stretches longer than a word One may have excellent pronunciation but poor intonation.
Phonetics, the science of pronunciation, studies speech production, primarily monitored by ear, enabling children to learn their native language without explicit articulation instructions Consonant and vowel articulation stability varies across languages; English features stable consonants but less so for vowels Overly precise articulation in English can sound unnatural; thus, phonetics focuses on understanding natural speech patterns rather than enforcing artificial precision.
1.1.2 The System And The Pronunciation
Pronunciation systematically distinguishes consonants and vowels, and sometimes quantities, stresses, and pitches, to differentiate meanings in sentences Examples like "writing/riding," "Seite/Seide," and "nata/nada" highlight the critical role of pronunciation in conveying intended meaning Meeting native speaker expectations involves both making necessary distinctions and ensuring the qualities of consonants and vowels blend seamlessly into speech Linguistic terminology distinguishes between the systematic, meaning-differentiating function (phonemic) and the qualitative appropriateness (phonetic) of pronunciation.
In English, German, and Spanish, the distinction between /t/ and /d/ marks a difference in meaning, establishing a phonemic contrast (\$/t/ ≠ /d/\$) Through similar operations, each /t/ and /d/ can be contrasted with other phonemes in its language, a common practice in phonological analysis.
6 although not strictly phonemic, to group phonemes into phonetic-named classes or identify them as intersections of classes
Phones, or speech sounds, vary significantly across languages The pronunciation of the phone [t] differs in voicing, aspiration, and articulation among English, German, French, and Spanish Even within General American English, numerous variations of [t] exist, with subtle differences affecting pronunciation accuracy.
English features a common stop system with sounds like /p/, /t/, /k/, and the affricate /č/, while other languages range from two to six stops and zero to three affricates Fricatives in English include /f/, /θ/, and /s/, with some languages like Scots adding /x/ Nasal systems in English and German align with simple stops, but vary from zero to four nasals in other languages Sounds like /l/ and /r/ differ across languages, and English /r/ can be classified within the semivowel system alongside /j/, /w/, and /h/ Some languages have complex consonant systems, such as Russian's plain and palatalized consonants and Italian's geminates.
Spanish features a straightforward five-vowel system, while Tagalog uses only three vowels American English is complex, with interpretations ranging from 9 simple vowels to about 15 vowels and diphthongs German and French include front-rounded vowels, and French also has nasalized vowels, features absent in English and Spanish Some languages differentiate vowels by length, a characteristic that was present in Middle English.
Many languages incorporate sounds beyond those found in English, such as Burmese breathy vowels and Igbo's inspired voiced stops Georgian utilizes glottalized stops, while Khoekhoe features clicks Tone languages, like Chinese and numerous others in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, use pitch to differentiate pronunciation, a feature also present to a limited extent in Swedish and Norwegian.
1.1.4.Dialects and standards of pronunciation
In the realm of linguistics, a dialect is a language variation specific to a community of speakers, with every native speaker using one and being identifiable by region and social class; a language, therefore, is the compilation of these dialects.
For languages spoken across large areas over time, numerous local dialects emerge, encompassing pronunciation, morphology, syntax, and lexicon Attitudes toward dialects vary, with some regions avoiding them as lower-class markers, while others embrace them in intimate settings Dramatic literature emphasizes pronunciation to represent dialect without causing incomprehension In the United States, the assimilation of foreign words serves as a parallel to distinct English dialects found elsewhere.
Regional dialects of a standard language are mainly distinguished by pronunciation and intonation, often referred to as "accents" rather than "dialects," with minimal variation in morphology and syntax Standard languages like English, French, Spanish, and German exhibit different pronunciations across various cities such as London, Edinburgh, Chicago, Sydney, Paris, Marseilles, Quebec, Madrid, Buenos Aires, and Berlin.
Munich In some cases the phonemic system varies, as notably among English, Scots, and American dialects and those of Spain and Central and South America
DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
While this survey is limited to a small group of students, potentially impacting its reflection of the overall English speaking competence at Haiphong Private University, the findings and subsequent discussion are expected to provide useful insights to some extent.
The students soon realize the importance of sentence stress in English speaking With this positive attitude, they will have effective way to learn English
3.2 Data analysis based on students’ survey questionnaires
Question 1: Students’ English learning time
Figure 1: Students’ English learning time
A survey of first-year English students reveals a wide range of prior English learning experience Only 3% have studied English for 1-3 years, and 9% for 3-5 years A significant 63% have studied English for over 7 years, while 25% have studied for 5-7 years This data indicates that most students have substantial prior English education, likely beginning in secondary school, suggesting potential variations in proficiency levels.
1-3 years3-5 years5-7 yearsMore than 7 years
Question 2: The most favourite lesson of English major
Figure 2: Students’ interest in learning English skills
A significant 70% of students favor speaking lessons, while only 12.5% prefer writing, indicating a concentration in productive skills Despite productive skills not always being prioritized in high school, many students now recognize their importance Receptive skills such as listening and reading are less popular, with only 10% and 7.5% of students favoring them, respectively.
Question 3: Students’ attitude towards sentence stress
Figure 3: Attention of English sentence stress
English major students often lack attentiveness to sentence stress, with only 15% being very attentive, indicating a need for improved focus on this aspect of pronunciation A significant 35% of students are often inattentive, highlighting a common challenge in mastering English sentence stress.
AttentivelyNeutralNot attentivelyNot attentively at all
Question 4: The importance of sentence stress
Figure 4: The importance of sentence stress in enhancing speaking competence
Students' attitudes toward sentence stress are influenced by their favorite lessons and perceived speaking competence A significant portion of students, 43%, recognize the importance of sentence stress Additionally, 22% believe sentence stress enhances speaking competence.
Sentence stress is recognized as important by a majority of HDU majors, highlighting their awareness of its significance A small percentage consider sentence stress neutral, which may reflect an understanding of its subtle yet essential role in their studies.
Very importantImportantNeutralNot importantNot important at all
Question 5: Students’ opinion in producing accurate sentence stress
Figure 5: Students’ opinion in producing accurate sentence stress
Students overwhelmingly agree on the importance of accurate sentence stress for conveying meaning, with 50% strongly agreeing and none denying its role However, a gap exists between their positive attitude and their actual ability to utilize sentence stress effectively in speaking, highlighting the need to examine their application of this skill in communication.
Question 6: The frequency usage of English sentence stress
Figure 6: The frequency of using sentence stress in English speaking
A recent survey indicates varying usage of sentence stress among individuals, with 8% reporting never using it and 13% frequently employing it in communication and reading However, a significant portion, 25%, stated that they rarely use sentence stress in English.
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree
AlwaysOftenSometimesRarelyNever
38 speaking competence and that is 21% sometimes use stress in sentence They said that they only determined to grammar and vocabulary much
3.3 Some possible problems encountered by English majors in enhancing
English is a global language vital for international transactions, yet learners often face difficulties in comprehension and communication A key challenge is understanding spoken English, where sentence stress can obscure meaning Drawing from years of experience and insights from both American and Vietnamese teachers, this article identifies common difficulties faced by English learners and offers practical solutions to overcome these obstacles.
3.3.1 Misunderstanding of meaning caused by wrong placement of stress
English learners often struggle with sentence stress due to the lack of specific rules, leading to frequent misplacement This difficulty is a common challenge in mastering sentence stress.
Some of our friends are studying and working in China
In sentence construction, stress placement significantly alters meaning; in positive statements, emphasis typically falls on key nouns like "friends," "studying," "working," and specific locations such as "China," guiding the reader's focus and comprehension Pronoun usage dictates ownership, shifting emphasis to external relationships Declarative sentences introduce variability in stress, influencing the core message and interpretation.
3.3.2 Misunderstanding of meaning caused by changes in sentence stress
Sentence stress is crucial for conveying meaning, and misplacing it, especially in interrogative sentences, can lead to misunderstandings.
Example (Quirk, R, 2003,192): Was he a famous actor in THOSE days?
When the stress fall on THOSE that means ―I know he once a famous actor- but was it then or later?
Was he a Famous actor in those days?
When the stress falls on Famous that means ―I know he was an actor in those days- but was he a famous one?
3.3.3 Communication breakdown caused by wrong use of stress
Stress in speech differentiates functional and notional words, hinging on speaker attitude and intended expression, making it challenging to predict.
The Browns, I love so much
In English, "the" is typically unstressed, but it gains emphasis when clarification is needed Stressing "the" indicates a specific focus, such as emphasizing all members of "Brown's family" rather than just something within Brown The alteration of stress can drastically change the meaning perceived by listeners.