Implementing pronunciation strategies to help students of vietnam united states society in toeic preparation course of elementary level to self improve their pronunciation

This study aims at designing and implementing suitable and feasible pronunciation strategies to help students of elementary level of TOEIC Preparation Course to self-improve their own pr

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HOCHIMINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES



IMPLEMENTING PRONUNCIATION STRATEGIES TO HELP STUDENTS OF VIETNAM-UNITED STATES-SOCIETY IN TOEIC

PREPARATION COURSE OF ELEMENTARY LEVEL

TO SELF-IMPROVE THEIR PRONUNCIATION

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Art (TESOL)

Submitted by QUÁCH THỊ TỐ NỮ Supervisor: PHAN THỊ KIM LOAN, M.A

Ho Chi Minh City, February 2011

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that this thesis entitled:

“IMPLEMENTING PRONUNCIATION STRATEGIES TO HELP STUDENTS OF VIETNAM-UNITED STATES-SOCIETY IN TOEIC PREPARATION COURSE OF ELEMENTARY LEVEL TO SELF- IMPROVE THEIR PRONUNCIATION” is my own work

This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other institution

Ho Chi Minh City February, 2011

Quách Thị Tố Nữ

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS

I hereby state that I, Quách Thị Tố Nữ, being a candidate for the degree of Master of Arts (TESOL), accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s thesis deposited in the library

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my Master’s thesis deposited in the library should be accessible for purpose of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the library for the care, loan or reproduction of the thesis

Ho Chi Minh City February, 2011

Quách Thị Tố Nữ

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my thesis

supervisor, Ms Phan Thị Kim Loan, M.A for her constant enthusiastic

guidance, enormously helpful advice, careful proofreading on my writing Without her help, this M.A thesis would still be far from finished

My special thanks go to all my professors and lecturers of the graduate program who have provided me with useful materials in TESOL and inspired

me to ceaselessly find ways to facilitate learners’ acquisition

I am also thankful to my students who are an inspiration to me and my enthusiastic colleagues who actively participated in the study; my thesis would never have been accomplished without them

I must re-acknowledge my gratitude to my thesis supervisor, Ms Phan Thị Kim Loan, M.A and all the professors who were the examiners of my thesis Their valuable comments and advice are vital for me in doing further researches into my field of interest

Finally, I am greatly indebted to my beloved family for their great support

ABSTRACT

TOEIC has become a mandatory graduation requirement for college and university students in Vietnam TOEIC takers are to take two obligatory parts (listening and reading) and one optional part (speaking) Many among VUS learners however, need to take the speaking exam as an internal requirement This means they have to work really hard to improve their listening, reading

as well as speaking skill for the TOEIC Test This study aims at designing and implementing suitable and feasible pronunciation strategies to help students

of elementary level of TOEIC Preparation Course to self-improve their own pronunciation

The study’s data were collected through four types of instruments: a questionnaire, a pre-test and a post-test administered to 70 students in two classes E1.1 and E1.3 of elementary level at SAIGONACT Campus of VUS – TOEIC Preparation Course; and an observation sheet done by four co-teachers who shared these two classes with the researcher The experimental teaching, the questionnaire and the observation sheet together with the results from the two tests hopefully provide valid and reliable data to the study The data analysis of these sources of information has brought to light the most suitable and feasible pronunciation learning strategies to be implemented in the context of the study site

The significant findings lead to the practical recommendations about how to implement pronunciation learning strategies to make students able to self-improve their pronunciation during class and most importantly, away from class and during their life studying English

The wisest method is to integrate these strategies in a “little but often manner” into the language program Teachers should put some weight on pronunciation and make learners always aware of their pronunciation to

Provide basic pronunciation knowledge; (2) Train students to use these strategies through simple and fun activities; (3) Help them turn these strategies into their own tactics to self improve their own pronunciation ability such as showing them how to keep a notebook of pronunciation in a systematic manner; always communicating in English whenever possible

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

Statement of authorship i

Retention and use of the thesis ii

Acknowledgements iii

Abstract iv

Table of contents vi

List of tables, figures, and charts x

Abbreviations xii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background to the Study 1

1.2 Overview of teaching and learning TOEIC at the study site 2

1.2.1 Background of the center 2

1.2.2 Course book description 3

1.2.3 Course outline description 4

1.3 The Rationale 5

1.4 Statement of the thesis 6

1.5 Research Questions 7

1.6 Significance of the study 7

1.7 Scope of the thesis 7

1.7.1 Scope of the topic 7

1.7.2 Scope of the methodology 8

1.8 Structure of the research 9

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 10

2.1 Pedagogical notions 10

2.1.1 Pronunciation acquisition 10

2.1.2 Pronunciation learning strategies 13

2.1.3 Strategy training 15

2.2 Pronunciation teaching methodology 17

2.3 Prior researches on self-study and the teaching of pronunciation 25

2.4 Summary 28

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 29

3.1 Research setting 29

3.2 Research questions 29

3.3 Study design 29

3.4 Subjects to the study 31

3.5 Research instruments 32

3.5.1 Pre-questionnaire on the participants’ background and Survey on pronunciation learning strategies used by the participants 33

3.5.2 Diagnostic test 34

3.5.3 Achievement test 35

3.5.4 Post questionnaires 36

3.5.5 Observation sheet 36

3.6 Materials: Pronunciation lesson plans 36

3.7 Research procedure 41

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 42

4.1 Data analysis 42

4.1.1 Results of the pre-questionnaire 42

4.1.2 Results of the diagnostic test and achievement test 46

4.1.3 Responses to the postquestionnaires 53

4.1.4 Results of the observation sheet 58

4.2 Findings 59

4.2.1 The similarities of the two groups in term of general background and English pronunciation background 59

4.2.2 The effects of pronunciation learning strategies through the achievement test after the treatment 60

4.2.3 Learners’ attitude of pronunciation learning strategies through the questionnaire 61

CHAPTER 5: RECOMMENDATIONS, LIMITATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS.……….………….62

5.1 Recommendations 62

5.1.1 Possible amendment to the experimental teaching materials and process 62

5.1.3 Suggestions for students 73

5.2 Limitations 75

5.3 Conclusions 75

Bibliography 78

Appendices 83

Appendix I Course book description 83

Appendix II Pronunciation Learning Strategies 85

Appendix III Pre-questionnaire on the participants’ background and Survey on Pronunciation Learning Strategies 89

Appendix IV Diagnostic Test 97

Appendix V Pronunciation checklist 105

Appendix VI Achievement Test 106

Appendix VII Pronunciation Lesson Plans 112

Appendix VIII Post Questionnaires 128

Appendix IX Observation Sheet 138

Appendix X Websites for Pronunciation Practice 139

LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, AND CHARTS

Table 1.1 Course outline description 5

Table 3.1 Assignment of participants to groups 31

Table 3.2 Description of the research tools 32

Table 3.3 Description of the pre-questionnaire 33

Table 3.4 Percentage of pronunciation learning strategy used the informants… 37

Table 3.5 Summary of the treatment lessons 40

Table 4.1 The division of scores in two groups in the Diagnostic test 47

Table 4.2 Two-sample t-test for the diagnostic test 48

Table 4.3 The division of scores in two groups in the Achievement test ……….49

Table 4.4 Two-sample t-test for the achievement test 50

Table 4.5 Pronunciation aspects the informants would like to learn 54

Table 4.6 Ways to improve pronunciation suggested by the informants 55

Table 4.7 The informants’ solutions to the pronunciation mistakes 57

Table 5.1 Consonant chart 66

Table 5.2 Vowel chart 67

Figure 2.1 Strategy training 16

Figure 5.1 Pronunciation components 63

Chart 4.1 The age division of the informants 42

Chart 4.2 The percentage of informants with part-time jobs 43

Chart 4.3 Places of learning English of the informants 43

Chart 4.4 The English learning duration of the informants 44

Chart 4.5 The significance of learned English skills 44

Chart 4.6 The significance level of tested English skills 45

Chart 4.7 Diagnostic test results of perception 47

Chart 4.8 Diagnostic test results of production 48

Chart 4.9 Achievement test results of perception 49

Chart 4.10 Achievement test results of production 50

Chart 4.11 Comparison of pre-post test in the experimental group 51

Chart 4.12 Comparison of pre-post test in the experimental group 51

Chart 4.13 The changes in missing answer of the two tests 52

Vietnam USA Society- English Training Service Center Saigon College of Art Culture and Tourism

TOEIC Preparation Course First language

Second language Oxford University Press

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

This study is carried out in an EFL setting where English is spoken as a foreign language English is only used in classroom Out of school, English learners have no need or chance to use it In addition, one of the factors that prevent EFL learners from communicating naturally is the lack of accuracy in pronunciation This problem was posed by Avery and Ehrlich (1995:161):

While learners may achieve target or near-target pronunciation during the pronunciation class, too often there is little or no “carry-over” into “real life” with its other pressures Many researchers were concerned with the development of strategies that facilitate communication outside of the pronunciation class Clearly, the development of such strategies is an important consideration for ESL teachers and not often discussed in the context of pronunciation skill

However, pronunciation teaching has been neglected for some reasons First, many teachers felt that they lacked training or expertise to teach pronunciation, so it is safer to ignore it Second, non major English programs neither designate separate time nor prepare suitable materials for pronunciation The weight of the program, especially TOEIC Preparation Course (TPC) is on listening, reading and speaking In speaking, teachers pay more attention on how things are spoken Eventually, student’s speaking ability is not improved much and it has always been a problem or main complaint of most teachers

The researcher strongly believes that applying relevant strategies to English classes inside as well as outside has great effectiveness in empowering students’ communication as well as second language acquisition in the long run

1.2 OVERVIEW OF TEACHING AND LEARNING TOEIC AT THE STUDY SITE

1.2.1 Background of the center

Affiliated with the City University of New York, Vietnam USA Society English Training Service Center (VUS) is one of the largest and most respected language institutions in Hochiminh City as well as nationwide Currently, VUS teaching staff consists of 500 well-qualified teachers It has the highest number of students (over 20.000), with 8 campuses operating in various districts in Hochiminh City offering a wide choice of locations for students

The site of the study is an off-campus which is located inside SAIGONACT Students in this school are offered an integration scholarship Accordingly, they get a benefit of fifty percent off for tuition The English program is divided into 6 levels ranging from IC0 to IC6 By the end of the course, learners are expected to:

-use English in business (context) environment;

-get the TOEIC certificate by ETS of at least 350-450 for listening and reading, and 150-200 for speaking depending on the requirements of their major

The participants have been exposed to English for at least nine years However, they still have difficulties in pronunciation from word level (segmentals) to supra-segmentals

Students at this level do not use a lot of English because (1) they lack confidence in using English, (2) they do not have enough vocabulary storage

to express their opinion, (3) their English speaking is not intelligible, (4) they

do not have suitable learning strategies to improve their learning

In brief, this study site was chosen because of two main reasons Firstly, this study is carried out to contribute to school’s effort in improving students’ pronunciation in specific and English using in general Teachers in VUS have always been encouraged to investigate in searching effective ways and synthetic materials to enhance learners’ communicative ability The targets of the courses offered by the center are not only the certain scores in TOEIC certificate but the learners’ competence in their future working environment The other reason is the learners’ genuine need of English for effective communication when they apply for jobs in the modern and demanding labor market in which lack of English speaking ability should result in failing to get

a dream position

1.2.2 Course book description

The course books used in the course are International Express- Elementary, OUP (the first five units) and Very Easy TOEIC, 2nd edition (the first six

units) International Express is a course for adult professional learners who

need English for work, and for communication in out-of-work functional contexts, such as travel or socializing The balance of general and business English is suitable for those who need to interact in a variety of situations both in and out of the workplace In fact, the book is the ideal course for professional students who need to communicate in English when working, traveling, or socializing Pronunciation lessons covered in this course are

from International Express - Elementary, OUP (See Appendix I) These

pronunciation aspects (such as intonations of questions, /s/, /z/, /iz/ of the verb ending ‘s’, linking, /d/, /t/, /id/ endings, sentence stress) are practical, and suitable to the students’ need of communication In addition, these aspects are repeated in the book series However, what causes problems is the time and the way learners deal with pronunciation According to most of campus teachers, they do not emphasize the importance of pronunciation The time assigned for pronunciation is ten to fifteen minutes in 135 minutes In

accordance, learners assume that pronunciation does not play an essential role

in their English acquisition Hence, they do not invest sufficient time in this important language aspect

1.2.3 Course outline description

According to the course outline, pronunciation is assigned to be taught by non-Vietnamese teachers Learners get a lot of benefits from learning with these English native speakers For instance, they can hear the real English spoken by English speakers, right in the classroom The teachers make them see how the sounds are produced without any physical efforts, which sets hope for learners that to achieve intelligible pronunciation is somewhat realistic Meanwhile, these learners also experience some obstacles Their low English level is one obstacle as it is not easy for them to understand the instructions of native speakers who are not always good at teaching methodology The students’ ignorance of pronunciation’s importance is another difficulty prohibiting learners from trying to improve their pronunciation

Time: 18.00-20.20PM

Level: Elementary – IC 1 (International Communication 1)

Duration: 84 teaching periods within 9.5 weeks (45 min./ period x 3 =

135 min./session) Main course

book:

- International Express – Elementary, OUP

- Very easy TOEIC, 2nd Ed

to prepare them for the TOEIC exam after level 4

Student

evaluation:

The final score will be calculated as follows:

Midterm: 30%; Final: 60%; Student’s participation: 5%; Homework completion: 5%

Table 1.1 Course outline description

1.3 THE RATIONALE

English has been more important since Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training required that students at college or university get certain score of TOEIC certificate as a mandatory graduation requirement Learners at the study site are required to gain 350-450 out of 990 scores of TOEIC certificate depending on whether they are at lower or upper college level In addition, the students have to meet one internal obligatory graduation requirement, which

is 50-75 out of 200 of TOEIC speaking score This is explained to help learners of the college able to find jobs easily and communicate successfully

in the future working environment

Therefore, implementing pronunciation learning strategies at this site is important and necessary for the participants and the researcher for these following reasons:

Firstly, one of very important criteria in a speaking test of TOEIC is that pronunciation must be intelligible even if some influences from L1 remain Hedge (2000:261) confirmed that “speaking competently is a skill by which learners are judged while first impressions are being formed.” Therefore, if a non-native speaker wishes to impress others, s/he should make every effort to pronounce L2 words correctly and intelligibly Hedge also suggested that

“part of speaking the English language competently is the ability to produce its sounds in ways that are intelligible to other speakers.”

Secondly, accurate pronunciation also plays a vital role in understanding others because if the non-native speakers have an inaccurate pronunciation, then s/he can neither understand nor recognize the words that exist in their large vocabulary storage Consequently, although the speaker hears the already-known words, s/he still cannot understand the speech well Most TOEIC learners need English to communicate in working environment Hence, understanding others and making oneself understood have an extreme significance in their work success Improving pronunciation is, therefore, not only to better speaking score but also help in increasing scores in listening part in TOEIC test

Another important aim of the research is to help learners self improve their pronunciation ability As autonomy is proved to be particularly important to language learners, they need to acquire a range of techniques with which they can enhance their learning Moreover, Otlowski (1996) concludes that it is more beneficial if teachers act as “speech coach,” to give models, offer cues, construction and constructive feedback about performance Teachers are encouraged to facilitate students’ learning by monitoring and modifying English at both levels: speech production and speech performance The specific range of techniques in this research is particular tactics of pronunciation learning strategies which the researcher-the speech coach uses

to equip and train the learners

1.4 STATEMENT OF THE THESIS

This study aims at:

1 Investigating possible problems facing TPC students at SAIGONACT Campus in producing correct pronunciation

VUS-2 Compiling strategies to (1) provide students with basic pronunciation knowledge, (2) train them how to turn such knowledge into self improvement ability of pronunciation in the long run

3 Checking the effectiveness of these strategies to the pronunciation improvement in a group of students

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Theoretically, if the research provides the positive evidence, it will make the TOEIC Preparation Course teachers reconsider the significance of implementing pronunciation learning strategies beside other main skills Practically, the findings in the study will be applied in teaching and learning pronunciation communicatively at VUS-SAIGONACT Campus at TOEIC Preparation level First, students are provided with basic pronunciation knowledge Then the study recommends necessary strategies for students to develop pronunciation ability beyond classroom

1.7 SCOPE OF THE THESIS

1.7.1 Scope of the topic

Celce-Murcia, M et al (2002:25-28) mentioned while former L2 researches focused on the acquisition of individual vowel or consonant phonemes, the recent ones have dealt with learners’ acquisition of English intonation, rhythm, connected speech, and voice quality settings The researcher investigated common pronunciation difficulties particularly faced by the participants, then develop expectedly suitable strategies with lessons of very basic pronunciation knowledge and self-study ways The research did not cover such problematic aspects of English pronunciation as consonants, vowels, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, and voice quality settings; i.e

it would follow the recent trend, which attacks both segmentals as well as supra-segmentals in hope of making learners get better pronunciation Many researchers such as Morley (1991, 1998) and Derwing, Munro and Wiebe (1998) who state that effective English pronunciation training should include both ‘segmental’ and ‘suprasegmental’ aspects, that is sounds, stress and intonation The terms segmental and suprasegmental aspects were defined by many researchers such as Morley (1991:26) as ‘micro and macro level’ and

‘accuracy-based and fluency-based learning’ However, as the study sample

is not English majors, English pronunciation aspects chosen in the study were not deeply investigated; learners just receive basic understanding, and mainly learn how to overcome their problematic pronunciation aspects, i.e., they receive practical training which they can use easily

1.7.2 Scope of the methodology

For teaching method, the study is based on the communicative approach which is preferable to most TESOL teachers

For learning method, the study would exploit self-study as well as using the learning strategies

1.8 STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH

This study was undertaken to demonstrate the importance of pronunciation training and pronunciation learning strategies that support learners to achieve their language learning purposes It covers two areas that aimed to provide learners with insight into pronunciation learning and ability to self improve their pronunciation ability First, the area of pronunciation: segmental aspects (the study of sounds), and suprasegmental aspects (the study of stress, rhythm and intonation) Second, the area of pronunciation learning strategies the learners should use in and out of the classroom to achieve their language learning goals The knowledge and self study ability gained from these two areas were recorded through the tests and questionnaires

The study are divided in five chapters

Chapter 1 Introduction shows the background to the study and the study site, the rationale, the significance of the study, statement of the thesis and the scope of the thesis

Chapter 2 Literature Review discusses related linguistic notions, pedagogical notions, pronunciation teaching methodology and prior researches on self study and pronunciation teaching

Chapter 3 Methodology reveals how the study is conducted through research questions, study design, study subjects and research instruments

Chapter 4 Data Analysis and Findings analyses the results then discusses the findings through the data

Chapter 5 Recommendations, Limitations and Conclusions suggest what the teachers and learners should do in teaching and learning pronunciation strategies This chapter also discusses unavoidable limitation and then concludes the study results

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 PEDAGOGICAL NOTIONS

These are important pedagogical notions which set the lights for this study A brief review of these notions directs the method of implementing experimental teaching as well as adjusting the experimental materials after the study A review on pronunciation acquisition in 2.1.1 helped the researcher know how the language learners acquire this aspect of language learning Thank to such information, the researcher can make suitable lesson plans for the treatment While a brief review on learning strategies in 2.1.2 showed how the prior researchers successfully trained the learners to use them And the last linguistic notion, strategy training in 2.1.3 showed the theoretical guide to the experimental teaching

2.1.1 Pronunciation Acquisition

Avery (1995: xiii) mentioned two opposing views on teaching of pronunciation in the ESL classroom While one side believes that teaching pronunciation helps reduce foreign accent, the other side argues that teaching pronunciation to adult learners is a waste of time because of the brain fossilization after puberty He advocates that none of these views are precise The biological, socio-cultural, personality and linguistic factors play certain role in the acquisition of the second language sound system Therefore, it is possible for Avery (1995: xiii) to conclude that “while practice in pronunciation may not make perfect, ignoring pronunciation totally can be great disservice to ESL students.” The roles of such factors are illustrated as followed

The following factors affecting second language pronunciation acquisition are reviewed from the summary of Avery and Ehrlich (1995: xiii-xvi):

2.1.1.1 Biological factors

It is assumed that child L2 learners can acquire native-like pronunciation, while adult L2 learners can not do it This was explained in “critical period hypothesis.” The supporters to this hypothesis explain that before the puberty L2 learners are at premium state to acquire a foreign language, after this age, the learner’s brain is some what mature and fossilized to a new language That adult learners really experienced some difficulty in acquiring native-like accent in a L2 is agreed by almost all experienced teachers Therefore, the critical period hypothesis may to some extent affect pronunciation acquisition However, some adult learners are also able to pronounce like English native speakers so language teachers should be optimistic that ESL classroom time can make students pronunciation change for better

The participants in this study are young adults who started learning English after the critical period The hypothesis mentioned above reminds the researcher to expect some difficulties faced by the participants However, the hypothesis sets hope that these participants can overcome challenges and change their pronunciation ability

What the writer wants the participants to gain is the intelligible, not the native-like pronunciation

2.1.1.3 Personality factors

Outgoing learners who are eager to interact and experience new situations may have more chances to improve their pronunciation In the meantime, preserved L2 learners do not create their opportunities to practice

It is important for language teachers to be aware of their students’ personality

to create non-threatening atmosphere in their classroom to encourage students’ participation

The learners in this study are low level adults Therefore, the teacher must be careful not to hurt them or create a too challenging learning environment In the meantime, the teacher also cares about each learner’s characteristics to encourage them to participate and make changes in their learning

researcher-2.1.1.4 The role of native language

L1 transfer is considered as a hindering factor to L2 pronunciation acquisition because of the following reasons

First of all, L2 learners’ pronunciation errors are systematically caused by the transfer of the sound inventory, rules of combination and the stress and intonation patterns of the native language L1’s sound system affects students’ pronunciation of English in at least three ways First, when learners face English sounds that do not exist in the sound inventory of the learners’ native language, their mouth muscle has not been moved in such a way to produce a

‘foreign’ sound before Second, L2 learners may encounter difficulties as the rules for combining sounds into words are different in the learners’ native language Thirdly, the stress and intonation patterns are transferable from L1 into L2

Moreover, L1 affects both the ability to produce English sounds and the ability to hear English sounds Language teachers may have experienced the frustration when asking learners to repeat tone sound to find that he/she

makes the same mistakes no long after that It does not mean the student is ignorant to the correction but the learners hear the word through L1’s sound system

In addition, L2 learners are assumed to hear the L2 through a filter, which is the L1 sound system It is true that there is a difference in the degree of Cantonese speakers to acquire English sounds so it is logical to suggest that teaching pronunciation to Cantonese speakers should be emphasized However, this does not mean that Cantonese pronunciation is less intelligible than the Polish one

Similarly, Celce-Murcia, M et al (2002:14) mentions several factors that underlie the effective teaching of pronunciation These factors focus on the learner (the effect of age, exposure to the target language, amount and type of prior second language instruction, aptitude, attitude and motivation), and the role of the learner’s first language on the phonological acquisition of a second language

In conclusion, knowing the influence of biological, socio-cultural and personality factors in pronunciation acquisition leads to the understanding that trying to eradicate the foreign accent is futile but attempting to improve adults’ pronunciation in ESL classroom is possible

Hence, the study carried out by the writer does not try to un-root the foreign accent, but to equip learners with suitable and practical ways to improve pronunciation to gain an intelligible pronunciation In order to gain such goal,

it is important for the writer to review pronunciation learning strategies which help provide learners ways to step by step be able to make their pronunciation better and guide their self study outside classroom

2.1.2 Pronunciation Learning Strategies

Pronunciation Learning Strategies listed here are cited from Peterson

(1997:26-27) The study was his attempt to produce a published study to focus on the relationship between pronunciation and learning strategies The study reveals twenty one specific pronunciation learning tactics These

learning tactics were condensed into 12 basic pronunciation learning

strategies and categorized based on Oxford’s strategy classification system

The review on those learning strategies is used as a source for the survey of participants’ use of learning strategies for this study (See Appendix II)

Wei, M (2009) had a very thorough literature review on strategies for teaching pronunciation His purpose is to review articles on strategies for teaching pronunciation from different sources so that public school teachers and ESOL instructors at higher education institution can make use of them

He summarized that “pronunciation is an integrated and integral part of language learning It consists of elements much wider than sounds of consonants and vowels It includes the elements of rhythm and intonation, which support the communicative process That is to say, anyone who wants

to gain communicative competence has to study pronunciation” Wei also cited some opinions on the importance of pronunciation in language learning First, Wong (1987) stated that despite non-native speakers’ excellent vocabulary and grammar competence, they still can not be able to communicate effectively if their pronunciation falls below threshold level Wong (1993) also analyzed the effects of pronunciation on listening ability

As for listening, he pointed out that spoken English follows certain patterns of rhythm and intonation; therefore, speakers need to employ these patterns to communicate effectively If there are discrepancies in rhythm and intonation, then communication will be broken down Listeners, in the same way, must know how speech is organized and what patterns of intonation mean to interpret speech accurately

Relating to pronunciation learning strategies, Wei pointed out seven important changes which make people pay more attention to this term The first change

is the switch from a language learning perspective of “outside in” to one of

“inside out”; i.e., a new concept of language acquisition that view the learners

as the active prime mover in the learning process The second change is in the conceptualization of the learning process, a movement from a focus on the group, to an increasing focus in individual learner differences and individual learning styles and strategies The third change is the swap of considering English as a formal system to seeing it as both a formal and a functional system It is the system that exists to satisfy the communicative needs of its users The fourth change is the emphasis on sentence level grammar to a widening interest in semantics, pragmatics, discourse, and speech act theory The fifth change is from an instructional focus on linguistic form and correct usage to one on function and communicatively appropriate use The sixth one

is from an orientation of linguistic competence to one of communicative competence The last change is from the focus on global-competence concept

to a set of detailed competency specifications These seven developments have led to a wide variety of changes in virtually all aspects of ESL/EFL, including the area of pronunciation teaching For instance, pronunciation could no longer be taught merely as a set of rules but instead as part of an overall system of communication

2.1.3 Strategy Training

According to Richards et al (1993:35), strategy training is training in the use

of learning strategies in order to improve a learner’s effectiveness A number

of approaches to strategy training are used, including: (1) Explicit or direct training: learners are given information about the value and purpose of particular strategies, taught how to use them, and how to monitor their own use of strategies; (2) Embedded strategy training: the strategies to be taught are not taught explicitly but are embedded in the regular content of an

academic subject area, such as reading, maths or science; and (3) Combination strategy training: explicit strategy training is followed by embedded training

Hedge (2000) suggests ways that language teachers can perform to help equipped language learners Teachers should use positive attitudes to encourage them and prepare effective strategies for them Such preparation can be psychological or practical preparation Mentioning such preparation, Dickinson (1987) and Holec (1985) said that psychological preparation is “a change in perception about what language learning involves and a change in the expectation that language can only be learned through the careful control

ill-of a specialist teacher.” As for practical preparation, it involves a range ill-of techniques with which learners can enhance their learning These two kinds of preparation are described as learner training Meanwhile, Hedge (2000) defines learner training as “a set of procedure or activities which raise learners’ awareness of what is involved in learning a foreign language, which encourages learners to become more involved, active and responsible in their own learning, and which helps them to develop and strengthen their strategies for language learning.” The following figure show Hedge’s attitude on learner training:

The aims of learner training

learner training

m o r e e f f e c t i v e

classroom learning self-access learning independent learning at home

Figure 2.1 Learner training

Hedge (2000) divides learner training activity into three categories according

to its primary aim:

- Activities which help learners to reflect on their learning

- Activities which train strategies and equip learners to be active

- Activities which encourage learners to monitor and check their own progress

In sum, the pedagogical notions mentioned above play a crucial role in directing the study and setting lights for study methodology In order to successfully implement experimental teaching on pronunciation learning strategies, the writer needs to be equipped with teaching methodology of pronunciation The third approach of learner training (Richard, 1993) was employed in this research, which is the combination strategy training: explicit strategy training is followed by embedded training This means during the experimental teaching stage, experimental learners were exposed to pronunciation learning strategies; then, they were mentored to pick up the most suitable learning strategies individually; and finally, during the normal class sessions, the researcher redesigned the lessons with the integration of embedded pronunciation learning strategies in which learners were implicitly trained how to employ learning strategies to make it a habit for them toward self study In addition, the redesigned lessons were also guided in the light of Hedge’s views and suggestions by Dickinson (1987) and Holec (1985)

2.2 PRONUNCIATION TEACHING METHODOLOGY

In the treatment for the experimental group, the researcher would use some practical techniques to teach pronunciation knowledge to the participants Therefore, the brief review of pronunciation teaching methodology served as chosen techniques which were applicable to the experimental teaching

Celce-Murcia, M et al (2002:8-10) provided a comprehensive list of ten

techniques and practice materials that have been being used to teach pronunciation:

1 Listen and imitate: A technique used in the Audio-lingual Method in

which students listen to a teacher - provided model and repeat or imitate it this technique has been enhanced by the use of tape recorders, language labs, and video recorders

2 Phonetic training: use of articulator descriptions, articulator diagrams,

and a phonetic alphabet (a technique from the Reform Movement, which may involve doing phonetic transcription as well as reading phonetically transcribed text)

3 Minimal pair drills: a technique introduced during the Audiolingual era

to help students distinguish between similar and problematic sounds in the target language through listening discrimination and spoken practice Minimal pair drills typically begin with word-level drills and then move on to sentence level drills (both paradigmatic and syntagmatic)

4 Contextual minimal pairs: Bowen’s (1972, 1975b) attempt to make

minimal pair drills responsive to Cognitive Approach criticisms of meaningless and lack of context In the technique, the teacher establishes the settings and presents key vocabulary; students are then trained to respond to sentence stem with an appropriate meaningful response

5 Visual aids: Enhancement of the teacher’s description of how sounds

are produced by audiovisual aids such as sound-color charts, Fidel wall charts, rods, pictures, mirrors, props, realia, etc these devices are also used to cue production of the target sounds

6 Tongue twisters: a technique from speech correction strategies for

native speakers (e.g., “She sells seashells by the seashore.”)

7 Developmental approximation drills: A technique suggested by

first-language acquisition studies in which second first-language speaker are taught to retrace the steps that many English-speaking children follow

producing /l/ or /r/ can be encouraged to begin by pronouncing words with initial /w/ or /y/, and then shift to /r/ or /l/, respectively:

/w/ /r/ /y/ /l/

Wed red yet let

Wag rag yes less

Witch rich you Lou

Wipe ripe young lung

8 Practice of vowel shifts and stress shifts related by affixation: A

technique based on rules of generative phonology (Chomsky and Halle 1968) used with intermediate or advanced learners The teacher points out the rule-based nature of vowel and stress shifts in etymologically related words to raise awareness; sentences and short texts that contain both members of a pair may be provided as oral practice material:

Vowel shifts: mime (long i) mimic (short i)

Sentence context : Street mimes often mimic the gesture of passersby

Stress shift: PHOtograph phoTOGraphy

Sentence context : I can tell from these photographs that you are very good at photography

9 Reading aloud/recitation: Passages or scripts for learners to practice

and then read aloud, focusing on stress, timing, and intonation This technique may or may not involve memorization of the text, and it usually occurs with genres that are intended to be spoken, such as speeches, poems, plays, and dialogues

10 Recordings of learners’ production: Audio-and videotapes of

rehearsed and spontaneous speeches, free conversation, and role plays

Subsequent playback offers opportunities for feedback from teachers and peers as well as for teacher, peer, and self-evaluation

Except 9 and 10, other ways of pronunciation instruction focus on getting the sounds right at the word level The last two techniques move the practice to the discourse level Then advocates to Communicative Approach turn their direction to supra-segmental features of language Today, the emphasize moves away from the argument between segmental/supra segmental one and toward a more balanced view It seeks to identify the importance of both segmentals and supra segmentals Furthermore, the issue of voice quality setting has been brought to notice, e.g each language has certain stereotypical features such as pitch level, vowel space, neutral tongue position, and degree

of muscular activity

Celce-Murcia, M et al (2002:11) concludes that: “Only through a thorough

knowledge of the English sound system and through familiarity with a variety

of pedagogical techniques, many of which should be communicatively oriented, can teachers effectively address the pronunciation needs of their students.”

At the very beginning of implementing pronunciation learning strategies, students were trained to get basic pronunciation knowledge by the researcher during the experimental teaching stage Accordingly, these mentioned practical techniques were adjusted and utilized in the experimental teaching of this study Such techniques as Listen and Imitate, phonetic training, minimal pairs and contextual minimal pairs, approximation drills, vowel shifts/ stress shifts, reading aloud are used regularly in class sessions For instance, during the stages of vocabulary or grammar presentation, Listen and Imitate is used for oral drills At the same time, minimal pairs together with approximation drills can be used to draw learners’ attention to similarly sounded words At the stage of vocabulary revision, phonetic training is practically carried out by providing phonetic transcriptions of words, and asking learners to pronounce,

and then write down the full word as in this example: [liv]……live… As for tongue twister, teachers put it as an extra or fun activity to warm up the class session Learners feel really eager to try the pronunciation in a relaxed and creative way Meanwhile, reading aloud and recording of learners’ production are used in listening sessions After finishing listening for main idea and details, learners are required to turn to the tape script to listen again and repeat after the native speakers; then they practice saying aloud the dialogues or the reports The following step should be acting out the task loudly in front of class At this stage, recording is also done to let learners have chances to evaluate their own production and make adjustment Finally, techniques number five, visual aid is simply applied by providing learners with a copy of chart with pictures and illustrations of phonemes

Besides these practical techniques, language teachers also have to keep in minds the vital rules suggested by Lewis, M (1985: 66-74):

1 Do not distort when giving a model

Distortion is usually caused by the slow, exaggerated manner of production Teachers are advised to model the speech naturally to make sure the weak forms and contractions occur frequently and correctly

2 The model must remain the same

The teachers have to maintain absolute consistency when giving example of stress or intonation Learners may find it difficult to repeat or produce the same speech, but enough practice will help them

3 Use choral pronunciation

Choral pronunciation creates a safe classroom environment for elementary learners who are always scared of losing face when saying something incorrectly

4 Conduct choral pronunciation decisively

To make the best of choral pronunciation, teachers must not repeat the model simultaneously with the students or the teachers would hear the voice of his or hers Students should be invited to speak, teachers use hand to gesture or simple verbal clue for further practice

5 Move around the room when doing choral pronunciation

Moving around the class while learners repeating at the same time brings such benefits as realizing students’ mistakes, noting which student needs help, keeping students concentrate on the activity

6 Keep your language to a minimum in pronunciation practices

It is important for teachers to minimize the temptations to give verbal comments Nonverbal feedback is preferred at this stage A smile for decent production, a nod or slight shake for an intolerant repeat is enough

7 Vary your criterion of “good” in pronunciation practice

It is implied that good should be used differently to different students

Teachers should wisely accept the progress at different rates, depending on their entry level It would be discouraging to always have less good students repeat the speech, then he would feel embarrassed and disgusted of the language learning

8 Articulation is an important first step in practice

Practicing the articulation of the new language or oral drill is vital It helps to save time for later interruption to correct their pronunciation After learners are confident of their articulation, they are more than ready for meaningful practice

9 Bring variety to “Say after me”

Instead of doing a boring job of saying after me, teachers can make learners forget that they are forced to repeat monotonously They should listen to a variety of pitch from whispering to normal speech, then shouting Learners would be excited to be involved in the pronunciation activity

10 Something which is not a real word sometimes helps

Written words are not necessarily pronounced exactly word by word In natural speech, stressing, linking, intonation frequently occur Teachers had better help demonstrate the groups of sounds Students should be encouraged not to be led by the printed words in natural production Saying things which look and sound funny in isolation can, if linked to natural speaker example on tape, be both amusing and help students to be both better listeners and more natural speakers

11 There is no such thing as the c-h sound”

Students should be trained to recognize that there is a loose relation between English spelling and English sound A serious language learner needs to learn

a system of phonetic transcription in order to read pronunciation in a good dictionary There are two simple solutions to solve the confusion caused by spelling and sound First, teachers observe the constant wrong sounds made

by learners and teach them these symbols Second, teachers can simply refer

to san example of the sound and to isolate and demonstrate the sound itself

12 The main criteria for pronunciation are consistency and intelligibility

The aim to practice pronunciation is not to make learners speak like a native one, but to help them speak with consistent voice and intelligibility Teachers had better accept the tolerant English pronunciation which may deviate from the American or English standards, as long as learners could make themselves understood

13 Teach intonation by back-chaining

As the weight of information lie on the last part of the sentences in English, learners should be taught back-ward when producing a piece of information Beginning at the end, which remains consistent, the intermediate stages are relatively easy and contribute towards the ability to produce a complete sequence

14 Do not explain intonation, demonstrate

Simple methods of presentation work To introduce the importance of intonation, teachers can simple use the word “sorry” with falling (apology) and rising (please repeat) together with two straight errors, one falling, one rising Another method is to exaggerate presentation, using simple hand movements

15 Refer to stress and intonation even when not specifically teaching it

Communication involves structure, stress, and purpose However, textbooks

do not always reflect it The main focuses of the modern textbooks are certain structures or functions Mastering these points, learners still have difficulty to listen to and understand the coming information except that they have a reasonable knowing of pronunciation, stress and intonation

For these reasons, teachers have to bear in mind the importance of stress and intonation no matter what they are teaching Even when teaching reading comprehension, intonation plays a significant part when learners give answers orally

In fact, the impression people form of each others if more dependant on intonation than grammar, this should be a constant reminder of they important role it should play in teaching

2.3 PRIOR RESEARCHES ON SELF-STUDY AND THE TEACHING

OF PRONUNCIATION

(1) The research titled “Some Pronunciation Problems Facing the Learners of English Language at Hue University When Speaking English Naturally” by Nguyễn Thị Phúc Hòa in 1999 investigated “which pronunciation errors in natural speech are made by the fourth-year students, why they make such errors and what can be done to overcome these weaknesses: [1999: 1]

(2) The research titled “The Role of Basic Pronunciation Knowledge in the Teaching and Learning” by Hà Thanh Bích Loan (2005) aims at: “(1) analyzing needs for learning basic knowledge of pronunciation of the students

at ITC, and (2) making suggestions about what and how to teach in order to help the students improve their pronunciation effectively” [2005: 3]

The researches listed in (1) and (2) found common problems in non-majors’ pronunciation, and provided really useful suggestions to deal with these difficulties However, these researchers have not carried out their implications

to measure the effectiveness In my thesis, I would put their pedagogical implications into practice Thanks to their revealed problems in non-majors’ pronunciation, I was able to design suitable lesson plans for the treatments Also, their implication in teaching facilitated my ways of teaching pronunciation to non-majors in my research

(3) The research titled “Improving the First Year Non-English Majors’ Pronunciation at An Giang University Using Games ” done by Nguyễn Thị Ánh Nguyệt in 2007 reveals that games have positive effects on non-English majors’ pronunciation ability at AGU in some ways First, games helped learners become more accurate in speaking and pronouncing English words Second, learners have opportunities to study in an amusing and interesting atmosphere Third, learners became more independent in studying and friendlier to other people Moreover, students were also more active, creative

and cooperative in solving problems and were more willing to do tasks assigned by teachers

The researcher listed in (3) implemented a fun and effective way to help learners learn and improve their pronunciation However, through the feedback the research writer gets from her students, it is very difficult for them to improve their own pronunciation without good basic knowledge of pronunciation A lot of learners in my school have suggested that pronunciation be taught to them Seeing this gap, I would add providing basic knowledge of pronunciation before training them how to self-improve their pronunciation through pronunciation learning strategies

(4) Nguyễn Thị Kim Ba (2009) did a research on “Pronunciation Problems Faced by First-Year English Learners at Mekong University-Pedagogical Implications” Through the reading tests, the researcher found out major problems faced by first-year English learners at her university and then suggested adjustments in syllabus as well as teaching methods to put more weight on pronunciation aspects

Hence, the research by Nguyễn set a background for my research because the problems found were similar to my students and I also used some of Nguyễn’s teaching implications in this experimental teaching

(5) Dương Trần Thy Diễm (2005) carried out a study named “How To Improve the Self-Study of Pre-Intermediate English Non-Majored Students at Van Hien University.” The data through a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview helped the researcher found out three main factors which caused weakness in students’ self-study which were (1) low level of motivation, (2) poor study habits, and (3) lack of energy and perseverance to overcome difficulties in study The research writer suggested the integration of the recommendations about how to refine self-study into classroom activities as

an integral part of the English course Along with language learning, the

students are trained to use a number of self-help techniques and the power of imagination Dương’s research was a good guide for learners in general and English language learners in specific She gave instructions to improve various language skills and aspects, including pronunciation However, because she covered all aspects and skills, it was impossible to deeply invest into every point My research carried out is a deeper investment on one of her research‘s focuses-pronunciation learning strategies

(6) Murat Hismanoglu (2006) had a study titled “Current Perspectives on Pronunciation Learning and Teaching” which aimed at stressing current perspectives on pronunciation learning and teaching It summarizes the need for incorporating pronunciation into foreign language classes owning to regarding pronunciation as a key to gaining full communicative competence, and takes into account present-day view in pronunciation pedagogy like the impact of the discipline of psychology in pronunciation teaching, Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) as a perspective frequently advocated by innovative pronunciation teachers, the idea of approaching pronunciation teaching from different modalities, the relationship between effective foreign language pronunciation teaching and Gardner’s MI theory, Autonomous pronunciation teaching and learning and the use of technology in for the teaching of pronunciation

(7) Patchara Varasarin (2007) did a research named “An Action Research Study of Pronunciation Training, Language Learning Strategies, and Speaking Confidence” Her study is a collaborative action research investigating to develop pronunciation training and communicative competence for Thai students studying English in Thailand Her study investigated pronunciation training and learning strategies, how they influenced the learning behavior of Thai students studying English and improved their speaking confidence The purpose of the training course was

to improve students’ pronunciation and spoken intelligibility Varasarin