A study on students’ reaction to the techniques teachers use for teaching pronunciation at Pham Ngu Lao high school, Hai Phong = Nghiên cứu phản ứng của học sin

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST GRADUAGE STUDIES DƯƠNG THỊ KIM OANH A STYDY ON STUDENTS’ REACTION TO THE TECHNIQUES

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST GRADUAGE STUDIES

DƯƠNG THỊ KIM OANH

A STYDY ON STUDENTS’ REACTION TO THE TECHNIQUES TEACHERS USE FOR TEACHING PRONUNCIATION AT PHAM NGU LAO HIGH SCHOOL,

HAI PHONG

NGHIÊN CỨU PHẢN ỨNG CỦA HỌC SINH ĐỐI VỚI CÁC THỦ THUẬT GIÁO VIÊN SỬ DỤNG ĐỂ DẠY PHÁT ÂM TẠI TRƯỜNG

PHẠM NGŨ LÃO, HẢI PHÒNG

M.A MINOR THESIS

FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY

CODE: 601410

Hanoi -2012

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF POST GRADUAGE STUDIES

DƯƠNG THỊ KIM OANH

A STYDY ON STUDENTS’ REACTION TO THE TECHNIQUES TEACHERS USE FOR TEACHING PRONUNCIATION AT PHAM NGU LAO HIGH SCHOOL,

HAI PHONG

NGHIÊN CỨU PHẢN ỨNG CỦA HỌC SINH ĐỐI VỚI CÁC THỦ THUẬT GIÁO VIÊN SỬ DỤNG ĐỂ DẠY PHÁT ÂM TẠI TRƯỜNG

PHẠM NGŨ LÃO, HẢI PHÒNG

M.A MINOR THESIS

FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 601410

SUPERVISOR: NGUYỄN QUỲNH TRANG, Ph D Candidate

Hanoi -2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

LIST OF FIGURES vi

INTRODUCTION 1

1 Rationale 1

2 Aims of the study 2

3 Research questions 2

4 Methods of the study 2

4.1 Subjects of study 2

4.2 Data collection instruments 2

4.3 Data collecting procedure 3

4.4 Data analysis 3

5 Scope of the study 3

6 Significance of the study 3

7 Design of the study 4

DEVELOPMENT 5

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 5

1.1 Definition of technique and reaction 5

1.2 Previous studies about teaching pronunciation 5

1.3 Techniques of teaching pronunciation 7

1.3.1 The use of known sounds: 8

1.3.2 Explanation: 8

1.3.3 Communication activities: 8

1.3.4 Written versions of oral presentations: 9

1.3.5 Modelling and individual correction: 9

1.3.6 Tutorial sessions and self-study: 9

1.3.7 Self-monitoring and self-correction: 9

1.3.8 Computer-assisted language learning: 10

1.3.9 Reading aloud: 10

1.4 Elements of teaching pronunciation 10

1.4.1 Sound and Spelling Patterns 10

1.4.2 Word Stress 11

1.4.3 Rhythm 11

1.4.4 Sentence focus and Intonation 11

1.5 The role of teachers and students 12

1.6 Summary the chapter 13

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY 14

2.1 The subjects 14

2.2 Research design 14

2.3 Research methods 15

2.3.1 The questionnaires: 15

2.3.2 Interview 15

2.3.3 Classroom observation 15

2.4 Procedures of data collection 16

CHAPTER 3: RESUILTS AND DISCUSSION 18

3.1 Questionnaires responses 18

3.1.1 Students’ problems in learning pronunciation 18

3.1.2 Pronunciation techniques used by teachers 20

3.1.3 Students’ appreciation of techniques used by teacher 21

3.1.4 Questions about students’ preference 23

3.1.5 Question about students’ motivation 24

3.1.6 question about students’ expectation for a better and more effective pronunciation practice 26

3.2 Observation 27

3.2.1 Findings based on observation 27

3.2.2 The reasons behind the problems mentioned 27

3.3 The interview 29

3.4 Summary of the chapter 31

CHAPTER 4: PROPOSED SOLUTIONS 32

4.1 Suggestions from observation 32

4.2 Suggestions from questionnaires and interview 32

4.2.1 Teachers’ techniques 32

4.2.2 Equipping facilities 35

4.2.3 Motivating students to learn 35

4.2.4 Among teachers’ staff 36

4.2.5 Summary of the chapter 36

CONCLUSION 37

1 Conclusions 37

2 Implications 38

3 Limitations and suggestions for further study 38

REFERENCES 41 Appendix 1 I Appendix 2 II Appendix 3 VI Appendix 4 IX

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Students’ opinion about the purposes of pronunciation

learning 18

Figure 2: students’ problems in learning pronunciation 19

Figure 3: techniques used by teachers 20

Figure 4: Students’ attitude to techniques teachers use 21

Figure 5: students’ evaluation on effectiveness of techniques 22

Figure 6: Students’ like 23

Figure 7: students’ dislike 24

Figure 8: techniques motivating students to practice pronunciation 25

Figure 9: Suggestions for better English pronunciation practice 26

INTRODUCTION

1 Rationale

English has become a language of global communication due to its role in different fields of our life such as : science, technology, aviation and so on In Vietnamese, English has experienced its popularity in teaching and learning over the last few decades However, English pronunciation teaching seems to

be very much neglected by many teachers, especially at high school because

of many different reasons

At my school, Pham Ngu Lao high school in Thuy Nguyen district, Hai Phong city, teaching and learning English pronunciation is really new challenging work Besides the lack of well-equipped facilities, teaching pronunciation techniques are quite new and unfamiliar to teachers They have been inexperienced in teaching pronunciation methods and techniques since the new English textbook was in use Another thing is that students‟ low levels of proficiency in term of vocabulary, grammar Above all, all important English exams at school as well as the university entrance exam are always in written form Thus, most teachers and students have little motivation to teach and to learn pronunciation In my point of view, there is much to work out current and potential problems, and then create better suitable teaching techniques and strategies that facilitate the effectiveness of pronunciation lessons

From this fact, the author of this study, the teacher at Pham Ngu Lao high school, has desire of doing something new to promote English pronunciation teaching and learning at this school And up to now, there has not been any study on students‟ reaction to techniques used in teaching pronunciation yet

Therefore, the study aims at finding out “students’ reactions to the

techniques teachers use for teaching pronunciation at Pham Ngu Lao high school, Hai Phong”

2 Aims of the study

The study aims at:

Firstly, to find out problems students face when learning English pronunciation

Secondly, to find out what techniques are used at Pham Ngu Lao high school, Thuy Nguyen, Hai Phong and what is the most suitable to students Thirdly, to find out students‟ reactions to those techniques and give solution to those reactions

4.2 Data collection instruments

The research is done by both quantitative and qualitative methods; it is carried out on the basis of situation analysis, material collection, survey

questionnaires, and class observation and recording These instruments bring about the data for analysis, and evaluation

4.3 Data collecting procedure

The first step is analyzing and synthesizing data

The second one is discussing the results obtained from questionnaires and observation, recording and interview

4.4 Data analysis

5 Scope of the study

There are many aspects of teaching pronunciation at high schools, however this study focuses on students‟ reactions to techniques teachers used for teaching pronunciation The students are 12th grade at Pham Ngu Lao high school in Hai Phong The study conducts an insightful analysis of the students‟ reactions, looks deeply into the problems and finds suitable solutions as suggested by teachers

6 Significance of the study

Pronunciation is an integrated and integral part of foreign language learning as it directly affects learners' communicative competence and performance to a substantial extent Despite its importance, for many years, teaching pronunciation has a very small place at schools in Vietnam in general and Pham Ngu Lao high school in particular Thus, at this school teaching English pronunciation is really new and challenging work How to teach pronunciation effectively and how to get positive reactions from students are big questions Moreover, there has not been any study on teaching pronunciation at this school yet With the purpose on this study in

Qualitative

analysis

Quantitative analysis

Data analysis

mind, the thesis tries to report some major problems teachers and students face in teaching and learning pronunciation, the teaching pronunciation techniques teachers use and students‟ reaction so that some solutions to improving English pronunciation teaching are provided.

7 Design of the study

This thesis is composed of three parts

Part 1, INTRODUCTION, presents the rationale, aims, scope, methods and design of the study

Part 2, DEVELOPMENT, is divided into four chapters

Chapter 1: Literature Review, presents relevant concepts to pronunciation and pronunciation teaching techniques

Chapter 2: Methodology, involves the information about context, participants and instruments of the study

Chapter 3: Results and discussion, focuses on data analysis to show students‟ reaction to pronunciation teaching techniques and the effectiveness

or the way in which a process is, or should be, carried out

Reaction is defined as something done, felt, or thought in response to a situation or event in Oxford dictionaries And in US English dictionary it is an action performed or a feeling experienced in response to a situation or event Therefore, according to Oxford advanced learner‟s dictionary, reaction is commonly known as what you do, say, or think as a result of something that has happened It is also a change in people‟s attitudes or behavior caused by disapproval of the attitudes, etc of the past

1.2 Previous studies about teaching pronunciation

Pronunciation has been regarded as „the Cinderella of language teaching‟ (Kelly, 1969; Dalton, 1997) The role of pronunciation in the different schools

of language teaching has varied widely from having virtually no role in the grammar-translation method to being the main focus in the audio-lingual method where emphasis is on the traditional notions of pronunciation, minimal pairs, drills and short conversation (Castillo, 1990) During the late 1960s and the 1970s questions were asked about the role of pronunciation in the ESL/EFL curriculum, whether the focus of the programs and the

instructional methods were effective or not Pronunciation programs until then were „viewed as meaningless non-communicative drill-and-exercise gambits‟ (Morley, 1991)

Pronunciation is not an optional extra for the language learner, any more than grammar, vocabulary or any other aspect of language is If a learner's general aim is to talk intelligibly to others in another language, a reasonable pronunciation is important

Varonis and Gass (1982) examine the factors affecting listening comprehension in native speakers of English exposed to L2 accents, and conclude that grammar and pronunciation interact to influence intelligibility s more distinct when the connection between pronunciation and listening comprehension is taken into account Wong (1993) also demonstrates that a lack of knowledge of pronunciation could even affect learners' reading and spelling According to Baker (1992), pronunciation is very important and learners should pay close attention to pronunciation as early as possible Otherwise, the result will be that advanced learners find that they can improve all aspects of their proficiency in English except their pronunciation, and mistakes which have been repeated for years are impossible to eradicate Scarcella and Oxford (1994) similarly postulate that pronunciation should be taught in all second or foreign language classes through a variety of activities With the emphasis on meaningful communication and Morley's (1991: 488) premise, that 'intelligible pronunciation is an essential component of communication competence', teachers should include pronunciation in their courses and expect their learners to do well in them

Gilbert (1995: 1) believes that the skills of listening comprehension and pronunciation are interdependent, and contends 'if they (learners) cannot hear well, they are cut off from language If they (learners) cannot be understood

easily, they are cut off from conversation with native speakers." Likewise, Nooteboom (1983) suggests that speech production is affected by speech perception, and stresses the need of pronunciation in both listening and speaking Wong (1987) points out that even when the non-native speakers' vocabulary and grammar are excellent, if their pronunciation falls below a certain threshold level, they are unable to communicate efficiently and effectively

Paul Tench (1981) suggests two fundamental principles in the general strategy of pronunciation teaching: on the one hand pronunciation teaching has to be integrated with other skills ( listening with comprehension, reading and writing, and non-linguistic cues, e.g gestures, facial expressions) and with other aspects of language- grammar, lexis, style, function and discourse;

on the other hand, pronunciation has to be isolated for practice of specific

items and problems, like the articulation of th, or various vowels and so on

The second principle serves the first; on order to achieve satisfactory accuracy and fluency of pronunciation, integrated with the other skills and the other aspects of language for successful communication, items of pronunciation need to be isolated for practice and then reintroduced into their context for the successful development of communication

Therefore, we should countenance what Morley (1991) puts forward: The question is not whether pronunciation should be taught, but instead what should be taught in a pronunciation class and how it should be taught

1.3 Techniques of teaching pronunciation

Dalton and Seidlhofer (1994) suggests that there are certain aspects of the English pronunciation which appear to be easily taught; namely, phonemes, stress

Due to pedagogical reasons, it could be sensible to think that instead of pushing students to strive for perfect pronunciation, a focus on pedagogic attention to teachable and learnable items which are phonemes and stress appears to be a more reasonable goal Based on the exploration and critical analysis of the different approaches to teaching pronunciation and what seems

to be teachable and learnable, some techniques below, according to influential pronunciation researchers (Morley, 1991, Scarcella and Oxford, 1994, Fraser,

1999, Thompson, Taylor and Gray, 2001), appear to be useful for learners and teachers alike:

1.3.1 The use of known sounds:

In the early stage of learning pronunciation, the learners, especially the young ones should be helped to compare the sounds of the target language with those of their mother tongue This eventually helps them produce the sound pattern to a considerable extent (Morley, 1991, Scarcella and Oxford, 1994,)

help them give the impression that their pronunciation is better than it really is (Oxford, 2000)

1.3.4 Written versions of oral presentations:

At the more advanced levels, learners can be given strategies for analyzing the written versions of their oral presentations This helps them detect, identify and correct errors or mistakes committed in their oral presentations (Morley, 1991, Scarcella and Oxford, 1994, Fraser, 1999, Thompson, Taylor and Gray, 2001)

1.3.5 Modelling and individual correction:

In this technique, the teacher reports the results of analyses of learner speech sample individually The young or adult learner gets feedback from the analyses and stop repeating previous errors or mistakes (Morley, 1991, Scarcella and Oxford, 1994, Fraser, 1999, Thompson, Taylor and Gray, 2001)

1.3.6 Tutorial sessions and self-study:

Tutorial sessions commence with a diagnostic analysis of each learner's spoken English, and an individualized programme is designed for each learner This technique can be used for both young and adult learners (Morley, 1991)

1.3.7 Self-monitoring and self-correction:

Self-monitoring is the conscious action of listening to one's own speech

in order to find out errors and mistakes This action is followed by correction standing for the process of fixing one's errors and mistakes after they have occurred by repeating the word or phrase correctly By teaching our adult learners to self-monitor and self-correct, we enable them to make their learning of pronunciation more personal, more meaningful and more effective (Fraser, 1999)

self-1.3.8 Computer-assisted language learning:

Computer-assisted language learning or CALL benefits the learner by letting him/her study at his/her own pace in a semi-private environment as well as allowing him/her to build profiles that enable the teacher to monitor the learner's improvement in pronunciation This tool can be used for both young and adult learners, but in an adjusted manner (Scarcella and Oxford,

1994, Fraser, 1999)

1.3.9 Reading aloud:

The learner can be given a piece of spoken text to read out loudly Here the teacher's job is to identify pronunciation the errors and mistakes made by the learner, and then give feedback that will help the learner improve his/her pronunciation (Morley, 1991, Scarcella and Oxford, 1994, Fraser, 1999, Thompson, Taylor and Gray, 2001)

1.4 Elements of teaching pronunciation

According to Mortimer (1985), teaching pronunciation includes weak forms, clusters, linking-up, contractions and stress time Whereas, Kelly (2000) argues that teaching pronunciation involves: vowels, consonants, word and sentence stress, intonation, other aspects of connected speech and spelling However, Jenkins (2004) stated that depending on the second language in question, pronunciation teaching typically covers any or all of the following: consonant and vowel sounds, changes of these sounds in the stream of connected speech, word stress patterns, rhythm, and intonation Grant (1993) provides a more comprehensive and authentic elements of teaching pronunciation This researcher organized the teaching elements from sounds to syllables and words, to sentences and finally to discoursal segments Elements of pronunciation to teach are as follows:

1.4.1 Sound and Spelling Patterns

Those are rather confusing aspects of English pronunciation They are irregular because English has borrowed lots of words from other languages, such as ancient Latin, Greek, Eskimo and Farsi Homographs and homophones are two typical examples of unequivalence of sound and spelling Thus, an effective pronunciation teaching should also consider individual sounds, phonetic transcription, syllable and ending sounds (Linda Grant ,1993)

1.4.2 Word Stress

It must be highly focused on at the beginning of any pronunciation course to help learners to have understandable pronunciation In every words two or more syllables, one of them is stressed and stronger, louder and longer than the others This stressed syllable is very important because speakers of English rely on patterns of stress to identify the words and phrases they hear (Linda Grant, 1993)

1.4.3 Rhythm

Kenworthy (1992) stated that „rhythm is characterized by the alternation

of strong and weak syllables‟ After dealing with word stress patterns, teachers should introduce to their students the rhythm of English Rhythm is a product of word stress and the way in which important items are fore-grounded through their occurrence on a strong beat, and unimportant items are back-grounded by their occurrence on a weak beat

1.4.4 Sentence focus and Intonation

To put stress on the words that carry the most information is one of the way in which a speaker gives the listener the importance different parts of the messages Sentence focus and intonation refer to the intention and feelings of the speaker The teaching of sentence focus and intonation will be more

successful when the teacher selects suitable contexts in which learners find it easy to understand the notion of „importance‟ (Linda Grant, 1993)

1.5 The role of teachers and students

The usefulness of teaching pronunciation is widely debated subject in the language teaching world Suter and Purcell (1980) have cast dout on the importance of pronunciation teaching because in their opinion, little relationship exists between teaching pronunciation and attained pronunciation proficiency It is stated that “the attainment of accurate pronunciation in a second language is the matter substantially beyond the control of educators” Nevertheless, Pennington (1989) believed that teachers with formal training in pronunciation play an important role in helping students improve their pronunciation The followings are some roles of typical teacher of teaching pronunciation mentioned by Kenworthy (1996)

 Helping learners hear  Helping learners make sounds

 Providing feedback  Pointing out what‟s going on

 Establishing priorities  Devising activities

 Assessing progress

However, there is still no success in the teaching and learning process if students do not involve It is necessary that students develop awareness and monitoring skills which will allow learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom environment Morley (1991) argued that the learners‟ involvement in the learning process has been noted as one of the best techniques for developing learner strategies, that is, the measures used by the learners to develop their language learning Thus, students must become part

of the teaching and learning process, actively involve in their own learning Success in pronunciation teaching surely depends on learners‟ reaction and how much attempt they put into the learning process

1.6 Summary the chapter

In this chapter, brief literature review of English pronunciation teaching

is focused on Firstly, definition of technique and reaction are given Next, it‟s some previous studies about teaching pronunciation The third is ten techniques of teaching pronunciation suggested by many researchers such as Morley, Scarcella, Fraser, and Thompson In the fourth part, four elements of teaching pronunciation are given The last part discusses the role of teachers and students This literature review is for the purpose of finding out the students‟ reactions to the techniques teachers use for teaching pronunciation

at Pham Ngu Lao high school

CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY

The chapter will discuss the choice of methodology to fulfill the objectives of the study The first concern of the chapter will be the subjects of the study This will be followed by a reiteration of research questions, research design and research methods At the end of the chapter will be the research procedures with de descriptions of stages in which data was collected

2.1 The subjects

Questionnaires are designed for students 200 students in five randomly selected classes are chosen to be participants They are both male and female All of them are at grade 12th who have been learning English for over six years The author chose these grade 12th students to be the participants of the study because, firstly, at Pham Ngu Lao high school, pronunciation tests are only designed in paper tests for 12th grade Thus, students of this grade have

to pay more attention to learning pronunciation Further more, the pronunciation in textbook of 12th grade seems to be more confusing than those

in 10th and 11th ones The author hope to receive the most reliable and honest data from the questionnaires

With the interview instrument, the participants were 5 teachers in random of 9 at the school Among them, there were three male teachers and two female ones They have been teaching at that school from five to ten years

2.2 Research design

The purpose of this research is to find out students‟ reactions to learning pronunciation at Pham Ngu Lao high school Their reactions to techniques teachers use are taken into consideration Regarding techniques used by teachers, classroom activities and teachers‟ use of English are mentioned The research gives chance for students to show their preference in learning

English pronunciation, which proves much help to recommendation for a better teaching and learning English pronunciation at Pham Ngu Lao high school

The questions were aimed at exploring students‟ general reactions towards learning English pronunciation

2.3.2 Interview

The interview with five out of nine teachers at Pham Ngu Lao high school are conducted They are asked to state the difficulties they face in their teaching English pronunciation, the techniques that they often use and their suggested solutions to their problems (see appendix) Each interview lasts about five to seven minutes

2.3.3 Classroom observation

Classroom observation is supportive for more data (Hopkins 1993) described classroom observation as a “pivotal activity” with a crucial role to

play in classroom research, teachers‟ personal professional growth, and school development as a whole (as cited in McDonough, J and McDonough, 1997:101) The observation help to test the validity of the data obtained about students‟ reactions to learning English pronunciation The observation was carried out in five different lessons at five different classes

2.4 Procedures of data collection

The data procedure is summarized as follows:

The first step was giving materials about teaching pronunciation techniques to five teachers The second step was class observation After reading the materials, the five teachers applied those techniques in their classes The author carried out the second step While observing the author took note and saved comments for the findings

The next step was interviewing teachers Five questions were given to the teachers (see the appendix)

Questionnaires were the last step It took time as questionnaires were only delivered when the writer was with the participants to clarify anything they confused Before final version was given, draft one was given to two teachers and five students The students are bright and smart ones They were explained the procedures, their tasks The writer also clearly explained the purpose of doing this research before they fulfilled the questionnaires The participants were also encouraged to raise questions if there was something they did not understand in the questionnaire They were then interviewed by the writer The answers were recorded by handwriting at the place of interview The interview helped support for final versions These were delivered to 200 students of five classes at Pham Ngu Lao high school Students fulfilled the questionnaires in 30 minutes After collecting the paper, the author got the final result by subtracting the unreturned one and the unreliable ones There were 196 returned and reliable responds The next chapter will deal with the data

CHAPTER 3: RESUILTS AND DISCUSSION 3.1 Questionnaires responses

Two hundred questionnaires were delivered to students, and one hundred ninety six were returned and reliable The responses are outlined and discussed below Wherever possible, the information discussed is provided in diagrammatic form

3.1.1 Students’ problems in learning pronunciation

Question 1: What are your purposes of learning English pronunciation? Question 2: What are your problems in learning English pronunciation? According to the data collected from 196 students at Pham Ngu Lao high school, their learning pronunciation purposes are presented hereafter:

are also 23.47 % of students learning English pronunciation to do well in exams The number of students learning pronunciation for other purposes accounts for 10.20% This result helps come to suggestions that it doesn‟t meet the students‟ need if teachers teach pronunciation with the goal of passing exam only It is better to teach students in the communicative approach

Students‟ problems in learning pronunciation are presented in the chart below:

No material to practice Others

Figure 2: students’ problems in learning pronunciation

All students considered the large class size is the biggest problem in learning pronunciation 51.02% of them think that the boring pronunciation teaching techniques are problems The techniques are the same for every lesson: teacher explains the way the words are pronounced, students listen and repeat This result is more demonstrated in the third question Another 20.04

% said that they have little practice at home A small percentage (10.20%)

stated that they don‟t have material to practice and the other reasons account

for 7.75 %

3.1.2 Pronunciation techniques used by teachers

The third question of questionnaires focuses on finding out techniques

teachers use All the answers are five techniques used, namely, explanation,

communication activities, written version of oral, modeling and individual

correction and reading aloud The result came up as following:

Written version of oral

Modeling and individual correction

Reading aloud

Others

Figure 3: techniques used by teachers

Reading aloud and modeling and correction rank first, 93.75% and 91.84%

respectively 79.6% of the students answered that communication activities

are used Written version of oral is technique used less than communication

activities It accounts for 61.22% Only 41.1% said that their teachers

explained when teaching pronunciation The following techniques aren‟t

used: the use of known sounds, tutorial sessions and self study,

self-monitoring and self-correction and computer-assisted language learning

However, 6.12% of answers mentioned other techniques

3.1.3 Students’ appreciation of techniques used by teacher

Question 4: What do you think of techniques your teacher uses in your pronunciation lessons?

Question 5: Which technique you think is the most effective?

When asked about their evaluation of pronunciation techniques teachers use, students gave surprising responses See the chart below

Interesting and useful

Rather interesting and useful

Uninteresting and useless

Figure 4: Students’ attitude to techniques teachers use

Students‟ high appreciation accounts for 25.51% It means that only 25.51% of students considered the techniques used are very interesting and useful In contrast, the number of students who showed their low interest in pronunciation is 40.81% They found that the techniques are uninteresting and useless This finding coincides with that in question 2: 51.02% of students think that the boring pronunciation teaching techniques are their problems in

learning pronunciation A part from that, there are a number of students (15.30%) found that techniques their teacher use are interesting and useful Other 18.36% stated that those techniques are rather interesting and useful

The chart below presents students‟ evaluation on effectiveness of techniques

Written version of oral Modeling and individual Reading aloud

Others

Figure 5: students’ evaluation on effectiveness of techniques

As stated in ther question three, only five techniques are used, i.e., explanation, communication activities, written version of oral, modeling and individual correction and reading aloud The result shows that 37.75% of the students think that reading aloud is the most effective technique in pronunciation practice The one ranking second is modeling and individual correction which comes to 22.95% The third is explanation which is with 15.30% Communication activities technique is the fourth accounting for 12.75% Only a small percentage of students (8.16%) said that written version

of oral is the most effective way of practicing pronunciation And 3.06% of students hope that other techniques will give effectiveness

3.1.4 Questions about students’ preference

Question 6: Which technique do you like best?

Question 7: Which technique do you dislike the most?

Students‟ preference of techniques can be seen in the charts below:

Written version of oral

Modeling and individual

Reading aloud

Computer-assisted language learning

Others

Figure 6: Students’ like

The number of students who were in favor of reading aloud is 33.76%

because most of them think that it is the most effective technique, which is

presented in the findings of question 5 Modeling and individual stood at

number two with 28.06% Surprisingly, the third place was reserved for

computer-assisted language learning (16.83%) though this technique seems to

be seldom used by teachers It can be said that students wish to have more

equipment to learn English, apart from CD players, cassette The technique

that was chosen by fewest students was not communication activities or

written versions of oral but explanation (2.55%) Written version of oral is

approximately liked to communication activities, 6.12% and 7.65%

respectively And the others are 5.1%

Written version of oral Modeling and individual Reading aloud

Others

Figure 7: students’ dislike

The findings on students‟ dislike are acceptable as they logically connect

two those of question 6 There are 39.28% of students who show their dislike

on explanation technique The second place was for communication activities

and written versions of oral accounting for 21.93% and 21.42% respectively

10.72% of students dislike the modeling and individual correction technique

The number of students who dislike reading aloud is 5.12% There is no

answer which is not in favor of computer-assisted language learning and other

techniques, but the answer for others is 1.53%

3.1.5 Question about students’ motivation

Question 8: Which techniques motivate you to practice pronunciation?

See the graph below:

Written version of oral Modeling and individual Reading aloud

Computer-assisted language learning Others

Figure 8: techniques motivating students to practice pronunciation

In response to question 8, which aims to measure the motivation of

pronunciation techniques, most students thought that the techniques would be

motivating to help them improve their intelligibility The result shows that the

most motivating technique is modeling and individual correction (76.34%)

The taking care from teachers seems to be one of the best things motivate

students to learn better Students also need facilitating more equipment when

they say that computer-assisted language learning is the second technique

motivating them This one comes to 51.02% The third one is written version

of oral with 45.91% Reading aloud is nearly similar to communication

activities The former accounts for 42.34% and the letter does 40.81% It was

not surprising when the result of explanation technique is found in the least

(10.20%) and 7.65 % students think that other techniques will give them

motivation Till now, it can be said that this one seem not to give motivation

and effectiveness to students as it‟s confusing and difficult

3.1.6 question about students’ expectation for a better and more effective pronunciation practice

Question 9: Can you give suggestion if you have desire in learning and teaching pronunciation better?

The findings are shown in the graph below:

Reduce the number of students in class

Give more tasks and tests

others

Figure 9: Suggestions for better English pronunciation practice

The number of students who hope to have more equipment stood the number one (81.63%) Reducing class size is the second suggestion with 66.32% About half students (51.02%) said that more time for pronunciation practice in class is the third one Only 15.30% of them said that more tasks and tests should be given It is easy to understand, students are always afraid

of tests, exams There are small number of students (5.1%) giving other suggestions Some students who have no define goal in learning English in general and learning pronunciation in particular said pronunciation should be