INTRODUCTION
Reasons for the study
English serves as a global language and a vital communication tool, recognized for its influence worldwide Many individuals use English as their primary language in everyday life With the rise of the internet, numerous websites are now available, enhancing our understanding of global developments and facilitating access to information.
Effective pronunciation is crucial for English language learners, as the primary goal of learning a foreign language is communication Clear pronunciation facilitates understanding, while poor pronunciation can hinder it Mispronouncing sounds, stressing words incorrectly, or using improper rhythm and intonation can lead to confusion and miscommunication Common pronunciation errors include issues with word and sentence stress, intonation, and vowel length.
However, I know that the normal pronunciation problem for Vietnamese learners is errors with pronunciation of the ending sounds
Teachers often focus more on grammar, reading, and writing skills rather than pronunciation, particularly on ending sounds, when teaching English As a result, many students struggle with pronouncing these sounds, leading to misunderstandings in their speech Therefore, it is crucial to implement effective techniques to enhance students' pronunciation skills.
This study focuses on analyzing errors and applying techniques to enhance the pronunciation of ending sounds among 10th graders.
Aims of the study
This research aims to enhance students' awareness of their pronunciation mistakes, particularly with ending sounds, ultimately improving their speaking skills By creating a comprehensive resource, I can effectively assist my students in mastering pronunciation exercises for tests and exams Additionally, this document will serve as a valuable tool for sharing insights with fellow teachers on correcting ending sound errors.
This study aims to identify the ending sound errors made by grade 10 students at Nghi Loc 5 High School and to provide suggestions for correcting these errors.
1 To identify the pronunciation errors of English ending sounds made by high school students
2 To provide techniques on students' pronunciation of English ending sounds.
Methods of the study
The study focused on assessing the impact of pronunciation drills on student motivation and pronunciation skills Utilizing a combination of material collection, survey questionnaires, and class observations, the research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of these drills Data collection instruments were employed to gather information about student involvement and monitor their progress, ultimately determining how pronunciation drills influenced their learning outcomes.
Scope of the study
The study focuses on surveying 86 EFL 10th graders at Nghi Loc 5 High School, observing their pronunciation in the classroom and collecting data on errors related to ending sound pronunciation The majority of these students, aged 15 and 16, have been learning English since grade 3, utilizing devices such as computers and smartphones to aid their studies.
New features in the study’s result
My innovative approach includes numerous highly effective pronunciation drills that are applicable across various student levels These adaptable activities foster an environment conducive to enhancing students' pronunciation skills while providing teachers with flexible teaching tools.
CONTENT
THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL BACKGROUND
1 A historical overview of pronunciation in English
Understanding English pronunciation is crucial, as it allows for the examination of common pronunciation errors, particularly with ending sounds Establishing a standard for English pronunciation is essential for conducting effective error analysis.
Crowther and Jonathan (1992) note that pronunciation is simply put as “the way in which a language is spoken”.As Houghton Mifflin (2001), pronunciation as
“a way of speaking a word, especially a way that is accepted or generally understood” ( as cited in Nguyen, 2008:06)
According to Houghton Mifflin (2000) Phonetics is the linguistics branch dealing with speech sounds and their production, combination, description, and representation through written symbols
John,D (1998) stated that there are 44 sounds in English which are classified into two groups: 20 vowel sounds including vowels, diphthongs and tripthongs and
24 consonant sounds During my thesic I just focus on studing ending sounds To help futher research I have provided the following sound systems in English
According to Roach (2000), consonants are defined as speech sounds produced when the organs of speech create a barrier, stopping the airstream before it exits the mouth, with the possibility of vocal cord vibration It's important to distinguish between consonant sounds and consonant letters, as highlighted in the Wikipedia Dictionary, which states that the number of consonants across the world's languages significantly exceeds the number of consonant letters found in any single alphabet.
The consonant letters c, q, and x are notably absent from certain sounds, with c appearing in k and s sounds in words like "cereal," "city," and "cent," while q is represented in the "kw" sound, as seen in "backwards." Consonants are classified into six distinct categories based on their articulation methods.
When we create these sounds, the airflow is completely stopped and then released abruptly with a light explosion
These sounds are created when the airstream is partially halted and released slowly with audible friction
Such sounds are made with the airstream stopped completely and released slowly
These sounds are produced when the airstream escapes through the nose
This sound is produced with the airstream escaping along the sides of the tongue
- These sounds are made with the slight friction
Consonants are divided into 9 categories, depending on the place of articulation:
The bilabial consonants are sounds produced with a combination of two lips Those sounds are designed as we touch the upper teeth with the lower lips
Dentals are formed by rubbing the upper teeth with the tip of the tongue
Such sounds are produced with alveolar touches of the tips of the tongue
This sound is made by hitting the portion behind the alveolar with the tip of the tongue
The tip of the tongue rises between the alveolar and hard palate when making certain sounds
The front of the tongue's upper surface nearly touches its rough palate
- These sounds are created by contacting the soft palate at the mouth bank with the tongue bench
This sound is created by swift closure of the glottis
Consonants are classified into 2 classes, depending on the state of the vocal cords:voiceless and voiceless
If the vocal cord vibrates, the sounds produced are voiced
If the vocal cord does not vibrate, the sounds produced are voiceless: /p/, /t/, /k/, /s/, /f/, /h/, /ʃ/, /θ/, /ʧ/ The rest are voiceless
Here is the table of consonant sounds:
Bilabial Labio dental Dental Alveolar Palato - alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
According to Fred (1998: 145), ESL (English as a Second Language) learners are familiar with the concept of "end sound," which pertains to the final consonant sounds in words These "end sounds," or codas, can consist of one or more consonants, forming consonant clusters In English pronunciation, codas are defined as the final consonant sounds that appear at the end of words, and they can include up to four consonants.
- If there are no consonant at the end of the word, it has a zero coda
- A single consonant is called the final consonant.The final coda may be any consonant except /h/, /r/, /w/ and /j/
Eg: In English, the final consonant sounds are described as follows:
/p/ -keep, stop, clip /s/ - pass, kiss
/g/ -beg, hag /ʤ/ - luggage, knowledge,change
/f/ -laugh, gaff /m/ - boom, tom, gloom
The words "pre-final" and "post-final" consonants are used when there are two or more consonants standing at the end of the word
Pre-final includes: /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /l/, /s/ Post-final includes: /s/, /z/, /t/, /d/, /θ/
+ Pre-final /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /l/, /s/ followed by a final consonant
+ Pre-final plus final plus post-final e.g: helped, banks, bonds, twelfth
+ Final plus post-final plus post final /s/, /z/, /t/, /d/, /θ/ e.g: fifths, next, lapsed
+ Most are pre-final plus final plus post final plus post-final e.g twelfths, prompts
+ Occasionally there is one final and three post final consonants e.g sixths, texts
Ending sound errors refer to the incorrect pronunciation of the final consonant in words, as defined by Mark (2008) Treiman (1989) identifies six distinct types of these ending sound errors, which are crucial for understanding pronunciation challenges.
- Cluster reduction: this is the “deletion of one or more consonants from a target cluster so that only a single consonant occurs at syllable margins”
- Cluster simplification: The error occurs when one or some elements of a cluster being is produced in a different manner from the target phoneme
- Epenthesis: this is the insertion of some vowel ( normally a schwa) between cluster elements
- Coalescence: It occurs when the yeilded pronunciation contains a new consonant composed of features from the original consonants
In consonant clusters where nasals (/n/, /m/) or liquids (/r/, /l/) precede final consonants, these sounds are frequently omitted This phenomenon occurs specifically in clusters formed by a nasal or liquid followed by a final consonant, leading to a simplification in pronunciation.
- Phonetically possible spelling: In representing the first consonant of a cluster, spellers tend to spell words in an inaccurate but phonetically plausible ways
In sum, ending sound errors were divided into 3 groups:
Reduction is omitting the final consonant or one element of a cluster
Insertion is inserting a consonant to the ending of word
Substitution occurs when an English consonant is replaced by a phonetically similar Vietnamese sound This study will analyze recorded tapes of students and observations to identify three specific types of errors related to this phenomenon.
2 Existing studies on some common mistakes about final consonants that students tend to make
Vietnamese learners of English commonly face pronunciation challenges, particularly with final consonants, due to the absence of similar sounds in their native language Research indicates that English contains several final consonants that do not exist in Vietnamese, leading to significant barriers in pronunciation Common errors include difficulties with word-final voiceless stop consonants (/p/, /t/, /k/), where Vietnamese speakers struggle to release these sounds, making them hard for English listeners to detect Additionally, the distinction between voiced and voiceless stops (/b/, /d/, /g/ vs /p/, /t/, /k/) poses a challenge, as Vietnamese lacks voiced stops at the end of words Furthermore, final fricative consonants (/f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, and /d/) are often omitted by Vietnamese speakers since they do not appear in their language According to Ha Cam Tam, consonant errors can be categorized into sound omission, sound confusion, and sound redundancy, with sound omission being the most prevalent The study aims to analyze these pronunciation issues and provide a comprehensive overview of English final sounds and related research.
THE CURRENT SITUATION OF THE ISSUE
The qualitative research was conducted in the 10th-grade class at Nghi Loc 5 High School at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year A survey questionnaire was utilized to gather information for the study titled “An Investigation into the Reality of Pronouncing Ending Sounds Among 10th Grade Students at Nghi Loc 5 High School.” The collected data aimed to fulfill three primary objectives related to the students' pronunciation skills.
- To find out the student’s attitude about English pronunciation and its importance
- To get information of student’s pronunciation problem of ending sounds
- To inquire about students/s opinions on suggested techniques in order to solve the problems
2 The reality of teaching and learning English ending sounds with the students in grade 10 at Nghi Loc 5 High school
The teaching and learning process is conducted uniformly for all students in the class, with their agreement However, this study specifically examines the learning engagement of 10th-grade students, using data collected from their experiences The following survey explores the practical situation of learning English ending sounds among 10th graders at Nghi Loc 5 High School.
Table 1: Practical Situation of learning English pronunciation
1 Which factor do you consider the most important in English speaking?
2.How is pronun ciation important in English speaking?
3 How often do you make pronunciation mistakes when speaking English in class? always 35%
4.Which pronunciation mistakes do you tend to encounter when speaking
5 Does your teacher give you any active activities to improve your pronouncing ending sounds?
Teaching and learning ending sounds at Nghi Loc 5 High School are often overlooked, as the 10th-grade curriculum lacks sufficient activities and exercises focused on this aspect This deficiency makes the topic less engaging for students Feedback from students reveals that they frequently omit or mispronounce ending sounds in spoken English, viewing the learning process as difficult, confusing, and unfulfilling.
Some more questions are conducted to find out student’s most common error of ending sounds
Question 6: What are your ending sound mistakes that you often make when speaking English?
Table 2: The percentage of the ending sounds that students have difficulties
Ending sounds Percentage (%) Ending sounds Percentage (%)
The table summarizes the results from question 6 of the survey, highlighting the English ending sounds that students find challenging to pronounce The underlined sounds—/ð/, /θ/, /tʃ/, /ʃ/, and /dʒ/—were selected by over 60% of the participants, indicating a common difficulty among students with these specific sounds.
“breathe”, “bathe”… Students could not figure out how to pronounce this
In order to find out the reason why students have difficulties with ending sounds, I carried out another question:
Question 7 : Why do you get difficulties when pronouncing ending sounds?
The answers are stated by some main reason following:
- No perception of how to pronounce these sounds
- No existence of the sound in mother tongue
- No importance of pronouncing ending sounds
- No habit of practicing English pronunciation
- Shyness in making mistakes when pronouncing
Finding out the reasons of the students’ difficulties on pronouncing ending sounds can be considered as a key to give out the solutions
Question 8: Which solution do you think useful in order to avoid pronunciation mistakes?
Table 3: Student’s opinion about solutions to cope with ending sounds
Watching and listening videos, audios, English Songs 90% 10 %
“Watch yourself” - Practicing in front of the mirror 55% 45%
Doing pronunciation exercises in text books 30% 50% 20%
The data indicates that students favor engaging in activities such as playing games, watching videos, listening to audio content, and singing English songs as their preferred methods of learning Additionally, there are other effective solutions that have received positive feedback from students.
Students at Nghi Loc 5 High School often struggle with their speaking skills, particularly in pronouncing ending sounds This study aims to identify common errors in ending sounds and propose effective solutions to address these issues It serves as a valuable resource for students looking to improve their English pronunciation and rectify ending sound mistakes Through personal research, collaboration with colleagues, and observation of students' learning methods in real lessons, I aim to provide practical solutions I sincerely hope this work will be a meaningful guide for readers.
The study involved 86 students from Nghi Loc 5 High School, primarily at a pre-intermediate English proficiency level Despite having studied English for at least five years, these students often show a lack of interest in speaking lessons, particularly in improving their pronunciation skills, which they find tedious and challenging.
Three English teachers from Nghi Loc 5 High School participated in a study during the 2020-2021 academic year, focusing on the challenges of student engagement in pronunciation practice The investigation revealed that students lacked interest and attention, leading to confusion in the teachers' instructional methods Additionally, the teachers faced difficulties in sourcing teaching materials beyond the provided textbooks and teacher’s guides The findings aim to offer insights into enhancing students' pronunciation skills and improving teaching effectiveness.
All participants took part in the survey by responding to the two kinds of questionnaires, one for students and one for teachers
The pronunciation materials used in the study consisted of selected texts from Textbook Besides, the author also searched and selected many pronunciation exercises from reputable and quality internet sources
4.1 Data analysis and discussion of the students’ survey questionnaire
The questionnaire consisted of three sections with a total of 12 questions, where the first part focused on assessing students' attitudes towards pronunciation techniques The second part aimed to gather insights into the challenges students face when learning ending sounds, as well as their expectations regarding teachers' pronunciation methods.
4.1.1 Students' Attitudes toward learning ending sound pronunciation
There is a question set: “Why are many students not interested in learning pronouncing activities ?” Through the questions 4 in appendix 2a and 2b, the researcher can get some reasons
This article examines the impact of learners' attitudes and interests on their engagement in pronunciation activities Additionally, it explores the factors that motivate or demotivate students in their pronunciation learning journey.
Chart 1: Students' attitudes towards pronunciation activities
The survey results indicate that 60% of participants experienced feelings of embarrassment and nervousness during pronunciation exercises, while 10% expressed dissatisfaction with the tasks and 7% reported boredom Conversely, 5% of students showed interest in these activities, and 8% felt confident in their pronunciation skills.
4.1.2 Students’ difficulties when learning ending sound pronunciation
A recent questionnaire survey revealed that 85% of students find pronouncing ending sounds to be a significant challenge, with 84% expressing fear of making pronunciation errors that hinder their speaking abilities Additionally, 65% of students reported feeling shy when presenting in front of the class, while 68% lacked confidence in their pronunciation knowledge Alarmingly, 51% of students felt that their teachers did not encourage them to practice pronunciation, highlighting the critical role educators play in their learning experience.
Chart 2: Students’ difficulties in learning ending sound pronunciation
4.1.3 Data analysis and discussion of the teachers’ survey questionnaire
The questionaire completed by the teachers covered three main things The first questions are what difficulties they are facing and then their suggestions to improve it
All teachers recognize the significance of pronunciation for their students, understanding its benefits However, one in three teachers finds pronunciation to be boring and occasionally challenging for students To enhance motivation, three teachers have adjusted tasks or simplified them, yet they face numerous challenges These include students' limited foundational knowledge of pronunciation and a lack of contextual opportunities for speaking practice.
The data analysis from questionnaires at Nghi Loc 5 High School reveals key insights into students' challenges with pronunciation and highlights their preferences for teacher support to enhance their learning experience.
THE SOLUTIONS TO SOLVE THE MATTER
This part will introduce the readers some suggestions, some tips to correct ending sounds errors
1 Suggested tips to 5 common ending sounds errors /ð/, /θ/,/tʃ/, /dʒ/,/ʃ/
To correctly pronounce the sound /ð/, position your tongue between your teeth and use your voice while exhaling Practice with words such as "bathe" and "breathe" to improve your pronunciation.
To correctly pronounce this sound, place the tip of your tongue between your teeth, allowing it to extend slightly beyond them while exhaling Practice with words such as "math," "tenth," and "earth" to improve your pronunciation skills.
To produce the /tʃ/ sound, the tip of the tongue contacts the back of the tooth ridge, while the sides touch the upper teeth, momentarily blocking airflow This sound is aspirated as the air is released with friction Practice words include "teach" and "beach."
The /dʒ/ sound is produced by briefly obstructing airflow in the vocal tract, with the tip of the tongue pressing against the back of the tooth ridge and the sides of the tongue against the upper teeth This sound is characterized by aspiration, as air is released with friction.
When pronounce this sound, you have to put your tongue up and back a little, then push your lip forward in to a circle Words to practice: crash, wash ,…
Here are some suggested websites for students to watch and study more by themselves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jftA0kNbXRE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8ImSmVOSVA
2 Applying techniques to improve 10 th graders’ ending sounds in pronunciation
Creating a positive learning environment that fosters real-world communication is essential for motivating English learners Incorporating games into English teaching serves as an effective method to engage students and capture their attention These games enhance learning motivation by encouraging active participation and initiative among players The competitive nature of many games also acts as a significant incentive for students to join in Additionally, games can be flexibly utilized to improve various language skills, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing, while also aiding in pronunciation and vocabulary development.
Students expressed a desire for their teacher to employ more effective techniques to enhance their pronunciation skills Incorporating games can serve as an engaging method for practice, allowing students to work individually, in pairs, or in groups Various types of games are available to support pronunciation practice, but I have specifically implemented the following games.
1 There will be two teams in this game Besides, students have to choose a person to be the judge
2 There will be a list with sets of three to four words that have the same consonant sound For example, eyes, ice, leave and leaf
3 Students will stand in two lines in front of the board
4 The judge will write the first set of four words on the board
5 The students at the front of the line must read the set of words, race to the board once they have identified the word that sounds different and circle it
6 The first student circle the odd word will score a point for the team
Aim : to help students distinguish two ending sounds /θ/ and /ð/
Image: Students are playing game “ Odd one out”
1 In IPA Bingo game, students can play in groups of three or four
2 One person in a group will be the person who takes the IPA flashcard and say, for example the sound /tʃ/
3 The other in group must find the word that matches that sound on their Bingo sheet in order to cross it out:
Bingo is an engaging game that enhances vocabulary and quick thinking among students To facilitate the game, the teacher prepares 15-30 vocabulary words on cards and divides the class into six groups, providing each group with a set of cards The teacher then calls out a word, and the group that identifies the correct word the fastest wins the game.
Aim: to help students to practise listening skill as well as learn more vocabulary BINGO
Smith Thirtieth brother English Massage
Measure Machine Television Age Such
Catch Church village cottage Wish
Push Punish Garage Rouge Swedish pleasure Finish width strength smooth
Image: Students are playing game “ BINGO”
A minimal pair consists of two words that differ by just one sound, which can often lead to confusion for English learners Examples include the contrast between /f/ and /v/ in "fan" and "van," as well as the distinction between /e/ and /ɪ/ in "desk" and "disk." Understanding these pairs is essential for improving pronunciation and listening skills in English.
1 This game is really interesting because there is no limitation of members in groups
2 Students have to choose one person in group to be the judge of the game
3 There will be two teams and each team will line up in front of a desk
4 The judge has to choose sets of minimal pairs and write down each word on a separate card or piece of paper
5 The first students in line must have their hands behind their backs The judge will present two cards: cab and cap
6 She/ he will say one of the words out loud and the first student of two teams must slap the right card
7 The one who slaps it first must use the word in a sentence to get a point for the team
Practicing ending sounds with minimal pairs final /t/ and /d/
Image: Students are playing gmame “ minimal pair”
Image: Students are playing gmame “ minimal pair”
Tongue twisters are long strings of words that are difficult to say quickly Words in tongue twisters are often pronounced similarly (alliteration), such as:
“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” (repeating consonant “p”)
Tongue twisters present a fun and challenging exercise for both native speakers and language learners alike They are an effective tool for improving English fluency and speed, making them a valuable resource for anyone looking to enhance their speaking skills.
Practicing tongue twisters is an effective method for improving pronunciation By focusing on these challenging phrases, you can enhance your attention to detail and recognize subtle differences in similar-sounding words.
This game helps students practice pronunciation by reading sentences Procedure:
1 In tongue twister game, students will play in two teams There will be 6 to 8 persons in each team
2 Students have to choose a person in a group to be a judge
3 In this game, students will stand in two lines and the first student in the line will have the sentence in a piece of paper The others behind will not see the content of the sentence
4 After reading carefully, the first student will tell the persons behind and the last one has to write down what she/he heard into the paper
5 The judge will compare with the original sentence The most accurate sentence will be the winner
Here are the sample sentences:
- Out of the same cloth
- To believe that chalk is cheese
- To speak under one’s breath
Toungue twister is a sentence or pharse that is difficult to articulate clearly and quickly, such as “How much wood a woodchuck chuck….”
Some interesting tongue twisters that can be applied in the optional lessons to improve students’pronunciation
“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?”
While these fleas flew, freezy breeze blew
Freezy breeze made these three trees freeze
Freezy trees made these trees’ cheese freeze
That’s what made these three free fleas sneeze.”
“She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore
The shells she sells are sea-shells, I’m sure
For if she sells sea-shells on the sea-shore
Then I’m sure she sells sea-shore shells.”
Image: Students are playing gmame “Tongue twister ”
2.2 Study ending sound pronunciation through watching and listening videos, audios
To enhance pronunciation skills, English teachers worldwide share various techniques aimed at improving ESL learners' abilities Students must choose between American and British accents and select a preferred teacher to follow By closely listening to their teacher's pronunciation and observing mouth movements, students can develop their own pronunciation lessons This approach not only exposes them to standard pronunciation but also teaches the correct movements of the tongue and lips, along with essential tips for pronouncing different sounds effectively.
Image 1: Students watch videos then imitate how to make the sound
Image 2: Students watch videos to understand the rules to make sound and then imitate how to make the sound
Image: Students watch videos to understand the rules to make sound and then imitate how to make the sound
- Here are some suggested links on You tube American accent: Teacher
Melanie (http://www.youtube.com/TeacherMelanie) JenniferESL
(http://www.youtube.com/JenniferESL#g/c/81BCA0A2CB139CB7)
2.3 Training your ears by listening to English Songs
Utilizing popular English songs as a learning tool significantly enhances students' pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation By singing along to these songs, learners can effectively practice ending sounds and expand their vocabulary Accessing lyrics from websites, listening to the tracks, and engaging in sing-alongs creates an enjoyable and immersive learning experience English songs are favored in classrooms because they offer valuable insights and language skills, making them a natural and effective method for studying pronunciation and essential linguistic structures.
Bellow are somes English songs that students enjoy and very excited with:
The song: “ At My Worst”
Can you be my friend?
Let me show you love, oh, no pretend
Stick by my side even when the world is caving in, yeah
Oh, oh, oh, don't, don't you worry
I'll be there whenever you want me
Image 3: Students watch videos and practise singing the song “ At My Worst”
Waking when the sun’s down
Walk these streets with me
Image 4: Students watch videos and practise singing the song “ Comethru”
2.4 “Watch yourself” technique or Practicing in front of the mirror
Practicing pronunciation in front of a mirror can significantly enhance speech skills by allowing students to observe the positioning of their tongue, lips, and mouth shape while articulating sounds This method not only aids in mastering difficult sounds, such as /ð/, but also boosts students' confidence in their communication abilities To correctly produce the /ð/ sound, students should place their tongue between their teeth and vocalize while exhaling slowly, carefully monitoring their tongue's movement.
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
Conclusion
This study is an attempt to investigate the application of drilling techniques in teaching English ending sounds to 10th students at Nghi Loc 5 high school in Nghe
At Nghi Loc 5 High School, the teaching of English ending sounds is hindered by several factors, including large class sizes, ineffective management of oral English classes by teachers, reliance on traditional teaching methods, and a focus on results-oriented teaching and testing Additionally, the students' varying levels of proficiency further impede the advancement of pronunciation instruction.
This study focuses on the common pronunciation errors of ending sounds made by students at Nghi Loc 5 High School, successfully addressing two key research questions The findings reveal that students frequently struggle with the ending sounds /ð/, /θ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/, and /ʃ/ The first question is answered in detail in part 2, while the last chapter provides suggested techniques for correcting these errors The research primarily targets grade 10 students, emphasizing specific English ending sounds rather than all phonetic challenges, acknowledging that other sounds also pose difficulties for learners Future studies are encouraged to explore a broader range of English sounds across various age groups and educational levels The author welcomes constructive feedback to enhance the quality of this study, recognizing that limitations in time and knowledge may lead to errors.
Suggestion
- Designing exercises about synonyms and antonyms in each lesson is necessary for the teachers to enrich the students’ vocabulary day after day
- Practice exercise should be given to the students in flexible way in checking vocabulary technique or exercise at home
- Students must actively learn new words by heart everyday
I hope that my research will be a meaningful document for the students and the colleague I wish to receive share and exchange from readers
1 Abercrombie, D (1967) Element of General Phonetics Chicago: Aldine
2 Baker, Ann and Goldstein, Sharon.(1990) Pronunciation Pairs
4 Corder, S (1967) The significance of the learners’ errors IRAL, (vol
5 Kenworthy, Joanne.(1987) Teaching English Pronunciation Essex: Addison
6 Nguyễn Thị Bich.(2012) Pronunciation of ending sounds-an analysis of errors made by high school students Master thesis, Vinh University
7 Tran Nguyên Nhu Quynh.(2017) Using Videos to improve EFL Vietnamese learner's English pronunciation Master thesis, Vinh University
II Now, please tick the answers that you choose You can tick more than one answer for a question
1 How do you feel when applying pronunciation drills in improving ending sounds in your English classes? a Confident b Embarrassed c Bored d Uncomfortable
2 What are the advantages of applying pronunciation drills in improving ending sounds in your English classes? a It helps students develop their pronunciation skills b It fosters students’ critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration c It provides students with opportunities to lead learning activities d It makes students use Vietnamese during pair or group work
3 In your opinion, pronunciation drills in improving ending sounds is… a Very important b Important c Not very important d Not important
4 How much are you interested in applying pronunciation drills in improving ending sounds ? a Very much b Much c Not very much d Not much
5 Which difficulties do you often encounter in applying pronunciation drills in improving ending sounds ? a Students’ low motivation b Students’ passive learning styles d Students’ not participating in class e Students’ low proficiency of English f Lack of teaching facilities and teaching aids g Large class size i Too little time to carry out pronunciation drills ?
6 How often do you use pronunciation drills to teach your students in your high school? a Always b Often c Sometimes d Never
7 Does the pronunciation drills in improving ending sounds prove successful in your pronunciation lessons? a Yes b No
8 Are your students interested in pronunciation drills in improving ending sounds? a Yes b No
9 Do you think pronunciation drills in improving ending sounds is a good choice to improve your English pronunciation? a Yes b No
10 If you answer “Yes”, tick the following options that you think pronunciation drills in improving ending sounds is a good choice to improve your English pronunciation a Activate students’ needs and interests b Pursue the development of interacted skills in the classroom c Encourage students’ intrinsic motivation d Promote students’ academic progress
11 Which of the following things do you think will help to make the application of pronunciation drills effective in your English classes? a Make a good preparation b Provide comprehensible input c Make good time management d Encourage students e Discuss and share the experience with colleagues f Organize the class work appropriately through individual work, pair work, group work
12 What are your solutions to multi-level classes? a Give some prompts for the less able students b Encourage collaborative work from students c Allocate easy questions to the less able students and more difficult ones the more able ones d Praise weak students more often e Organize pair work and group work including good and weak students
Thank you for your cooperation!
Questionnaire for students (English version)
This questionnaire is designed to seek for the information to serve the research “'' The use of pronunciation drills in improving 10 th grader's ending sounds in pronunciation"
Your response will serve as valuable data for research purposes only Please ensure that your answers are honest and reflect your personal views and teaching experiences Thank you for your cooperation!
Please put a tick (√) on the answer you choose
1 Which factor do you consider the most important in English speaking?
2.How is pronunciation important in English speaking?
3 How often do you make pronunciation mistakes when speaking English in class? always Often sometimes never
4.Which pronunciation mistakes do you tend to encounter when speaking English?
Vowel misunderstandin g intonation Ending sounds
5 Does your teacher give you any active activities to improve your pronouncing ending sounds?