A study on improving the pronunciation of first-year English majors during a speech training course at Quy Nhon University
Abstract
As far as the speaking skill is concerned, pronunciation is a key area. However, in Vietnamese formal EFL classes, scan attention is paid to this aspect until the learners enter higher education, with Speech Training being introduced in the first year. This study aims at investigating the effect of using the techniques of Shadowing and Directing Effective Feedback in company with the formal course of Speech Training to upgrade the pronunciation of English majors at university, especially those who are trained to be teachers of English. An experiment was conducted, spanning one semester. It involved 67 first-year students in the Department of Foreign Languages, Quy Nhon University. The participants formed a treatment group (n =43) and a control group (n = 24). The data were collected by means of post-test and pre-test and statistically analyzed. The results indicate an improvement in the learners’ performance, especially in sentence stress, suggesting the effectiveness of the measures undertaken. The data obtained also revealed that the employment of the techniques for the treatment group did not result in vast difference from the control group as expected in bettering the students’ articulation of final sounds and aspects of connected speech, which suggests the students’ low level of autonomy.