Teaching Pronunciation
Q: Why should we teach pronunciation?
Ans: First let's learn the definition of pronunciation. "Pronunciation refers to how speach sounds, rhythm and intonation are produced to convey meaning. Pronunciation serves as a fundamental component of both speaking and listening abilities. To speak, we have to pronounce and to understand others, we have to understand and interpret their pronunciation.
To what extent are pronunciation instruction and feedback actually effective?
A combination of Form focused Instruction and corrective feedback improves the pronunciation development.
Students recognise the importance of oral corrective feedback and seem less anxious about receiving it than their teachers do about providing it. (Darcy, 2018, p.28).
Types of corrective feedback on pronunciation
There are three types of corrective feedback on pronunciation. They are : Error correction feedback, Write on the board, Humming.
1.Error correction feedback: These are of three types. They are : Recat, Repitition and asking for clarification.
Recast: Here's and example of error correction feedback of Recast type.
Student A: Why are you taking this course?
Student B: Becsuse I want to deveLOP my english skills.
Teacher (recasting): That's great it is important to deVElop your english skill step by step.
Student B: Yeah.
In this focus of correction is on "word stress"
Repitition: In the same above dialogue the teacher repeats the sentence with rising intonation. " Becsuse I want tk deveLOP my english skills.
Asking for clarification: In the above same dialogue teacher (requesting clarification): sorry, could you try the pronunciation of that verb again? Becsuse I want to......my english skills.
These error correction techniques can work well considering they are well-timed and clear. Well-timed means is it enterrupting during task for pronunciation correction or can it be done delayed correction after the task? Clear means if a student does not recognise that a correction is being made (common with recast) the technique may not help.
These error technique corrections may not work well if learners are corrected all the time. We are not able to correct the pronunciation mistakes of learners. It is neither manageable nor productive.
2.Write on board: For example a student pronounce the word "were" as "where" the teacher writes the word "where" on board. The student prononce the same word as "war". Again the teacher writes the word "war" on board. At last student pronounce the word "were" correctly and teacher writes the correct word "were" on the board. In this way pronunciation is corrected by writing on board.
3.Humming: In this technique when a student pronounce a word wrongly the teacher humms as "MM". The student realises that he has pronounced the word wrongly and he/she corrects it.
Yousuf Memon
High School Teacher
At: Govt MDM High Shool Matiari Sindh Pakistan
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Teaching Pronunciation