INTRODUCTION
Rationales
English is a global language that continues to play a leading role in education, business, science, and popular culture worldwide It serves as a vital medium for transferring knowledge and is no longer the exclusive domain of native speakers (Platt et al., 1984; Richards, 2009) As the world's lingua franca, English is indispensable for diplomacy, international business, and practical transactions, making its mastery crucial for countries like Vietnam to develop high-quality human resources for sustainable economic growth Recognizing its importance, students of all ages eagerly strive to learn English, though many face challenges with pronunciation, particularly with vowel sounds, which is a common issue among Vietnamese learners.
Vietnamese learners of English often lack exposure to explicit pronunciation instruction, as most students primarily learn English through the Grammar Translation Method and reading-based approaches During their pre-adolescent and adolescent years—critical periods for acquiring native-like pronunciation—they rarely have opportunities to practice speaking or interact with native speakers Despite efforts by the Ministry of Education, there remains a gap in providing effective pronunciation training for Vietnamese students, which limits their overall spoken English proficiency.
Training’s reforms as well as devoted teachers’ efforts, such reforms may not benefit the learners’ pronunciation as much as it was expected
According to an official survey from 2006-2011 issued on October, 20 th ,
In 2011, a study conducted by the Department of Student Administration and the Department of Academic Affairs at VLCTE revealed that approximately 82% of graduates secured employment in small and medium-sized businesses, while 18% gained opportunities in foreign-invested companies due to their strong English skills This research highlights the importance of enhancing English language education to better prepare students for diverse employment opportunities The author’s thesis emphasizes the need to develop a more appropriate English curriculum to improve students' language proficiency and job prospects.
Generally, learners of English are required to have intelligible pronunciation
Poor pronunciation among learners, especially vowel pronunciation errors, significantly hinders effective communication and understanding in language learning Despite various teaching methods, improvements remain limited, prompting a need to investigate the root causes of learners’ pronunciation difficulties Addressing these issues can lead to innovative teaching strategies that enhance students’ English vowel pronunciation, ultimately improving their language proficiency and communication skills This study aims to identify effective solutions to boost learners’ pronunciation performance and support their overall English language development.
Background to the study
1.2.1 The roles and problems of English vowels
Vietnamese learners recognize the importance of mastering spoken English in the globalization age, yet they often struggle with vowel pronunciation, leading to a strong accent Proper pronunciation of English vowel sounds is crucial for effective communication, but little emphasis has been placed on teaching and learning vowels thus far To address these challenges, students need to adequately differentiate between English and Vietnamese vowel sounds, enabling clearer communication with foreigners and ensuring they are easily understood.
Vietnamese learners often face challenges in English speaking and listening, not only at VLCTE but across other colleges and universities The diverse dialects of English, including Received Pronunciation (RP), British English, General American English, and Australian English, contribute to allophonic variations in vowel sounds, complicating comprehension and pronunciation Although RP was developed as an idealized standard to aid teaching and learning, it is rarely used in real-life situations This study primarily compares the vowel sound systems of RP and General American English, with a focus on RP and British English, as these are most relevant to Vietnamese teachers and learners and align with the thesis's objectives.
Vietnamese learners often face challenges with different vowel pronunciations in English words, which can lead to confusion The distinction between stressed and unstressed vowels is particularly problematic, as seen in words like “recognise,” which can be pronounced as /rəkə'naɪz/, /rɪkə'naɪz/, or /'reko'naɪz/ Additionally, unstressed vowels in connected speech pose significant difficulties for learners, affecting their overall fluency and comprehension Recognizing these pronunciation variations is essential for improving English speaking and listening skills among Vietnamese learners.
He could have done it
/hɪ kʊd əv dʌn ɪt/
A couple of time / ə 'kʌpl əv taɪm/
Syllabic consonants also cause Vietnamese learners problems For example, /'teɪbəl/ or /'teɪbļ/, bottle /'bɒtəl/ or /'bɒtļ/, muddle /'mʌdəl/or /'mʌdļ/
The author selected this topic because many students face similar challenges in pronouncing English vowels, highlighting a common area of difficulty This subject is particularly interesting and relevant to investigate, as there is a lack of empirical data on this issue within VLCTE Conducting this research aims to fill this gap and provide valuable insights into improving English vowel pronunciation among students.
1.2.2 English vowel teaching at VLCTE
At VLCTE, the teaching of vowel sounds is considered optional and largely depends on individual teachers' attitudes As a vocational college prioritizing practical technical skills, the English exams mainly focus on grammar and reading comprehension Additionally, most teachers lack specialized training in pronunciation instruction, leading to the neglect or complete omission of vowel sound pronunciation teaching in classrooms.
As an experienced teacher at VLCTE, I understand that proper pronunciation of English vowel sounds is essential for clear communication and being understood However, due to limited time and practice, pronunciation instruction often receives little attention, leading to gaps in students’ ability to listen and speak English effectively As a result, many students struggle with comprehension and speak with strong accents, highlighting the need for focused pronunciation training in the curriculum.
Research questions
This study aims to investigate the challenges associated with teaching and learning problematic English vowel sounds, focusing on the real classroom conditions at VLCTE The research seeks to identify key issues that hinder effective pronunciation acquisition and explore strategies to improve vowel sound instruction By examining current teaching practices and learner experiences, the study provides valuable insights into enhancing pronunciation skills The research questions address how teachers approach vowel pronunciation instruction and the difficulties learners face in mastering problematic sounds, aiming to contribute to more effective language teaching methods.
(1) What vowels are considered problematic to the students at VLCTE?
(2) In what way and to what extent do teachers facilitate the teaching of vowels problematic to the students at VLCTE?
This study offers valuable insights for English teachers at VLCTE and EFL educators across Vietnam by addressing key research questions and analyzing the implications of the findings It highlights important factors that can inform teaching practices and enhance language learning outcomes, making it a beneficial resource for educators seeking to improve their effectiveness in Vietnam's EFL context.
Significance of the study
This study aims to enhance first-year non-majored English students' pronunciation skills by identifying common challenges with English vowels at VLCTE It focuses on pinpointing specific problematic vowels and exploring effective solutions to improve students' overall pronunciation performance The research seeks to address the key difficulties faced by learners, supporting their language development and fluency.
The pronunciation of vowel sounds is essential in English language teaching and learning, significantly impacting both speaking and listening skills Mastering English vowel sounds is crucial not only for accurate pronunciation but also for effective communication in the target language Therefore, studying English vowel sounds holds both theoretical importance and practical value for language learners and educators alike.
This study's findings can serve as valuable input for English teachers aiming to enhance their students' vowel pronunciation skills By integrating these insights, educators can help students improve their pronunciation in authentic speaking situations Awareness of the importance of vowel pronunciation is crucial for effective language learning Implementing the study's recommendations can lead to more accurate and natural English speech among students Overall, this research offers practical guidance to support teachers in fostering better vowel articulation in real-world contexts.
This study highlights the importance for students at VLCTE to improve their pronunciation of vowel sounds Enhancing vowel pronunciation can boost their motivation in pronunciation practice, leading to more effective language learning.
Scope of the study
This study examines non-majored first-year English students at VLCTE from Southern Vietnamese dialect, highlighting pronunciation challenges related to Vietnamese speakers’ strong accents The research focuses specifically on problematic English vowel sounds that significantly impact students' cross-language communication, excluding other pronunciation aspects Due to time constraints, the study emphasizes vowel pronunciation issues rather than overall pronunciation factors Although both American and British English accents are relevant, the study selects the British English sound system for comparison with Received Pronunciation (RP) to better suit the research purposes.
This study faced limitations due to a limited sample size of 170 non-English major participants, each completing a questionnaire, and only 30 students undergoing diagnostic tests The small number of diagnostic test participants restricts the reliability and depth of the analysis To improve generalizability and accuracy, future research should include a larger sample, enabling more comprehensive and applicable findings across diverse contexts.
This study focuses exclusively on the vowel sound systems of Received Pronunciation (RP) and British English The participants are students from VLCTE who primarily speak the Southern Vietnamese dialect, which may influence their pronunciation To comprehensively enhance students' pronunciation skills, future research should explore consonant sounds, consonant clusters, and other suprasegmental features Understanding these aspects will provide a more holistic approach to improving English pronunciation among VLCTE students.
The study highlights notable challenges in the perception and production of English vowel sounds, as demonstrated through comprehensive statistical analysis To enhance the accuracy of speech sound analysis, it is highly recommended to utilize spectrographs that focus on linguistically relevant acoustic properties Incorporating spectrographic techniques can provide valuable insights into the hierarchical difficulties faced by learners, thereby improving both assessment and teaching strategies for English vowels.
Structure of the study
This thesis composes five chapters as follows:
Chapter I is an introduction, which contains the background of the study, reasons for choosing the topic, research questions, purposes of the study, significance of the study, and the outline of the study
Chapter II is a review of related literature, which provides the background on this study in which a definition of terms as well as a definition of vowels and the importance of pronunciation of vowels are mentioned An overview of the pedagogy on teaching pronunciation and techniques to teaching pronunciation of vowel sounds are also presented The next section examines the background of the
A spectrograph is a vital instrument in acoustic phonetics that provides a visual representation of sound by displaying its component frequencies It produces a spectrogram on special paper, with time represented on the horizontal axis and frequency on the vertical axis The intensity of the sound, or its loudness, is indicated by the darkness of the ink—the darker the mark, the louder the sound (Richards, 2002, p 498).
This article presents a detailed contrastive analysis of the vowel sound systems in English and Vietnamese, based on comprehensive data from both languages It explores common pronunciation-related challenges and specific errors that Vietnamese learners encounter when mastering English vowel sounds Additionally, the study reviews relevant previous research, providing justified insights to support the current investigation.
Chapter III is methods of investigation including sources of the data, population, samples, instruments for collecting data, data collection, data analysis
Chapter IV analyses and interprets the data It consists of statistical analysis of the data, non statistical analysis of the data, and the interpretation of the results of the data analysis
Chapter V presents the conclusions, implications and recommendations.
LITERATURE REVIEW
English vowel system
English vowels are essential in teaching and learning the language, playing a crucial role in communication Despite their importance, vowels often present subtle challenges in TESOL, making pronunciation a complex aspect of language instruction While vowel differences exist across languages, native English speakers generally communicate effectively without significant difficulty Variations in accents are primarily influenced by the pronunciation of vowels, highlighting their significance in accent development and language mastery.
Vowels have been defined in various ways across different sources According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, a vowel is "a speech sound in which the mouth is open and the tongue is not touching the top of the mouth, the teeth, etc." (Hornby, 2005) Dale (1994) describes a vowel as "a speech sound produced with vibrating vocal cords and a continuous unrestricted flow of air coming from the mouth." Similarly, Roach (1998) succinctly states that vowels are "sounds, which there is no obstruction to the flow of air as it passes from the larynx to the lips."
2.1.1.2 The number of English vowels
There is a disagreement among phoneticians as to the number of vowels that exist in English Here are some of the differences adapted from the five different dictionaries
No Vowel Example Example Example Example Example
1 /i:/ see /ɪ/ kid, bid, hymn /a:/ heart, start, calm /ɪ/ bit /i:/ bead
2 /i/ happy /e/ dress, bed /a/ act, map, lap /e/ bed /ɪ/ bit, did
3 /ɪ/ sit /ổ/ drap, bad /aɪ/ dive, cry, mind /ổ/ cat /eɪ/ date
4 /e/ ten /ɒ/ lot, odd, wash (BrE) /aɪə/ fire, tyre, buyer /ɒ/ dog (BrE) /ε/ bet, bed
5 /ổ/ cat /ʌ/ strut, but, love /aʊ/ out, down, loud /ʌ/ cut /ổ/ bat, bad
6 /a:/ father /ʊ/ food, good, put /aʊə/ flour, tower, sour /ʊ/ put /ɑ/ box, odd, father
7 /ɒ/ got (BrE) /i:/ fleece, see, machine /ε/ met, lend, pen /ə/ about /ɔ/ bought, dog
8 /ɔ:/ saw /eɪ/ face, day, steak /eɪ/ say, main, weight /i/ happy /oʊ/ boat, goat
9 /ʊ/ put /aɪ/ price, high, try /eə/ care, fair, wear /u/ actually /ʊ/ book, good
10 /u/ actual /ɔɪ/ choice, boy /ɪ/ fit, win, list /i:/ sheep /u/ boot, foot, student
11 /u:/ too /u:/ goose, too, blue /i:/ feed, me, beat /a:/ father /ʌ/ but, mud, brother
12 /ʌ/ cup /əʊ/ goat, show, no (BrE) /ɪə/ near, beard, clear /ɒ:/ dog (AmE) /ə/ banana, among
13 /3:/ fur /oʊ/ goat, show, no (GE) /ɒ/ lot, lost, spot /ɔ:/ four /ɚ/ shirt, murder
14 /ə/ about /ɒʊ/ variant in cold /əʊ/ note, phone, coat /u:/ boot /aɪ/ bite, buy, cry, eye
15 /eɪ/ say /aʊ/ mouth, now /ɔ:/ more, core, claw /3:/ bird /aʊ/ about, how
16 /əʊ/ go (BrE) /ɪə/ near, here, serious /ɔɪ/ boy, coin, joint /eɪ/ make /ɔɪ/ voice, boy
17 /oʊ/ go (AmE) /eə/ square, fair, various /ʊ/ could, stood, hood /aɪ/ lie /ir/ beer
18 /aɪ/ may /a:/ start, father /u:/ you, use, choose /ɔɪ/ boy /εr/ bear
19 /ɔɪ/ boy /a:/ lot, odd (GE) /ʊə/ sure, pure, cure /əʊ/ note (BrE) /ar/ bar
20 /aʊ/ now /ɔ:/ thought, law, north, war /3:/ turn, third, word /oʊ/ note (AmE) /ɔr/ door
21 /ɪə/ near (BrE) /ʊə/ cure, poor, jury /ʌ/ but, fund, must /aʊ/ now /ʊr/ tour
22 /eə/ hair (BrE) /3:/ nurse, stir /ə/ butter, about /ɪə/ real
23 /ʊə/ pure (BrE) /ɝ:/ nurse, stir, courage (GE) /eə/ hair (BrE)
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English for Advanced Learners
Collin Cobuild Essential English Dictionary
/uə/ actual /ʊə/ sure (BrE)
26 /u/ influence, stituation, thank you peculiar about, comma, common, father, standard
Table 2.1 The number of English vowels
Vowels exhibit significant dialect variation in English, with the number of speech sounds differing across dialects According to Avery and Ehrlich (1995), the variety in vowel pronunciation reflects regional differences The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2005) by Hornby identifies 14 pure vowels and 8 diphthongs in English Meanwhile, the Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (2008) notes that RP (Received Pronunciation) uses 23 vowels, including four additional vowels found only in foreign words, as indicated by IPA symbols In contrast, General American English includes 19 vowels, with three extra vowels used for foreign words These variations highlight the complexity and diversity of vowel sounds across different dialects of English.
Received pronunciation (RP) features 12 monothongs, 8 diphthongs, and 5 triphthongs, showcasing its diverse vowel inventory Kenworthy (1992) identifies 11 vowels and 5 diphthongs in English, highlighting slight variations in vowel classification According to Avery and Ehrlich (1995, p.33), General American English (GAE) includes 12 vowels, incorporating 3 complex vowels (diphthongs), reflecting its rich vowel system Celce-Murcia (2002, p.94) states that North American English has 11 vowels and 3 diphthongs, emphasizing regional differences within English vowel pronunciation Understanding these variations is essential for accurate pronunciation and effective language teaching in different English dialects.
The main difference between vowels and consonants is in their different distributions (Roach, 1998, p.10) According to Avery and Ehrlich (1995, p.28), four characteristics should be discussed in describing English vowels:
1 Tongue height-whether the tongue is high or low in the mouth Its height consists of four main degrees (close, close-mid, open-mid, open)
2 Frontness/ Backness of the tongue-whether the front or the back of the tongue is involved Different parts of the tongue involving in the production of a vowel allow us to classify it as front, central and back vowels
3 Tenseness/Laxness-whether the muscles are tense or lax The tenseness or laxness of the muscles in the mouth decides whether a vowel is tense or lax Vowels produced with extra muscle tension are tense and that vowels produced without this tension are lax Both of these vowels of “beat” and
The pronunciation of the word “bit” involves the front part of the tongue raised high in the mouth, with variations depending on muscle tension Tense vowels, like the one in “beat,” require significantly more effort and involve more tense facial muscles compared to lax vowels, such as in “bit.” In English, there are three tense/lax vowel pairs, including the vowels in “beat” and “bit,” which demonstrate these differences in articulation and effort.
The pairs "bait" and "bet," as well as "boot" and "book," illustrate how the first word in each pair is pronounced with a tense vowel Tense vowels are characterized by the tongue being positioned slightly higher in the mouth compared to their lax counterparts Understanding these pronunciation differences can enhance your English language skills and improve your diction.
4 Lip rounding-whether the lips are rounded In addition to tongue height, frontness/backness and muscle tension, lip rounding is crucial in the articulation of vowels
English vowel system is complex and diverse, making a clear pronunciation guide challenging It is primarily divided into two major categories: simple vowels (also known as pure vowels or monothongs) and diphthongs According to linguistic experts Roach (1998) and O’Connor (1998), English vowels further include triphthongs, highlighting the richness and variation within the language's pronunciation system.
English contains twelve monothongs, including both short and long vowels (Roach, 1998) Short vowels are represented by symbols such as /ɪ/, /e/, /ɒ/, /ʌ/, /ʊ/, and the schwa /ə/ In contrast, long vowels tend to be longer and are denoted by a vowel symbol with a length mark /:/, including /i:/, / ɔ:/, /a:/, /ʊ:/, and /u:/.
The vowels are displayed in the following vowel chart
5 Long vowels in English are also produced with greater tension of the tongue muscles than their short counterparts and are therefore referred to as tense vowels (Fromklin, 1993, p.203)
In Received Pronunciation (RP), diphthongs are defined as sounds that involve a movement or glide from one vowel to another (Roach, 1998, p.21) They are similar to long vowels in length, where the first part is longer and stronger than the second For instance, the diphthong /aɪ/ as in "eye" starts with the /a/ vowel, and the glide to /ɪ/ becomes noticeable only in the last quarter of the diphthong, during which the loudness decreases Consequently, the /ɪ/ part is shorter and quieter Roach (1998, p.20) identifies eight diphthongs, which are categorized into three groups, as illustrated in the accompanying diagram.
Triphthongs are the most complex English vowel sounds, characterized by a rapid glide from one vowel to another and then to a third without interruption (Roach, 1998) They consist of five closing diphthongs combined with a schwa (ə) at the end, including /eɪə/, /aɪə/, /ɔɪə/, /əʊə/, and /aʊə/ Understanding triphthongs is essential for mastering advanced English pronunciation and improving language fluency.
According to Celce-Murcia et al (2002, pp 102-104) and Gilbert (1986, p
54), EFL learners may not realize that vowels are affected by the environment in which they occur
Here is the lengthening rule by Finegan (1994, p 63)
Voiced (vowels are lengthened preceding voiced consonants)
As a result of this rule, the following processes take place in English: ɪ i: / _ /d/ (as in “seed” vs “seat”) ɒ ɔ: / _ /g/ (as in “brogue” vs “broke”)
Native English speakers often do not fully pronounce final sounds like p/b, t/d, and k/g, making the length of the preceding vowel a key indicator of the final consonant (Gilbert, 1986, p.55; Avery & Ehrlich, 1995, p.44) Specifically, vowels tend to be shortened when they come before voiceless consonants, which aids in distinguishing between different final sounds in spoken English.
In other words, vowels are longer before a final voiced consonant than a final voiceless consonant (Avery & Erhlich, ibid) They are also “colored” or altered significantly in their articulation before certain consonants (especially /r/ and /l/) The tendency for vowels to lengthen in certain environments and it may be most perceptible for when words are spoken in isolation
For example, in the words “sit” and “seat”, native speakers will shorten the prevocalic vowel in “seat” and “sit” As a rule, native speakers will lengthen the prevocalic vowel in “seen” In the words “seen” and “seed”, there is also vowel distinction where the former vowel is systematically longer than the latter Similarly, in the words “made” and “make”, the former is pronounced longer than the latter It is also the case of the pair “hide” and
2.1.1.5 Word stress and vowel reduction
Vietnamese vowel system
There are similarities and differences between Vietnamese language and English language, so it is crucial to take Vietnamese vowel system into consideration
Vietnamese language is the official language of Vietnam, spoken by eighty million people in Vietnam and approximately two million overseas Vietnamese (Ngo, Nhu Binh, 2003, p.17) People from the South of Vietnam speak Southern Vietnamese Although S.V dialect is different from many other dialects, Vietnamese speakers can understand different dialects from different parts of the country without much difficulty (Hoang, Thi Chau, 2009, p.23)
2.1.3.2 Classification of Southern Vietnamese vowel system
According to Ngo, Nhu Binh (2003, p.19), Hoang, Thi Chau (2009, p.158), Dinh, Le Thu & Nguyen, Van Hue (1998, p.91), Vietnamese language has eleven nuclear monotony vowels: /ɪ/ i and y, /e/ ê, /ε/ e, /ɯ/ ư, /ə/ ơ, /ʌ/ â, /a/ a, /ɤ/ ă, /ʊ/ u,
/o/ ô, /ɔ/ o and three nuclear diphthongs: /ie/, /ɯɤ/, and /uo/ (iê/ia, ươ/ưa, uô/ua, respectively) Ngo, Nhu Binh (ibid), Hoang, Thi Chau (ibid), Dinh, Le Thu & Nguyen, Van Hue (ibid) argue, according to the part of the tongue that is raised, the vowel can be front (/ɪ/, /e/, /ɛ/), mid (/ɯ/, /ə/, /ʌ/, /a/, /ɤ/) and back (/ʊ/, /o/, /ɔ/)
They can be high (/ɪ/, /ɯ/, /ʊ/), mid (/e/, /ə/, /ʌ/, /o/), depending on the extent to which the tongue rises in the direction of the palate The lips are rounding when producing three rounded vowels /ʊ/, /o/ /ɔ/, and the diphthong /ɯɤ/, and /uo/
Below is the description of Vietnamese vowels adapted from Ngo, Nhu Binh
The /ɪ/ sound is a high front unrounded vowel produced with spread lips, a low tongue tip position, and the front of the tongue rising toward the hard palate Common words that incorporate this vowel include "mi," "ti," and "khi," making it an essential sound in English pronunciation Recognizing the /ɪ/ vowel helps improve clarity in speech and aids in correct pronunciation of words containing this sound.
/a/ low central and unrounded vowel The mouth is wide open, and the tongue is in the lowest position ma, má, tha
/ʊ/ high back and rounded vowel The tongue tip is a low position and away from the lower front teeth The lips are sharply rounded ru, tu, tú
The Vietnamese /ə/ is a mid-central unrounded vowel characterized by neutral lip positioning and the tongue rising towards the area between the hard palate and the velum This sound is similar to the schwa /ə/ but is consistently used as the main vowel in Vietnamese syllables Common examples include words like "mơ," "thơ," and "phở," where the /ə/ vowel plays a central role in pronunciation Understanding the production and use of the Vietnamese /ə/ is essential for proper pronunciation and linguistic comprehension.
/ɯ/ high central and unrounded vowel The tongue blade is moving a little backwards and tense, the back of the tongue is rising towards the velum tư, tứ, từ
The /e/ sound is a mid front unrounded vowel produced with the tongue positioned low and close to the lower front teeth The back of the tongue rises slightly toward the hard palate during pronunciation This vowel involves an open mouth, wider than when pronouncing /ɪ/, as heard in words like "phê," "bề," and "để." Proper understanding of this articulation is essential for accurate language learning and pronunciation.
The /ɛ/ sound is a low front, unrounded vowel with the tongue positioned similarly to the /e/ vowel However, the /ɛ/ is articulated further back in the mouth, with a wider mouth opening compared to /e/ This pronunciation is exemplified in words like "nghe," "bé," and "kẻ," showcasing its distinct place in speech Understanding the articulation of /ɛ/ is essential for accurate pronunciation and clarity in language learning and linguistic studies.
The /o/ mid back and rounded vowel is produced with the blade of the tongue moving backwards and the tip positioned very low in the mouth Simultaneously, the lips move forward and form a rounded shape, creating a fuller sound quality This articulation involves opening the mouth wider than when producing /ʊ/, as exemplified in words like "khô," "tổ," and "phố."
The /ɔ/ sound is a low back and rounded vowel produced with the lips moving forward and rounded It is articulated in a deeper position than the /o/ vowel, with the mouth open wider during pronunciation Examples of words containing the /ɔ/ sound include "mò," "đỏ," and "phó," highlighting its distinct articulation in speech.
Table 2.2 The description of Southern Vietnamese vowels
Dinh, Le Thu & Nguyen, Van Hue (1998, p.167) present a table of the transcriptions of Vietnamese vowels and the orthographic representation
No Vowel Orthography No Vowel Orthography
5 /ɤ/ ơ 12 /ie/ iê, ia, yê, ya
Vietnamese language features three primary diphthongs: /ie/, /ɯɤ/, and /uo/, characterized by a falling or descending quality where the initial vowel serves as the nucleus, pronounced longer and more prominently According to linguistic studies by Dinh, Le Thu & Nguyen, Van Hue (1998), Ngo, Nhu Binh (2003), and Hoang, Thi Chau (2009), in open syllables without final consonants, the second vowel tends to be pronounced as a neutralized mid-central vowel, approximately transcribed as [ʌ], exemplified by words like "tia" (ti[ʌ]) and "tua" (tu[ʌ]) Understanding these diphthongs is essential for proper Vietnamese pronunciation and phonetic analysis, making them a key focus for language learners and linguists alike.
The Vietnamese language features two final semi-vowels, [i] and [u], which are pronounced shorter than their corresponding nuclear vowels The length of these semi-vowels depends on the preceding nuclear vowel: they are shorter after long vowels and longer after short vowels For example, the semi-vowel [i] or [u] will vary in length based on the prior vowel quality, affecting pronunciation and clarity in Vietnamese speech.
/ta:j/ tai “ear” – /taj/ tay “hand”
/kɐ:w/ cao “high, tall” – /kɐw/ cau “betel nut”
An overview of methodologies in teaching pronunciation of vowels
2.2.1 Why to teach pronunciation of vowels
Understanding English vowels is essential for effective pronunciation, as they play a crucial role in speech clarity Variations in accents among native English speakers worldwide are primarily due to differences in vowel sounds (O’Connor, 1998, p.24), highlighting the importance of teaching accurate vowel pronunciation to improve communication skills.
English vowels exhibit numerous variants across different dialects, leading to significant pronunciation differences among speakers from Australia, America, and Scotland Despite these variations, vowel sounds like /i:/ in the word "see" are generally recognizable across dialects For EFL/ESL learners, the key focus should be on understanding and distinguishing these vowel sound differences to improve pronunciation and communication.
2.2.2 The goal of pronunciation: intelligibility
According to Kenworthy (1992, p 13), intelligibility is defined as what a listener understands at a specific time and situation It refers to a listener's ability to comprehend, accept, and recognize meaning in oral communication Often considered synonymous with “understandability” or “comprehensibility,” intelligibility is now regarded as the most important goal in effective speech communication.
Intelligible pronunciation is crucial for effective listening and communication in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning According to Celce-Murcia et al (2002), the primary goal of teaching pronunciation is not to make learners sound like native speakers but to ensure they are understood clearly Clear and correct pronunciation enhances conversation comfort for both speakers and listeners, helping to prevent misunderstandings and facilitate smoother interactions.
Since pronunciation is a complex and important part of learning and teaching process, teachers need to set goals and aims they want to achieve with their students
As “perfect accents are difficult if not impossible to achieve in foreign language"
(Ur, 1984, p.52), what the teachers need to do is to make their students be easily understandable when communicating with other people Kenworthy (1992, p.13) emphasizes “the more words a listener is able to identify accurately when said by a particular speaker, the more intelligible the speaker is.”
2.2.3 The importance of pronunciation of vowels in EFL teaching and learning
Researchers and teachers agree that pronunciation in general and pronunciation of vowel sounds in particular play an important part in English teaching and learning They also agree that pronunciation teaching and learning is important and efficient in improving intelligibility and comprehensibility Vowel pronunciation that has a great influence on successful communication since it directly affects learners’ communicative competence as well as performance To study the vowel phonemes is an elemental task that all English language students have to take seriously, since vowels are the most important part of a syllable
2.2.4 What model of pronunciation to teach and learn
There are many various accents which greatly differ from each other Therefore, when teaching pronunciation, it is necessary to bear in mind about English varieties, such as British English, American English, Australian English, etc It is also noted that the model of pronunciation used in course books is the RP accent However, nowadays, there are only about three percents of the population in Britain who speak naturally with RP accent (Kelly 2000, p.14) So, it is not necessary to use it in English lessons of Vietnamese learners
Vietnamese EFL learners tend to be in favor of the sort of language (hence, BrE or AmE) Teachers should focus on the model which they are often exposed to as “the most sensible thing to do is to take as their model the source of English they hear most often” (O’Connor 1998, p.5) Harmer (2001, p.9) added that “the choice of which pronunciation to teach is not so crucial since the differences between inner circle varieties (AmE, BrE ) are not so numerous” Teachers should use the variety that best reflects their own language use In addition, “the goal of pronunciation teaching should be more realistically focused on clear, comprehensible pronunciation” (Brown, 2000, p.340) Thus, learners do not need to aim for a particular accent, but they do need to develop their own accent which is close to a standard variety To sum up, as there is no general statement about which model of accent should be taught, teachers must allow their students to choose their own target model so long as it is widely comprehensible (Kelly, 2002, p.15)
2.2.5 History of pronunciation teaching in the world
In the history of vowel pronunciation teaching in particular and pronunciation teaching in general, there are very few approaches, methods, and theories in relation to teaching and correcting mispronunciation According to Celce-Murcia et al (2002, p.2), modern language teaching has developed two general approaches to pronunciation teaching: the intuitive-initiative approach and the analytic-linguistic approach These approaches combine traditional methods and modern techniques
In this approach, the learners listen and imitate the rhythms and sounds of the target language without the intervention of any explicit explanation It also presupposes the availability of good models to be imitated and good source of listening materials so that the learners can listen to and have correct pronunciation (Celce-Murcia et al 2002, p.2) This approach is used with today technologies, such as video tapes, videos, CDs, DVDs, computer-based programs and websites
The analytic-linguistic approach was developed to supplement the intuitive - initiative approach It makes use of information and tools such as phonetic alphabet, articulatory descriptions and vocal charts, contrastive information as well as other tools to support listening, imitation, and production (Celce-Murcia et al, 2002, p.2)
It focuses on the sounds through contrastive minimal pairs drills and focuses on the problem-causing sounds of the target language to the learners Once again, this explicit information can be presented in various interactive software and websites today
In the current integrative approach, pronunciation is viewed as an integral component of communication, rather than an isolated drill and practice sub-skill
Pronunciation is practised within meaningful task-based activities Learners use pronunciation-focused listening activities to facilitate the learning of pronunciation Two common approaches to teaching pronunciation mentioned by Tench
(1984), Dalton and Seidlhofer (1994) are Approaches of Bottom-up and Top-down
Approach of Bottom-up has close relationship with accuracy which should be focused from the very beginning of a course Teachers teach learners with the smallest and most concrete unit elements in pronunciation The teacher goes from individual consonants and vowels to more abstract segments such as intonation and thought group
Approach of Top-down gets the idea of contextualized sounds in connected speech The teacher goes from the biggest elements to the smallest ones of pronunciation: from intonation or thought group, or contextualized sounds to individual sounds
In addition, Hewings (2004) suggests an approach of integrating pronunciation for some classes where pronunciation is given a lower priority than other components of language such as grammar and vocabulary The teacher gives pronunciation a more central role in teaching by integrating it with other areas of language work, for example, connecting vocabulary and pronunciation, or the links between grammar and pronunciation
Contrastive analysis of syllable structures between English and Vietnamese
Since there are similarities and differences of the syllable structures between English language and Vietnamese language that affect the teaching and learning of English vowels, it is important to master them
Richards (2002, p.543) defines a syllable as “a unit of speech consisting minimally of one vowel and maximally of a vowel preceded by a consonant or consonant cluster and followed by a consonant or consonant cluster For example, the English word introductions consists of four syllables: “in-tro-duc-tions”
According to Roach (1998, p.73), Finegan (1994, p.66), the English syllable is thus the following: syllable onset rhyme peak coda For example, in the English word “bed”, /bed/, /b/ would be the onset, /e/ the nucleus and /d/ the coda
Both onset and coda may be empty, forming a vowel-only syllable, or alternatively, the nucleus can be occupied by a syllabic consonant
2.4.2 The syllable structures in English language
According to Avery and Ehrlich (1995, p.53), many pronunciation problems result from ESL students’ inability to produce different syllable types of English English has a more complex syllable structure than other languages (Roach, 1998, p.74) Linguists arrange them in a row as follows:
Table 2.4 A typical structure of an English syllable
In this structure, the peak can stand alone to make a syllable like the word
“a”, whereas the onset and the coda must go with its nucleus or peak, it cannot stand alone English also has many other different syllable structures:
Table 2.5 Different structures of English syllables 7
@ syllabic consonant (the nucleus of a syllable)
2.4.3 The syllable structures in Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is a monosyllabic language, with each syllable functioning as a standalone unit with its own meaning, as noted by Thompson (1965), Hoang Thi Chau (2009), and Santry (1997) In contrast, English is a stress-timed language, characterized by rhythm and emphasis patterns (Avery and Ehrlich, 1995) Additionally, Ngo Nhu Binh (2003) and Santry (ibid) highlight that Vietnamese is a tonal language, where variations in pitch level change the meaning of words.
Vietnamese syllable structures differ significantly from English, highlighting unique linguistic features According to Doan Thien Thuat (1999, as cited in Ha Thanh Bich Loan, 2005), a Vietnamese syllable functions as a complete semantic unit, unlike in English where parts of words can carry meaning independently A typical Vietnamese syllable comprises four main components, starting with the tone, which is essential for conveying meaning and distinguishing words.
(thanh dieu), (2) onset, and (3) peak, and (4) coda
7 Cited in Ha, Thanh Bich Loan (2005)
Since Vietnamese tones do not affect Vietnamese learners’ pronunciation of English vowel sounds, from now on, we do not discuss Vietnamese tones any longer
Vietnamese C V C English a a V Ah! la l a CV shout an a n VC safe lan l a n CVC orchid trung £ u η CVC middle
Table 2.7 Different structures of Vietnamese syllables 8
From table 2.5 and table 2.7, there are some similarities and differences between Vietnamese syllable structures and English syllable structures
(10) CVCCCC Only English mono-syllables are referred
Table 2.8 Comparison of English and Vietnamese syllable structures
Vietnamese syllable structures are similar to English, especially in the first four forms: V, CV, VC, and CVC (Table 2.8) This similarity offers a significant advantage for Vietnamese learners in pronouncing syllables, as they can easily adapt to these common patterns Understanding these structures can enhance language acquisition and pronunciation accuracy for learners studying Vietnamese and English.
According to Ha Thanh Bich Loan (2005), Vietnamese learners of English often benefit from positive transference, utilizing familiar Vietnamese pronunciation patterns to improve their English pronunciation Specifically, they can leverage similarities in pronunciation structures to pronounce English words more easily However, S.V learners face challenges with syllable structures that do not exist in Vietnamese, making it difficult to master certain English pronunciations.
Some common problems of vowel pronunciation
2.5.1 Common problems with English vowels
ESL/EFL students often face challenges in distinguishing English vowels due to the larger number of vowels in English compared to their native languages, such as Vietnamese, which has only 13 vowels and 3 diphthongs (Doan Thien Thuat, 2007, p.202) According to Avery and Ehrlich (1995, p.96), vowel production issues are common because of the discrepancy in vowel counts across different sources; for instance, Longman’s Advanced American Dictionary (2007) cites 21 vowels including diphthongs, while Roach (1998, pp.10-19) lists 20 vowels comprising 7 short vowels, 5 long vowels, and 8 diphthongs This complexity explains why many learners worldwide encounter difficulties mastering English vowels, which are significantly more nuanced than those in their native languages.
Problem 1: - Confusion of similar sounds, e.g /ɪ/ and /i:/ Tense vs lax vowels
/i:/ vs /ɪ/ as in “beat” and “bit”
/eɪ/ vs /e/ as in “bait” and “bet”
/u:/ vs /ʊ/ as in “boot” and “book”
Understanding the difference between tense and lax vowel pairs is essential for clear English pronunciation ESL learners often struggle with producing these vowels correctly, frequently using intermediate sounds that blur the distinction Properly differentiating between tense and lax vowels helps prevent misunderstandings and improves overall communication in English Mastering these vowel pairs is a key step toward achieving fluent and accurate spoken English.
/e/ vs /ổ/ as in “bed” and “bad”
/ʌ/ vs /a:/ as in “cut” and “car”
Some learners produce all four vowels in a similar manner which can cause a lot of misunderstandings
Foreign language students often struggle with common English vowel pronunciation mistakes, leading to confusion between similar vowel sounds A major source of misunderstanding arises from the pairs /e/ in "bet" and /ɛ/ in "bed," /ʌ/ in "bat" and /ɒ/ in "pot." Many learners produce these vowels similarly, which can result in significant communication errors Accurate pronunciation of these vowels is essential for clear English communication and preventing misunderstandings.
2.5.2 Some common English vowel pronunciation problems facing Vietnamese students
Vietnamese is often regarded as a monosyllabic language, with most morphemes consisting of only one syllable (Thompson, 1965), whereas English is polysyllabic, with words ranging from one to five syllables This fundamental difference creates significant challenges for Vietnamese learners in mastering English pronunciation, particularly in producing English vowel sounds Consequently, Vietnamese learners frequently make common errors when articulating English vowels, impacting their overall language fluency.
The vowel sound systems of Vietnamese and English differ significantly, with many vowels present in one language but absent in the other English has 20 vowels, including 8 diphthongs, while Vietnamese has 13 vowels and 3 diphthongs Notably, Vietnamese lacks long vowels, making the concept of long vowel sounds unfamiliar to Vietnamese learners.
Vietnamese alphabetic characters each represent a single sound, while in English, individual letters can correspond to multiple sounds English spelling is notably inconsistent, often failing to accurately reflect pronunciation, making it difficult for learners to predict how words are pronounced based on their spelling (Dale, 1994, p.139) For example, the letter "a" can produce five different sounds in English, as seen in words like "hate," "father," "have," "any," and "saw."
Pronunciation of vowels is crucial in the process of second language (L2) learning, as it significantly impacts overall speaking proficiency A knowledgeable teacher who understands the similarities and differences between the learner's native sound system and the target language can anticipate potential pronunciation challenges By identifying these issues early, teachers can effectively guide students toward achieving accurate and natural pronunciation of the target language.
According to Baker (1982) and Avery and Ehrlich (1995, p.156), Vietnamese speakers often have errors as follows:
- confuse /ʌ/ vs /ɔ/ (in A.E) beat -bit, seat-sit put-food, pull-fool bed-bat, bet-bat hut-hot, but-pot
Table 2.9 Vietnamese speakers’ common types of errors
2.5.2.1 Some problematic English sounds to Vietnamese learners and their causes
Pronunciation challenges often stem from differences between a learner’s first language and English, especially when the sound systems do not align Such issues arise when the target language distinguishes between two sounds that are not differentiated in the learner’s native language, leading to mispronunciations and difficulties in accurate pronunciation (Lane, 1993, p 69, as cited in Ha, Thanh Bich Loan, 2005).
Listed here are the English vowels which might cause pronunciation problems to Vietnamese EFL learners and their reasons
2.5.2.1.1 Pairs of tense and lax vowels /ɪ/ and /i:/, /e/ and /eɪ/, /ʊ/ and /u:/
According to Avery and Ehrlich (1995, p.156), Vietnamese learners encounter specific challenges with English vowels, particularly with tense and lax vowel pairs that are difficult to distinguish Despite being able to differentiate many Vietnamese vowel sounds, learners often struggle with English vowel distinctions due to their familiarity with the Vietnamese vowel system As a result, they tend to substitute Vietnamese equivalents for English vowels, which can lead to pronunciation errors, especially with vowel pairs like "heat" and other similar tense/lax distinctions.
/hi:t/ and hit /hit/) with the same manner, since in Vietnamese language, the long vowel /i:/ does not exist and they tend to replace the long vowel /i:/ in heat with /ɪ/
As a result, this problem can cause misunderstandings
These pairs of tense and lax vowels pose difficulties for Vietnamese learners because of the following reasons:
The Vietnamese vowel system features numerous distinct vowel pairs, making accurate pronunciation essential Students often struggle to differentiate between tense and lax vowels, frequently producing both vowels in a pair identically This lack of distinction can lead to misunderstandings in communication Mastering Vietnamese vowel distinctions is crucial for clear and effective language use.
The vowel produced by these words is shorter than its English counterpart and is produced without any tongue movement, effectively neglecting vowel length As a result, pairs like "beat" and "bit" can sound very similar, highlighting the importance of understanding vowel duration and articulation differences in pronunciation.
“seat”- “sit” are pronounced the same
2.5.2.1.2 Pairs of front vowels /e/ and /ổ/
Vietnamese learners often struggle to distinguish between the English vowels /e/ and /ổ/ (as in "bed" and "bad") because these sounds are not perceptually distinct to them, leading to confusion similar to the pair /e/ and /ổ/ (as in "bet" and "bat") According to Avery and Ehrlich (1995), recognizing and producing the /ổ/ sound is particularly challenging, as Vietnamese speakers do not perceive these vowels as distinct as native speakers do It is crucial to differentiate /e/ and /ổ/ because many English words vary only by these sounds, affecting accurate pronunciation—though the goal is not to sound like a native speaker, clarity in these distinctions enhances mutual intelligibility.
Vietnamese speakers often find it challenging to distinguish between the /e/ and /ổ/ sounds, as they tend to pronounce these vowels identically, especially struggling to lower their tongue and jaw sufficiently for the /ổ/ sound (Avery & Ehrlich, 1995) Additionally, English learners frequently make pronunciation errors with diphthongs, which can significantly impact their overall English pronunciation accuracy (Roach, 1998).
A "foreign" accent often results from mispronouncing pure vowels instead of diphthongs Vietnamese EFL students generally find it easy to recognize and produce diphthongs, except for the challenging /e/ vs /eɪ/ pair, as in "bet" and "bait." Improving diphthong articulation can significantly reduce a foreign accent and enhance overall English pronunciation skills.
Vietnamese speakers often struggle with English triphthongs, which are complex combinations of diphthongs and the schwa sound /ə/ These triphthongs are notoriously difficult to pronounce and recognize, posing significant challenges for language learners (Roach, 1998) The primary reason for these difficulties is that modern English features minimal vowel movement in triphthongs, except in careful or deliberate pronunciation, making it hard for learners to distinguish subtle differences For instance, S.V learners frequently encounter issues differentiating words like "lie" from similar sounds, highlighting the challenges in mastering complex vowel combinations in English.
/laɪ/ from liar /laɪə/ This distinctive feature also causes a lot of problems to S.V speakers
Guidelines for pronunciation error diagnosis
A diagnostic profile sheet is essential for each student, serving as a permanent record of their strengths and weaknesses (Avery & Erhlich, 1995) It enables teachers to identify individual learning needs, prioritize instructional focus, and organize information related to students' pronunciation skills Additionally, a diagnostic profile helps in selecting targeted activities for class work, ultimately enhancing personalized learning outcomes and supporting effective teaching strategies.
Avery & Erhlich (1995, p.177) group errors in pronunciation of English vowels into four main categories: substitution, articulation, length and reduction
1 Substitution is the replacement of a different vowel for the appropriate one, e.g., Vietnamese learners substitute /ɪ/ for /i:/ so that beat sounds like bit
2 Articulation refers to whether the vowel is being articulated properly, e.g., do Vietnamese learners often produce English /u:/ with lips rounded?
3 Length refers to the appropriate length in the production of a vowel, e.g., is /i:/ longer than /ɪ/? Are stressed vowels longer than unstressed one?
4 Reduction refers to the reduction of vowels in unstressed syllables, e.g., is the second vowel in a word such as “campus” pronounced as schwa?
This study analyzes English vowel pronunciation errors in accordance with the Guidelines for Pronunciation Error Diagnosis proposed by Avery & Ehrlich Following these guidelines ensures a systematic and accurate identification of pronunciation issues Applying Avery & Ehrlich’s framework allows for a comprehensive understanding of error patterns in English vowel production This approach facilitates targeted recommendations for pronunciation improvement, enhancing language learning outcomes.
Previous related studies on vowels
In his M.A thesis named “A Longitudinal Study of The Acquisition of
American English Vowels” Andrea Vergun (2006) made use of the Speech Learning
The Model serves as a framework for examining how second language learners modify their pronunciation during L2 acquisition This study focused on three vowels—one new sound (/ổ/) and two similar sounds (/o, u/)—to analyze pronunciation changes in native Spanish speakers The findings provide insights into the development and variation of L2 pronunciation, highlighting the influence of phonetic similarities and differences on learner adaptation.
Ha, Thanh Bich Loan (2005) in her research entitled “The Role of Basic
Pronunciation Knowledge in the Teaching and Learning of English at Information Technology College - Ho Chi Minh City” referred to the pronunciation problems of
Vietnamese learners often face specific challenges in improving their pronunciation, with common errors related to vowel pronunciation Identifying learners’ concerns, needs, and motivation is crucial for effective pronunciation instruction However, the focus has been primarily on categorizing Vietnamese speakers’ pronunciation mistakes rather than emphasizing targeted strategies to address problematic vowels To enhance pronunciation skills, it is essential to prioritize teaching methods that focus on overcoming vowel-related difficulties faced by Vietnamese learners.
In her thesis entitles “Pronunciation Problems Faced by First-Year English
Learners at Mekong University-Pedagogical Implications”, Nguyen, Thi Kim Ba
(2005) attempted to introduce the overview of pronunciation errors that native speakers of Vietnamese might make when using English orally She didn’t go into further discussion of English vowels problematic
Despite variations in their research approaches, all the mentioned scholars focus on identifying issues related to non-native speakers' English pronunciation, particularly emphasizing vowel pronunciation The critical role of vowels in achieving clear and accurate English pronunciation is often undervalued, leading to a lack of proper emphasis on their importance in language learning Recognizing and addressing vowel pronunciation problems is essential for improving overall spoken English clarity among non-native speakers.
Summary
This chapter offers a comprehensive literature review on English pronunciation teaching, highlighting the significance of mastering English vowel sounds and examining factors affecting pronunciation acquisition It includes an analysis of the differences between Vietnamese and English vowel sound systems to explain common pronunciation errors among Vietnamese learners The review also discusses various pronunciation teaching methodologies and contrasts approaches used worldwide and in Vietnam, emphasizing the importance of effective instructional strategies Additionally, it considers common challenges faced by students globally and locally, supported by prior studies to underline the necessity of this research Theoretical frameworks presented serve as a foundation for data analysis, providing a systematic understanding of the main difficulties students encounter when acquiring accurate English vowel pronunciation.
METHODOLOGY
Research questions
This study aimed to identify the challenges faced in teaching and learning English vowel sounds at VLCTE It seeks to address key questions regarding the difficulties learners encounter with vowel pronunciation and the effectiveness of current instructional methods The findings will provide insights into improving vowel sound instruction and enhancing students' English pronunciation skills.
1) What vowels are considered problematic to students at VLCTE?
2) In what way and what extent do teachers facilitate the teaching of vowels problematic to students?
Research design
The study’s main goal is to explore the pronunciation errors of English vowel sounds made by non-English majored freshmen at VLCTE
This study investigates problematic vowels among students and teachers at VLCTE using questionnaires, tests, and interviews to gather comprehensive insights into their perceptions and difficulties The research follows a six-phase design, including student surveys, receptive and productive tests, as well as evaluation phases and teacher interviews, ensuring a thorough analysis of vowel pronunciation challenges Methodologically, the study adapts Nicole Watts’s (2004) productive test and Santry’s (1997) receptive test, incorporating additional minimal pairs sourced from Lifelines Elementary Student’s Book and online resources such as http://www.wordlistgenerator.net The tests feature 12 monothongs and 8 diphthongs, selected from various educational materials and pronunciation websites, to evaluate students' receptive and productive pronunciation abilities of target vowels.
The section which follows describes the design of the study: (1) the subjects,
(2) the instruments, and (3) the data collection procedures
The subjects of this study, 170 students from the three classes (Business Administration 2011, Information Technology 2011, and Electrical Engineering
In 2011, all participants were Vietnamese EFL learners and freshmen at VLCTE, aged 19 and from southern Vietnam Most had studied English for at least seven years in junior high school, while only a few began learning English in elementary school The remaining students had completed a three-year beginner-level English program designed for high school students Despite their extensive study, many participants expressed a lack of confidence in their pronunciation skills.
Thirty native Vietnamese speakers, including eleven females and nineteen males, participated in the receptive and productive language tests These 30 students, representing 17.6% of the class population, were randomly selected—one out of every three students from attendance lists—to ensure a representative sample Their overall English proficiency levels were low, providing valuable insights into the challenges faced by learners at the beginning stages of language acquisition.
This study examined learners' characteristics and their prior experiences, revealing a predominantly male demographic (82.9%) compared to females (17.1%), which aligns with typical gender distributions in Vietnamese technical schools.
This study focuses on four English teachers teaching freshmen at VLCTE, including myself The research specifically examines three of these educators—referred to as Participants 1, 2, and 3 (P1, P2, P3)—to gain insights into their teaching experiences All participants are female, providing a focused perspective on female English educators at VLCTE.
M.A in TESOL doing an M.A thesis in TESOL
4 Years of teaching experience at VLCTE
6 Trained on knowledge of phonetics and phonology once once once
Table 3.1 shows that all three teachers have at least seven years of experience teaching EFL Each teacher holds a degree in English, with one holding an M.A in Education and another an M.A in TESOL, enabling them to teach English pronunciation effectively Additionally, all participants have studied English Phonetics and Phonology during their academic careers, particularly at the undergraduate level.
According to Richards (1998, cited in Delatorre, 2008), foreign language teachers should have access to various aspects of the language, such as Phonetics and Phonology, during their academic education or through supplementary courses to enhance their expertise However, interviews with teachers revealed that many had not taken any additional courses in Phonetics, Phonology, or pronunciation since graduating from university To remain effective, teachers must receive comprehensive training in specific language skills, including Phonetics and Phonology, during their undergraduate studies to stay updated throughout their careers.
Three qualified teachers at VCTE, each with over seven years of experience in teaching English skills, were appointed as judges to assess speech samples They listened to recordings from 30 informants and provided evaluations, which were then collected and analyzed The judges' assessments were consolidated into a single evaluation sheet to ensure accurate and reliable results.
To ensure consistent evaluations, the author provided guidelines to the three judges When their assessments of an informant’s performance varied, the author reviewed the speech samples, compared the different results, and made the final decision This approach enhanced the accuracy and reliability of the evaluation process.
Based on the analysis, key issues will be identified to inform effective curriculum design, emphasizing the importance of enhanced pronunciation instruction Specifically, the focus will be on improving English vowel sound pronunciation, providing targeted strategies to address common challenges faced by learners These findings will serve as a foundation for developing more focused and impactful pronunciation teaching methods within language education programs.
There are 3 types of instruments
1 A questionnaire for students with 22 questions (see Appendix A) was administered to 170 informants of the study that helped analyze possible causes of the pronunciation mistakes of problematic vowel sounds
2 A receptive test (appendix C) and a productive test (appendix D) were carefully recorded and served as a means to identify the learners’ pronunciation mistakes of problematic vowel sounds
3 Interviews with 7 questions were asked to the three teachers to collect their ideas of teaching vowel sounds and possible causes to problematic vowel sounds There are also questions to elicit their suggestions and solutions to the problems
The study collected and recorded responses to analyze students' pronunciation learning The questionnaire consisted of three parts: the first gathered students’ background information, the second focused on pronunciation learning challenges, and the third explored students' opinions and solutions for improving vowel sound pronunciation This comprehensive approach aimed to identify key issues and effective strategies to enhance students’ pronunciation skills.
In this part, students are asked to provide background information
Question 1, 2, and 3 ask about their gender, year of birth, and place of birth Question 4 aims to collect students’ time for learning English
Question 5 asks about the students’ reason of learning English
Part II contains 12 questions They are formulated as the following
Question 1 asks if the students have ever studied pronunciation of vowels
Question 2 asks about the difficulties of pronouncing words containing English vowel sounds
Question 3 is about the teaching of English pronunciation of vowel sounds by using minimal pairs by the previous teachers
Question 4 aims to identify the students’ familiarity with the phonemic transcription of English vowel sounds
Question 5 investigates the difficulties in reading phonetic transcription of English vowel sound in a word
Question 6 asks the difficulties in pronouncing an English word from its spelling
Question 7 helps to identify the difficulties in pronouncing English vowels correctly
Question 8 investigates the students’ knowledge of vowel sounds in a word Question 9 asks about English vowels that are difficult for students to identify
Question 10 identifies English vowels are difficult for students to pronounce
Question 11 asks about English diphthong sounds that are difficult to identify
Question 12 helps to identify English diphthong sounds that are difficult to pronounce
Part III consists of 5 questions of assessment as follows:
Question 13 asks for the students’ pronunciation self-assessment
Question 14 aims to collect the students’ feedback on the influence of correct pronunciation on their English speaking and listening
Question 15 asks about the necessity of having a solid background on pronunciation of vowels
Question 16 helps to identify the ways to improve the pronunciation of English problematic vowels
Question 17 investigates the reasons why students should produce English vowel sounds correctly
3.2.2.2 The receptive and productive tests
This receptive test replicates Santry’s 1997 study, utilizing the same words he developed for his original assessment It also incorporates additional minimal pairs and sentences to enhance the evaluation Vietnamese participants listened to 38 words, consisting of 19 minimal contrasts in English—pairs that differ by only one phoneme, such as "ship" and "sheep," to assess their phonological discrimination skills.
The study involved Vietnamese learners of English listening to 12 sentences featuring minimal pairs such as “beat/bit” and “look/Luke,” produced by a native speaker These particular contrasts were selected because they are perceived as challenging for Vietnamese speakers Participants were instructed to identify and circle the correct word they heard on the answer sheet, providing insight into their perception and comprehension of difficult phonemic distinctions in English.
The students taking part in the listening were required to finish two parts They were allowed to listen to each part three times and identify the words they hear
Firstly, they were asked to listen to a list of words in minimal pairs and circle the words they hear
Secondly, they were also asked to listen and circle the words they hear in the twelve sentences
The productive test aimed to identify learners' pronunciation errors in problematic vowel sounds and was conducted after the receptive test Participants, consisting of Vietnamese learners, were asked to produce 60 words grouped by vowel sounds, covering 12 monophthongs and 8 diphthongs to match the test's vowel categories During the test, students read the Vowel Productive Test (Appendix D) aloud in a quiet classroom to minimize sound distortion, with their speech carefully recorded Each student's utterances were captured using a JVJ 940T 2G recorder and stored in WAV format for later evaluation by three judges, ensuring accurate and reliable data collection for analysis.
In order to facilitate the interviews, open-ended questions are formulated as follows:
1 Do you focus on teaching pronunciation in class? Why or why not?
2 How good is your students’ pronunciation of English vowel sounds?
3 What English vowels do your students often have troubles with? Why?
4 What are your opinions about English pronunciation of vowel sounds in Lifelines Elementary?
5 What have you done to teach English vowels sounds in Lifelines Elementary effectively?
6 What teaching techniques have you used to teach pronunciation of English vowel sounds?
7 What are your other comments and suggestions on teaching English vowel sounds based on your own experience?
Gathering empirical data is one of the most important phases in conducting a research The survey was done on October 10, 2011 of the academic year 2011-
2012 at VLCTE to collect needed data from 170 freshmen at VLCTE
To collect data for the study, the author went through the following stages
Stage 1: The students’ questionnaire was delivered to the student subjects
Stage 2: The receptive test was assigned to the students
Stage 3: The productive test was assigned to the students
Stage 4: The interviews with the teachers were done
Stage 5: The receptive test was scored by the author
Stage 6: The productive test was scored with the help of the three judges
Stage 7: The results of the students’ questionnaire and the receptive and productive tests were analysed
Stage 8: Responses to the students’ questionnaire and the two tests’ results were compared, analysed, contrasted with great care Responses to the teachers’ interviews were also taken into careful consideration
Stage 9: Conclusion on the vowels problematic to students at VLCTE was reached Recommendations were discussed
Summary
Chapter 3 has described in detail the methodology used in the study to investigate the vowel sounds which are considered problematic to VLCTE students This study uses questionnaires, the receptive test and the productive test and interviews with teachers to investigate what vowels problematic are and how teachers and students at VLCTE think about these vowels The survey of the areas was performed based on the questionnaire asking the students about their problems of mispronunciation of English vowel sounds It also asks teachers to share their ideas on teaching English vowel sounds The data collected from the above questionnaires and the two tests’ results as well as responses to the teachers’ interviews are all essential for analysing the collected data and reporting the findings on the vowels problematic to students at VLCTE They are analysed and discussed in the next chapter.
DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
This chapter presents an analysis of the results obtained from students' questionnaire responses, receptive tests, productive tests, and teachers' interviews The primary focus is to identify which vowel sounds students at VLCTE find most challenging The data highlights specific problematic vowel sounds based on students' perceptions and test performances, providing valuable insights for targeted language instruction These findings aim to inform effective teaching strategies to improve students' pronunciation and overall language proficiency.
2) In what way and to what extent do teachers facilitate the teaching of vowels problematic to students at VLCTE?
4.1.1 Students’ answers to the questionnaire
The survey questionnaire for students comprised 23 questions divided into three parts: background information on their subjects, their familiarity with English vowel sounds, and their opinions on how to improve pronunciation of these sounds Data analysis revealed that students at VLCTE frequently make mistakes in pronouncing English vowels The primary aim of the study is to identify the most common errors to develop effective solutions for first-year VTCTE students struggling with vowel pronunciation Combining questionnaires, recordings, and data analysis resulted in valuable insights to address these pronunciation challenges.
4.1.1.1 The students’ background on English learning
Question 1 aims to collect the students’ background information
In the chart 4.1, we can see that out of the 170 students participating in the survey questionnaire, 82.9% are males and 17.1% females
Chart 4.2 Students’ duration of English learning
Most students have been learning English for approximately seven years, indicating a long-term engagement, while a smaller portion has studied for only three years According to Chart 4.2, 88.2% of students began learning English at junior high school, whereas about 10% started at senior high school, reflecting Vietnam's two-track high school English curriculum Very few students (1.8%) have studied English for over seven years, having started earlier in elementary school—often in larger cities with specialized programs—though this small group does not significantly impact the overall data.
Chart 4.3 Reasons why students study English
Many students at VLCTE study English due to its importance for their future careers, with 52.4% emphasizing its necessity for their professional prospects A minority, 10.6%, learn English because it is an international language, while the same percentage indicated a lack of interest, viewing it as a compulsory subject Challenges such as learning difficulties, limited time, and the need to prioritize their major subjects hinder students’ motivation, compounded by unengaging teaching methods and an uninspiring classroom environment Informal student interviews revealed that ineffective instructional approaches, difficult textbooks, and the absence of extracurricular activities like English clubs or seminars negatively impacted their interest in learning English Only about 11.2% of students find English an interesting subject, highlighting the overall low level of enthusiasm.
Approximately 15.3% of students highlighted additional reasons for learning English, emphasizing its vital role in their lives They believe a solid understanding of English grammar, structure, and word formation is essential for comprehending technical terms and textbooks Many students recognize the importance of English in accessing information online for their studies and enjoy using the language for entertainment, such as watching films, TV shows, or singing English songs Some students view English as a valuable means of communication, especially during international travel Overall, students see English proficiency as a passport to a brighter future and valuable preparation for their careers.
4.1.1.2 The findings of students’ pronunciation of English vowel sounds
Questions 1 was designed to get information about the study of the pronunciation of
Chart 4.4 The study of pronunciation of English vowels
Most students rarely focus on studying English vowel pronunciation, with 31.8% seldom practicing, while over half (53.5%) occasionally engage in pronunciation exercises Only a small percentage (6.5%) frequently study how to pronounce English vowels in private lessons or self-study, and just 7.6% do so often Interestingly, 0.6% of students, primarily from schools lacking regular English teachers, have never studied vowel pronunciation at all Effective pronunciation practice is crucial for improving English speaking skills and should be incorporated more consistently in language learning.
Question 2 asks about the difficulties in pronouncing words with English vowel sounds slightly different from those in mother tongue
Chart 4.5 The difficulties in pronouncing words with English vowel sounds slightly different from those in mother tongue
The chart shows that pronouncing words with English vowel sounds slightly different from those in mother tongue is considered rather difficult to most students
Over half of the students (51.2%) find it challenging to pronounce English vowel sounds that differ slightly from their mother tongue, highlighting the difficulty in mastering specific pronunciation aspects Conversely, more than one-third (30%) of students consider these pronunciation efforts to be a normal part of language production, indicating manageable challenges Only a small percentage (5.3%) find it easy to pronounce English vowel sounds, emphasizing the general difficulty learners face in mastering English pronunciation.
Questions 3 aims at identifying the teaching of vowel sounds by using minimal pairs by the previous teachers
Chart 4.6 The teaching of English vowel pronunciation by using minimal pairs by the previous teachers
According to Chart 4.6, most teachers focus on teaching vowel pronunciation in their classes Approximately 51.2% of students' previous teachers occasionally used minimal pairs to teach vowel sounds, while 22.4% rarely employed this method A smaller percentage, 12.9%, seldom used minimal pairs for vowel pronunciation instruction, and only 1.2% of teachers never incorporated minimal pairs into their pronunciation lessons.
Question 4 investigates the students’ familiarity with a phonetic alphabet or phonetic transcription of vowel sounds
Chart 4.7 The students’ familiarity with phonetic alphabets or phonemic transcription of English vowel sounds
A significant majority of students (76.5%) admit to being unfamiliar with the phonetic alphabet and phonemic transcription of vowel sounds, highlighting a common gap in their linguistic knowledge Conversely, only 23.5% feel confident in answering affirmatively about their familiarity with these concepts This data indicates that many students are not accustomed to using the phonetic alphabet and phonemic transcription, underscoring the need for improved focus on these areas in language education.
Question 5 helps to identify the difficulty in reading phonetic transcription of
English vowel sound in a word
Chart 4.8 Difficulties in reading phonetic transcription of English vowel sound in a word
According to Chart 4.9, only 10% of students found it very difficult to read phonemic transcriptions of English vowel sounds in a word Over half of the students (57.1%) experienced difficulties with this task, while 28.2% considered it a normal activity, and just 4.7% found it easy Importantly, no students reported that reading phonemic transcriptions of English vowel sounds was very easy.
Question 6 identifies the difficulty students have in pronouncing an English word from its spelling
Chart 4.9 Difficulty in pronouncing English vowels from its spelling
A significant 78.2% of students find it challenging to pronounce English words based on their spelling, highlighting common pronunciation difficulties with English vowels Conversely, only 21.8% of students report no issues with pronunciation from spelling, indicating a majority face pronunciation challenges This reflects the need for targeted pronunciation and spelling instruction in English language learning.
Question 7 asks about the difficulty in pronouncing English vowels correctly
Chart 4.10 Difficulties in pronouncing English vowels correctly
According to Chart 4.10, many students struggle with correctly pronouncing English vowels A significant 78.8% of students reported experiencing pronunciation difficulties, with 35.3% indicating they sometimes face challenges and 45.5% stating they often do Conversely, only 8.8% of students rarely consider vowel pronunciation problematic, and a small 2.4% never encounter difficulties in pronouncing English vowels accurately.
Question 8a asked students about the problems that they had when listening to or speaking words with English vowel sounds
Chart 4.11a Students’ background on vowel sounds in a word
According to Chart 4.11a, over half of the students (50.6%) frequently identified the correct vowel sound in a word, indicating a strong awareness of phonetic patterns Additionally, 22.4% of students sometimes recognized the vowel sounds, while only a small fraction (10.6% and 4.1%) reported never experiencing difficulties with vowel pronunciation Notably, more than 12% of students consistently struggled with vowel sounds, highlighting the ongoing challenge some learners face in mastering this aspect of pronunciation.
Question 8b asked students about the ability to distinguish English vowel sounds
Chart 4.11b Students’ ability to distinguish English vowel sounds
According to the chart, 50% of students sometimes struggle to differentiate between similar vowel sounds, highlighting a common pronunciation challenge Over a quarter (27.1%) of students frequently (very often) cannot distinguish these sounds, indicating a significant difficulty in pronunciation Conversely, only a small percentage (6.5%) rarely make such mistakes, and just 1.8% have never experienced this problem, suggesting that vowel sound differentiation remains a common hurdle for many learners.
Question 8c investigates students’ knowledge of difference between English pure vowel sounds and English diphthong ones
Chart 4.11c Students’ knowledge of difference between English pure vowel sounds and English diphthong ones
According to Chart 4.11c, over half of the students (57.1%) frequently struggle to distinguish between English pure vowels and diphthongs, indicating a common challenge in vowel differentiation Additionally, 18.8% of students sometimes face difficulties, while 6.5% rarely do, highlighting varying levels of familiarity with English vowel sounds Only 2.4% of students report never experiencing issues in differentiating between pure vowels and diphthongs, underscoring the need for targeted pronunciation practice.
Question 9 finds out what English vowel sounds are difficult to identify
Chart 4.12 English vowels that are difficult for students to identify
English vowels
5 Long vowels in English are also produced with greater tension of the tongue muscles than their short counterparts and are therefore referred to as tense vowels (Fromklin, 1993, p.203)
In English Received Pronunciation (RP), diphthongs are defined as sounds that involve a glide or movement from one vowel to another (Roach, 1998) They function similarly to long vowels, with the first component being longer and more prominent than the second For example, the diphthong /aɪ/ as in "eye" begins with the /a/ vowel, and the glide toward /ɪ/ becomes noticeable only in the final quarter of the sound, with the loudness decreasing as the glide progresses Consequently, the /ɪ/ part is shorter and quieter Roach (1998) identifies eight diphthongs in English RP, which are categorized into three groups.
Triphthongs are complex English vowel sounds characterized by a rapid glide from one vowel to another and then to a third without interruption, as defined by Roach (1998, p.24) They consist of five closing diphthongs combined with a schwa (ə) at the end, forming sounds like /eɪə/, /aɪə/, /ɔɪə/, /əʊə/, and /aʊə/ Recognizing triphthongs is essential for understanding advanced pronunciation and improving spoken English fluency.
According to Celce-Murcia et al (2002, pp 102-104) and Gilbert (1986, p
54), EFL learners may not realize that vowels are affected by the environment in which they occur
Here is the lengthening rule by Finegan (1994, p 63)
Voiced (vowels are lengthened preceding voiced consonants)
As a result of this rule, the following processes take place in English: ɪ i: / _ /d/ (as in “seed” vs “seat”) ɒ ɔ: / _ /g/ (as in “brogue” vs “broke”)
Native English speakers often do not fully pronounce final sounds such as p/b, t/d, and k/g, which can be identified by the length of the preceding vowel Specifically, vowels tend to be shortened when they come before voiceless consonants, making the final consonant distinguishable by vowel length cues (Gilbert, 1986; Avery & Ehrlich, 1995).
Vowels tend to be longer before final voiced consonants than before voiceless ones, highlighting the influence of consonant phonetics on vowel duration (Avery & Ehrlich) Additionally, vowels are significantly “colored” or altered in their articulation before specific consonants, especially /r/ and /l/, affecting their acoustic quality This tendency for vowels to lengthen in certain contexts is most perceptible when words are spoken in isolation, emphasizing the importance of phonetic environment in speech production and perception.
Native speakers tend to shorten the prevocalic vowel in words like “seat” and “sit,” while they generally lengthen the vowel in “seen.” There is a clear vowel distinction between “seen” and “seed,” with the vowel in “seen” being systematically longer Similarly, in “made” and “make,” the vowel in “made” is pronounced longer than in “make.” This pattern of vowel lengthening and shortening is essential for differentiating between similar words in English pronunciation.
2.1.1.5 Word stress and vowel reduction
According to Avery & Erhlich (1995), stress plays a crucial role in English pronunciation, as stressed vowels are produced longer and louder than unstressed ones In English, stress emphasizes certain vowels, making them more prominent in speech For example, in words like "cabbage" and "cotton," proper stress placement is essential for clear pronunciation and effective communication.
The first vowel in each of the three words above is louder than the second and can be heard more easily
In contrast to stressed syllables which are described to as full vowels,
“reduced vowels are much shorter and quieter” (Avery and Erhlich, 1995, p.63) These vowels are called schwa In general, the schwa is the most frequently occurring vowel sound in English
The word “photograph” features its first vowel as a full, stressed syllable pronounced as /əʊ/, emphasizing its initial position In contrast, “photography” is stressed on the second syllable, where the vowel is reduced to a schwa /ə/ Understanding the pronunciation differences between these terms helps improve both clarity and adherence to correct English pronunciation patterns.
2.1.1.6 English vowels in connected speech
English is a stress-time language, meaning stressed syllables tend to occur at regular intervals (Avery and Ehrlich, 1995) This rhythmic pattern helps maintain natural speech flow even as sentences grow longer in syllable count Despite increasing sentence length, the time taken to pronounce them remains relatively consistent due to the regular placement of stressed syllables.
Susan bought a new sweater at Creeds
All the vowels in the unstressed syllables are produced as schwa It takes much less time to pronounce a reduced vowel than a full vowel
The phrase “all of her” and the name “Oliver” are pronounced similarly at a normal conversation rate, with both having the first syllable strongly stressed and subsequent syllables unstressed In both pronunciations, vowels are reduced to schwa, and the initial consonant in “her” is often deleted, making their speech sounds very alike This pronunciation pattern highlights common features of natural speech, such as vowel reduction and consonant deletion, which are important considerations in phonetics and linguistic studies.
There are similarities and differences between Vietnamese language and English language, so it is crucial to take Vietnamese vowel system into consideration
Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam, spoken by approximately eighty million people within the country and around two million overseas Vietnamese (Ngo, Nhu Binh, 2003, p.17) Southern Vietnamese is used by people in the southern region of Vietnam, contributing to the rich diversity of dialects nationwide Despite differences among regional dialects, Vietnamese speakers can understand various dialects across the country with ease, highlighting the language's inherent mutual intelligibility (Hoang, Thi Chau, 2009, p.23).
2.1.3.2 Classification of Southern Vietnamese vowel system
According to Ngo, Nhu Binh (2003, p.19), Hoang, Thi Chau (2009, p.158), Dinh, Le Thu & Nguyen, Van Hue (1998, p.91), Vietnamese language has eleven nuclear monotony vowels: /ɪ/ i and y, /e/ ê, /ε/ e, /ɯ/ ư, /ə/ ơ, /ʌ/ â, /a/ a, /ɤ/ ă, /ʊ/ u,
This article discusses Vietnamese vowel sounds, including the /o/ sound represented by "ô," the /ɔ/ sound represented by "o," and three nuclear diphthongs: /ie/, /ɯɤ/, and /uo/ (corresponding to iê/ia, ươ/ưa, uô/ua) According to researchers Ngo, Nhu Binh; Hoang, Thi Chau; and Dinh, Le Thu & Nguyen, Van Hue, the position of the tongue during pronunciation determines the vowel's classification as front (/ɪ/, /e/, /ɛ/), mid (/ɯ/, /ə/, /ʌ/, /a/, /ɤ/), or back (/ʊ/, /o/, /ɔ/) This analysis highlights the importance of tongue placement in Vietnamese vowel pronunciation and phonetic distinctions.
Vowel pronunciation varies based on tongue height and position, categorized as high (/ɪ/, /ɯ/, /ʊ/), mid (/e/, /ə/, /ʌ/, /o/), depending on how much the tongue elevates toward the palate Additionally, the lips are rounded when producing rounded vowels, including /ʊ/, /o/, /ɔ/, as well as the diphthongs /ɯɤ/ and /uo/.
Below is the description of Vietnamese vowels adapted from Ngo, Nhu Binh
The /ɪ/ sound is a high front unrounded vowel produced with a spread lip position During pronunciation, the tongue tip is placed low, while the front of the tongue rises toward the hard palate Examples of words containing this vowel include "mi," "ti," and "khi," showcasing its use in various language contexts Understanding the articulation of /ɪ/ is essential for accurate pronunciation and phonetic study.
/a/ low central and unrounded vowel The mouth is wide open, and the tongue is in the lowest position ma, má, tha
/ʊ/ high back and rounded vowel The tongue tip is a low position and away from the lower front teeth The lips are sharply rounded ru, tu, tú
The /ə/ sound is a mid-central unrounded vowel characterized by neutral lips and the tongue rising toward the point between the hard palate and the velum Similar to the schwa /ə/, this vowel plays a crucial role in Vietnamese pronunciation, as it is always the main vowel in a syllable Examples include words like "mơ," "thơ," and "phở," where /ə/ is consistently used, highlighting its significance in Vietnamese phonetics and language structure.
/ɯ/ high central and unrounded vowel The tongue blade is moving a little backwards and tense, the back of the tongue is rising towards the velum tư, tứ, từ
The /e/ sound is a mid-front, unrounded vowel produced with the tongue positioned low and close to the lower front teeth During pronunciation, the tip of the tongue remains near the front teeth while the back of the tongue slightly lifts toward the hard palate The mouth opens wider than when pronouncing /ɪ/, creating a clear and open vocalization This vowel is essential in understanding the pronunciation of words like "phê," "bề," and "để" in Vietnamese.
Students’ gender
In the chart 4.1, we can see that out of the 170 students participating in the survey questionnaire, 82.9% are males and 17.1% females.
Students’ duration of English learning
Most students have been learning English for seven years, reflecting the seven-year curriculum in Vietnam, while a smaller portion has studied for only three years A significant majority (88.2%) began learning English at junior high school, whereas 10% started in senior high school, due to the national curriculum structure Only a few students (1.8%) have studied English for more than seven years, typically starting earlier in elementary schools, especially in large cities with extended language programs This small group does not significantly impact the overall data, given their limited number.
Reasons why students study English
The study reveals that over half of VLCTE students (52.4%) see English as essential for their future careers, highlighting its importance in their educational goals Meanwhile, 10.6% of students choose to study English because it is an international language, whereas an equal percentage (10.6%) lack interest, viewing English as a compulsory subject Students cite challenges such as learning difficulties, limited time, workload from their major, and lack of ongoing English practice as reasons for their disinterest Informal interviews indicate that ineffective teaching methods, dull classroom atmosphere, and unengaging textbooks diminish students’ motivation Additionally, the absence of extracurricular activities like English clubs or seminars further reduces their enthusiasm, with only approximately 11.2% of students considering English an interesting subject, reflecting a low level of engagement.
Approximately 15.3% of students shared diverse reasons for learning English, highlighting its vital role in their lives They recognize that a strong understanding of English grammar, structure, and word formation is essential for reading technical textbooks and understanding complex terminology Many students value English as a tool for accessing information online to support their studies Additionally, some learn English for enjoyment, such as watching movies, TV shows, or singing along to songs A few students see English as a means of communication when traveling abroad Most importantly, many emphasize that English is a "passport" to a brighter future, viewing language proficiency as essential for better job prospects and career opportunities.
4.1.1.2 The findings of students’ pronunciation of English vowel sounds
Questions 1 was designed to get information about the study of the pronunciation of
The study of pronunciation of English vowels
A study on English vowel pronunciation reveals that only 6.5% of students frequently practice pronunciation in private classes, language centers, or self-study, while a significant portion, over half (53.5%), sometimes study vowels, and 31.8% rarely do so Interestingly, only 7.6% of students often study English vowels, and a small percentage (0.6%) have never studied vowel sounds, primarily due to attending schools without regular English teachers.
Question 2 asks about the difficulties in pronouncing words with English vowel sounds slightly different from those in mother tongue
The difficulties in pronouncing words with English vowel sounds slightly
slightly different from those in mother tongue
The chart shows that pronouncing words with English vowel sounds slightly different from those in mother tongue is considered rather difficult to most students
Over half of the students (51.2%) struggle to pronounce English vowel sounds that differ slightly from their native language, highlighting common pronunciation challenges among language learners In contrast, over one-third (30%) of students consider these pronunciations a normal part of speech production, indicating some level of adaptability Only a small percentage (5.3%) find it easy to pronounce English vowel sounds, emphasizing the need for targeted pronunciation practice to improve language proficiency.
Questions 3 aims at identifying the teaching of vowel sounds by using minimal pairs by the previous teachers.
The teaching of English vowel pronunciation by using minimal pairs by the
According to Chart 4.6, most teachers focus on teaching vowel pronunciation in their classes About 51.2% of students' previous teachers occasionally used minimal pairs to teach vowel sounds Additionally, 22.4% of teachers seldom employed minimal pairs for vowel pronunciation, while 12.9% did so rarely Only 1.2% of teachers never used minimal pairs to help students practice vowel pronunciation.
Question 4 investigates the students’ familiarity with a phonetic alphabet or phonetic transcription of vowel sounds.
The students’ familiarity with phonetic alphabets or phonemic transcription
transcription of English vowel sounds
Over two-thirds (76.5%) of students admit they are unfamiliar with the phonetic alphabet and phonemic transcription of vowel sounds, indicating a significant gap in their pronunciation skills Conversely, only 23.5% are confident in their ability to answer yes to this question, reflecting that a minority have some familiarity with these phonetic concepts This highlights the need to enhance phonetic and phonemic awareness in language learning to improve students' pronunciation and listening skills.
Question 5 helps to identify the difficulty in reading phonetic transcription of
English vowel sound in a word.
Difficulties in reading phonetic transcription of English vowel sound in a
According to Chart 4.9, only 4.7% of students found it easy to read phonemic transcriptions of English vowel sounds, while a little over a quarter (28.2%) considered it a normal activity The majority, however, faced significant challenges: 57.1% struggled with reading phonemic transcriptions of English vowel sounds, and 10% found it very difficult Notably, none of the students reported that reading phonemic transcriptions of English vowels was very easy.
Question 6 identifies the difficulty students have in pronouncing an English word from its spelling.
Difficulty in pronouncing English vowels from its spelling
The survey results indicate that 78.2% of students experience challenges in pronouncing English vowels based on their spelling, highlighting common pronunciation difficulties among learners Conversely, 21.8% of students reported no problems with pronunciation, suggesting individual differences in language aptitude These findings underscore the importance of targeted pronunciation practice in English language learning to improve learners' overall communication skills.
Question 7 asks about the difficulty in pronouncing English vowels correctly.
Difficulties in pronouncing English vowels correctly
According to Chart 4.10, many students struggle with pronouncing English vowels correctly, with 78.8% acknowledging difficulties Specifically, 35.3% experience occasional challenges, while 45.5% face these problems more frequently Only a small percentage (8.8%) rarely find pronunciation to be an issue, and just 2.4% report never having difficulty with English vowel pronunciation.
Question 8a asked students about the problems that they had when listening to or speaking words with English vowel sounds.
Students’ background on vowel sounds in a word
According to Chart 4.11a, over half of the students (50.6%) frequently identified the correct vowel sound in a word, indicating strong awareness of vowel pronunciation Meanwhile, 22.4% of students occasionally recognized the vowel sounds, reflecting moderate confidence A small percentage (10.6% and 4.1%) reported never experiencing difficulties with vowel sounds, suggesting that the majority faced some challenges Notably, more than one in ten students (12.4%) consistently struggled with vowel sounds, highlighting the common difficulty in mastering this aspect of pronunciation.
Question 8b asked students about the ability to distinguish English vowel sounds.
Students’ ability to distinguish English vowel sounds
The chart indicates that 50% of students sometimes struggle to differentiate between similar vowel sounds, highlighting a common challenge in pronunciation Over 27% of students report that they very often cannot distinguish these vowel sounds, suggesting a significant difficulty Conversely, only 6.5% of students rarely make such mistakes, and just 1.8% have never faced this issue, emphasizing that pronunciation of similar vowel sounds remains a widespread problem among learners.
Question 8c investigates students’ knowledge of difference between English pure vowel sounds and English diphthong ones.
Students’ knowledge of difference between English pure vowel sounds
sounds and English diphthong ones
According to Chart 4.11c, over half of the students (57.1%) frequently struggle to distinguish between English pure vowels and diphthongs, highlighting a common challenge in pronunciation Additionally, 18.8% of students sometimes face difficulties, while 6.5% rarely encounter such issues, indicating variability in their phonetic understanding Only a small percentage (2.4%) of students report never experiencing difficulties with differentiating English vowels and diphthongs, suggesting that vowel distinction remains a significant area for improvement in language learning.
Question 9 finds out what English vowel sounds are difficult to identify.
English vowels that are difficult for students to identify
Chart 4.12 shows that vowel sounds caused students some difficulties identifying The majority of the students (91.2%) stated the most problematic sound for them is the vowel sound /ổ/ 71.2% of the students considered the sound /i:/ a problem Nearly two-thirds of the (74.m1%) had difficulties with the sound /3:/ A little more than two-thirds of students (62.9%) found it difficult to identify the sound /ɑ:/ whereas 63.5% students had trouble in indentifying the sound /ɔ:/ and for /u:/, it accounted for 78.8%
Question 10 identifies English vowels that are difficult for students to pronounce.
English vowels that are difficult for students to pronounce
Based on Chart 4.13, students struggled to pronounce several English vowel sounds that are absent in Vietnamese, highlighting specific pronunciation challenges The majority of students (93.5%) found the /ổ/ vowel sound particularly difficult, followed by 80% who encountered difficulties with /3:/ Additionally, 86.5% of students struggled with the /ɔ:/ vowel, while 91.8% found /i:/ challenging to pronounce Nearly three-fourths (75.9%) faced problems with /u:/, and 72.9% had difficulties with /ɑ:/ These findings support the hypothesis and align with existing literature on Vietnamese learners’ pronunciation challenges in English.
Question 11 finds out what English diphthongs are difficult to identify.
English diphthong sounds that are difficult to identify
Chart 4.14 shows that the students found it hard to identify diphthong sounds The majority of the students (88.2%) stated the most problematic sound for them is the sound /eɪ/ 86.7% students considered the sound /əʊ/ a problem 63.3% had difficulties with the sound /ɪə/ Nearly two-thirds of the students (70%) found it difficult to identify the sound /eə/ whereas 56.7% of them had trouble to recognize the sound /ʊə/ and for the sound /aʊ/, it accounts for 36.7% The sound /ɔɪ/ does not cause much difficulty with 26.7% About 16.7 % of the students claimed that they have some problem with the sound /aɪ/
Question 12 asks if students had difficulties with the pronunciation of diphthongs.
English diphthong sounds that are difficult to pronounce
The chart indicates that many students struggle with diphthongs, particularly the /eɪ/ sound, which over 80% of students found challenging Additionally, 77.6% reported difficulty pronouncing /əʊ/, while 73.5% and 71.2% respectively experienced challenges with /eə/ and /ɪə/ About 60% of students have trouble with the /uə/ sound, and nearly half (45.9%) find /ɔɪ/ difficult to pronounce Fewer students, around 13.5% to 14.1%, face pronunciation issues with /aʊ/ and /aɪ/, highlighting specific areas where learners commonly encounter difficulties with diphthongs.
4.1.1.3 Students’ opinions to improve pronunciation of English vowel sounds
Students’ pronunciation self-assessment
Question 12 shows that only 1.8% of the students stated that their pronunciation was very good A little more than one-tenth (11.8%) were confident that their pronunciation was fairly good Nearly one-fourth of the students (23.5%) thought that their pronunciation was normal The majority of the students (62.9%) had trouble with pronunciation and about one-third (29.4%) thought their pronunciation was bad and 33.5% confessed that their pronunciation was very bad
Question 13 aimed at collecting students’ feedback on how correct pronunciation influences their speaking and listening skills in English.
Students’ feedback on the influence of correct pronunciation over their
their speaking and listening in English
The data indicates that over half of the students (55.9%) believe that correct pronunciation significantly impacts their speaking and listening skills Additionally, 17.1% of students feel that accurate pronunciation greatly influences their speaking and listening competence A further 15.9% think that pronunciation somewhat affects their performance, while 7.6% feel it has only a minimal impact A small percentage (3.5%) of students reported that pronunciation does not affect their speaking and listening abilities at all.
Question 14 helped find out the necessity of good knowledge of pronunciation of vowels.
The necessity of having a solid background on how to pronounce vowel
The chart clearly indicates that a significant majority of students believe that having a basic understanding of vowel pronunciation is essential for achieving good pronunciation Approximately 73.5% of students recognize the importance of foundational vowel pronunciation skills, viewing them as crucial for effective speaking and listening Conversely, only 15.9% consider this background less important and do not prioritize it, while a small portion (4.7%) see it as somewhat necessary Importantly, no students deny the importance of fundamental vowel pronunciation knowledge Overall, possessing strong vowel pronunciation skills offers a clear advantage in language proficiency and communication effectiveness.
Question 15 was designed to get information about the solutions to improve students’ pronunciation of vowels.
Ways to improve students’ pronunciation of problematic vowels
Chart 4.18 discloses different ways to improve students’ pronunciation of problematic vowels A little more than half of the students (52.4%) wanted to ask their teachers for help with their pronunciation mistakes whenever they arose On the contrary, others believed self-correction was fairly important More than one- third (37.6%) asserted that they wanted to have basic knowledge about how to English vowel sounds so that they themselves could monitor their pronunciation and correct the mistakes by themselves However, one-tenth (10% found other solutions to the problem In their opinion, they could look up the pronunciation of certain words in their talking dictionary The students liked listening to the radio or cassette player Some of them considered their computer as a reliable source to check their pronunciation For example, they listened to their computer and then tried to mimic native speakers Others studied with the help of a computer language program such as Lang Master 9.0 This program could be used to record their voice and analyzed their pronunciation and then gave results as a consequence of comparing their accent to that of native speakers In addition, some students asked their friends to correct their pronunciation mistakes
Question 16 helps to investigate the reasons why students should produce
Reasons why students should produce English vowel sounds correctly
Accurate pronunciation of English vowel sounds is essential for language learners, as nearly half of students (46.2%) believe it significantly enhances their listening and speaking skills Additionally, over a quarter (26.9%) of students assert that phonetic literacy boosts their fluency and confidence in using the language Mastering correct vowel pronunciation can therefore improve overall communication effectiveness and language proficiency.
Improving fluency and confidence in language use can lead to increased intelligibility, enhanced listening and speaking skills, and a more native-like accent Many students (15.4%) believe that correct pronunciation of English vowel sounds is crucial for clarity A small percentage (3.8%) think that having a background in phonetics is important to achieve a native-like accent Additionally, 7.7% of students aim for success in academic studies or personal satisfaction, highlighting diverse motivations behind language learning.
The data from the students’ questionnaire reveal that learners struggle with English vowels, primarily due to limited knowledge of pronunciation, especially for vowels not present in Vietnamese This finding aligns with previous research and insights shared by teachers, confirming that unfamiliar vowel sounds pose significant challenges for Vietnamese students learning English.
4.1.2.1 Pairs of tense and lax vowel sounds /i:/ and /ɪ/
Level Number of correct answers Number of incorrect answers
Sound /i:/ perceived as /i:/ /i:/ in % /ɪ/ perceived as /ɪ/
Sentence level seat 28 93.3% sit 2 6.7% sleep 26 83.3% slip 4 16.7%
Table 4.1 The results of the receptive test for words containing /i:/
The data in Table 4.1 reveal that the primary mistake in perceiving the sounds involves the substitution between the vowels /i:/ and /ɪ/ While 66.3% of students demonstrate a strong ability to differentiate these English vowels, over one-third (33.3%) experience difficulty distinguishing them at the word level.
The majority of students (88.3%) demonstrated a strong ability to differentiate between the vowel sounds /i:/ and /ɪ/, indicating effective perception at the sentence level Conversely, only a small percentage (11.7%) struggled to perceive the /i:/ sound accurately, highlighting the overall proficiency in vowel sound recognition among learners This suggests that sentence-level perception of vowel distinctions is notably better and essential for improving pronunciation and language comprehension skills.
On the whole, the data show that a majority of the students (81.1%) succeeded in perceiving the sound /i:/ and only 18.9% students failed to do so
4.1.2.2 Pairs of tense and lax vowel sounds /ʊ/ and /u:/
Level Number of correct answers Number of incorrect answers
Luke 25 83.3% look 5 16.7% booth 19 63.3% book 11 36.7% fool 21 70% full 9 30%
Table 4.2 The results of the receptive test for words containing /u:/
Table 4.2 indicates that the primary mistake in perceiving the two sounds involves substituting the vowels /u:/ and /ʊ/ While learners generally excel at differentiating /u:/ and /ʊ/ at the word level, with 83.3% finding it easy to identify these sounds, over 16.7% of students still struggle to distinguish between the vowels /u:/ and /ʊ/ correctly.
At the sentence level, the correct perception is a little lower The majority of the students (72.2%) were good at discriminating the vowel sounds /u:/ and /ʊ/
Approximately 27.8% of students failed to distinguish between the sounds /u:/ and /ʊ/, mistaking /ʊ/ for /u:/ Overall, the data indicate that 75% of students successfully perceived the /i:/ sound, while 25% struggled with it.
4.1.2.3 Pairs of tense and lax vowel sounds /e/ and /eɪ/
Level Number of correct answers Number of incorrect answers
Sound /eɪ/ perceived as /eɪ/
Sentence level made 27 90% mad 3 10% hate 25 83.3% hat 5 16.7% later 18 60% letter 12 40%
Table 4.3 The results of the receptive test for words containing /eɪ/
The data from Table 4.3 indicates that learners encountered some difficulty in distinguishing between the vowels /e/ and /eɪ/, often substituting one for the other Despite this challenge, most students—around 80%—successfully identified the /eɪ/ sound at the word level, demonstrating a good perception of this vowel However, approximately 20% of learners struggled to differentiate between /e/ and /eɪ/, highlighting the need for targeted pronunciation training to improve vowel perception accuracy.
The majority of students (77.8%) demonstrated a good ability to differentiate between the vowel sounds /e/ and /eɪ/, indicating strong phonetic perception skills However, 22.2% of students struggled with this distinction, mistaking /eɪ/ for /e/ Overall, 78.3% of students successfully perceived the /i:/ sound, while 21.7% faced challenges in differentiating /e/ from /eɪ/, highlighting areas for potential improvement in vowel sound perception and auditory discrimination.
4.1.2.4 Pairs of front vowel sounds /e/ and /ổ/
Level Number of correct answers Number of incorrect answers
Sound /ổ/ perceived as /ổ/ /ổ/ in % /e/ perceived as /e/
Sentence level man 26 86.7% men 4 13.3% salary 22 73.3% celery 8 26.7% cattle 26 86.7% kettle 4 13.3%
Table 4.4 The results of the receptive test for words containing /ổ/
The /ổ/ sound is highly recognizable among students, with 80% successfully identifying it at the word level However, 20% struggled to distinguish between the /ổ/ and /e/ sounds At the sentence level, 82.2% of students could correctly identify both sounds, while 17.8% faced difficulties Overall, 81.7% of students accurately differentiate the /ổ/ sound from /e/, indicating a high level of sound discrimination, though some students still encounter challenges.
4.1.2.5 Pairs of vowel sounds /ɔ:/ and /3:/
Level Number of correct answers
Table 4.5 Pairs of vowels /ɔ:/ and /3:/
The data in Table 4.5 reveal that students frequently confuse the English vowels /ɔ:/ and /3:/, with a significant 50% struggling to accurately discriminate between these sounds This substitution error indicates a common challenge in perceptual differentiation at the word level, highlighting the need for targeted pronunciation training to improve students' phonetic recognition skills.
According to recent data, approximately 70% of students successfully differentiate between the vowel sounds /ɔ:/ and /ɜ:/ However, about 30% struggle with accurate perception, often confusing /ɔ:/ with /ɜ:/ and vice versa Overall, the findings reveal that 60% of students can perceive these sounds correctly, while 40% face difficulties in discriminating between /ɔ:/ and /ɜ:/.
4.1.2.6 Pairs of vowel sounds /a:/ and /ɔ:/
Level Number of correct answers Number of incorrect answers
Table 4.6 Pairs of vowel sounds /a:/ and /ɔ:/
The /a:/ sound is highly recognizable among students, with 86.7% successfully identifying it at the word level However, 13.3% of students struggle to differentiate between /a:/ and /ɔ:/ in minimal pairs At the sentence level, a significant 93% of students can distinguish /a:/ from /ɔ:/, while 17.8% experience difficulty Overall, approximately 90% of students accurately identify the /a:/ sound, whereas around 10% face challenges with differentiating the minimal pair /a:/ and /ɔ:/.
4.1.2.7 Pairs of vowel sounds /əʊ/ and /ɒ/
Level Number of correct answers Number of incorrect answers
Sound /əʊ/ perceived as /əʊ/
Sentence level hope 18 60% hop 12 40% goat 15 50% got 15 50%
Table 4.7 Pairs of vowel sounds /əʊ/ and /ɒ/
The sound /əʊ/ is easily identifiable among students, with 93.3% successfully recognizing it at the word level, while only 6.7% struggled to distinguish it from /ɒ/ At the sentence level, over half of the students (55%) correctly identified the sounds /əʊ/ and /ɒ/, whereas 45% faced difficulties Overall, approximately 67.8% of students could distinguish the /əʊ/ sound in minimal pairs, highlighting a solid level of pronunciation awareness, while 32.2% encountered challenges in differentiating between /əʊ/ and /ɒ/.
4.1.2.8 Pairs of vowel sounds /ɪə/ and /eə/
Level Number of correct answers Number of incorrect answers
Sound /ɪə/ perceived as /ɪə/
Sentence level beer 24 80% bear 6 20% ear 26 86.7% air 4 13.3%
Table 4.8 Pairs of vowel sounds /ɪə/ and /eə/
According to Table 4.8, learners find it relatively easy to identify the English vowel sounds /ɪə/ and /eə/ The primary challenge observed is the substitution between these two sounds, indicating some confusion in perception Data shows that approximately 90% of students can accurately recognize the /ɪə/ sound at the word level, demonstrating a high level of proficiency However, about 10% of learners struggle to distinguish between /ɪə/ and /eə/, highlighting the need for targeted pronunciation practice Optimizing phonetic awareness of these vowels can significantly enhance English language learning and pronunciation accuracy.