VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

NGUYỄN THỊ THƠM

A STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF USING PHONEME-GRAPHEME
CORRESPONDENCE METHOD ON SOUND RECOGNITION
ABILITY OF EFL 10TH-GRADE STUDENTS AT QUOC OAI HIGH
SCHOOL AND THEIR ATTITUDES
(Nghiên cứu hiệu quả của việc áp dụng phương pháp liên hệ giữa chữ
viết và phát âm tới khả năng nhận biết âm tương ứng trong tiếng Anh
của học sinh lớp 10 THPT Quốc Oai và thái độ của học sinh đối với
phương pháp này)

M.A. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS

Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60140111

Hanoi, 2016


VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

NGUYỄN THỊ THƠM



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my gratitude to all that have helped me in the completion of this
thesis.
First and foremost, I am deeply indebted to my supervisor, Nguyen Duc Hoat, Ph. D,
who has given me persistent consideration, enthusiastic encouragement, and
invaluable supervision throughout the writing of the thesis.
Secondly, my thanks also go to all lecturers and the staff of Faculty of Post-Graduate
Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National
University, Hanoi for their useful lectures, materials, guidance and enthusiasm during
my course.
A special thank would also go to all the students at Quoc Oai high school who took
part in the research. Without their participation and cooperation, I would not be able to
complete this research paper.
Last but not least, my deep appreciation and gratitude to my beloved family, especially
my parents, my husband and my little daughter for their encouragement, inspiration
and unconditional love, which enormously helped me towards the completion of my
research.

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ABSTRACT
This minor thesis was carried out with an attempt to investigate the effects of
Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence Method on sound recognition ability of EFL
10th-grade students at Quoc Oai High School and their attitudes. The research design
used in the study was a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test, non-equivalent group
design including one experimental group and one control group. A total of 75 10thgrade students took part in the study. The instruments used for the study were a 20multiple-choice-item test in phonetics and a questionnaire. The results obtained from
the analyzed data show that Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence method had a
significant effect on the improvement in students‟ sound recognition ability.

2.1.5. Definition of “Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence” .......................... 10
2.1.6. Vietnamese – English sound systems ...................................................... 12
2.1.7. Definition of “attitude” ............................................................................ 13
2.1.8. The role of attitude in second language learning ................................... 13
2.2. Previous research works and the need for this study .................................. 14

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
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3.1. Research design: Quasi-experimental .......................................................... 15
3.2. Setting of the study ......................................................................................... 16
3.2.1. Background .............................................................................................. 16
3.2.2. Population of the study ............................................................................ 16
3.2.3. Sample of the study .................................................................................. 17
3.3. Data collection instruments ........................................................................... 18
3.3.1. Document research .................................................................................. 18
3.3.2. Questionnaire ........................................................................................... 20
3.3.3. Pre and post tests and test validity ........................................................... 21
3.4. Data collection procedure .............................................................................. 23
3.5. Data analysis methods .................................................................................... 24

CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
4.1. Research findings ............................................................................................ 25
4.1.1. The students’ sound recognition ability .................................................. 25
4.1.1.1. Calculation between two mean scores and standard deviations ....... 25
4.1.1.2. Test of significance ............................................................................ 26
4.1.2. Students’ attitudes towards Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence method 28
4.1.2.1. Part I: Students’ perceptions on sound recognition .......................... 28
4.1.2.2. Part II: Students’ attitudes towards Phoneme-Grapheme

LIST OF TABLES
Table 3.1. Non-randomized control-group pretest posttest design ......................... 15
Table 3.2. T-test: The pre-test mean scores of the experiment group and the control
group ................................................................................................................. 17
Table 3.3. The conventional method ....................................................................... 19
Table 3.4. The Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence method ................................ 19
Table 3.5. Specifications of the pre-test .................................................................. 22
Table 3.6. Teaching procedure ................................................................................ 23
Table 4.1. The pre-test and post-test mean scores and standard deviation of students‟
scores in the experimental group and the control group ................................... 25
Table 4.2. t-Test: The post-test mean scores of the experiment group and the control
group ................................................................................................................. 27

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.1. Features of English Pronunciation .......................................................... 6
Figure 4.1. The pre-test and post-test mean scores of the experiment group and the
control group ..................................................................................................... 26
Figure 4.2. Students‟ perceptions on sound recognition ......................................... 28
Figure 4.3. Students‟ general perceptions about Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence
method .............................................................................................................. 29
Figure 4.4. Students‟ feelings when being taught with Phoneme-Grapheme
Correspondence method ................................................................................... 30
Figure 4.5. Students‟ beliefs on the effects of Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence
method ............................................................................................................... 31
Figure 4.6. Students‟ expectation of the use of Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence
method ............................................................................................................... 32


some sentences with these sounds. With that teaching method, students can pronounce
a new word only when its phonetic transcription is provided and it is quite difficult to
guess the pronunciation of a new word.
Due to the importance of pronunciation in communication and the poor sound
recognition ability of students, the researcher decided to introduce Phoneme1


Grapheme Correspondence method to students. The present study, “A Study on the
Effects of Using Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence Method on Sound
Recognition Ability of EFL 10th-Grade Students at Quoc Oai High School and Their
Attitudes”,

is

an

attempt

to

examine

whether

using

Phoneme-Grapheme

Correspondence method leads to better sound recognition ability compared to the
conventional method or not. Furthermore, the study aimed to find out the students‟

pronunciation ability. Lastly, this paper will serve as a good reference for those who
2


want to have a clearer view of applying Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondences
method.

1.5. Scope of the study
The research was carried out on the 10th-grade students at Quoc Oai high school. Due
to time constraints, the research was limited to investigating the effects of PhonemeGrapheme Correspondence method on the students‟ English vowel sound recognition
ability. Other aspects of English pronunciation such as dipthongs, consonants,
intonation would not be investigated.

1.6. Research method
The method used in this study is quasi-experimental research. According to Arikunto
(2002, as cited in Hidayat, 2014), experimental research is the way to find a causal
relationship (relationship clause) between the two factors that are deliberately caused
by the researcher by reducing or setting aside other factors that interfere; therefore, this
kind of research is suitable for this study, in which the effects of using PhonemeGrapheme Correspondence method on students‟ sound recognition ability are
investigated.

1.7. Organization of the study
The study is divided into five chapters as follows:
Chapter one, INTRODUCTION, introduces the rationale for the research, the aims,
the research questions, the significance of the study, the scope of the study, the
research method, and the organization of the study.
Chapter two, LITERATURE REVIEW, reviews the literature relevant to the study.
This chapter starts with theoretical issues on pronunciation, respectively the definition,
the role of pronunciation in language learning, approaches to teaching pronunciation
and techniques of testing pronunciation. In this chapter, the researcher also mentions

2.1.1. Definition of “pronunciation”
The notion of “pronunciation” has been defined by a number of scholars. Oxford
Advanced Learner‟s English Dictionary gives an easy-to-understand definition that
pronunciation is “the way in which a language or a particular word or sound is
pronounced”. Trask (1996) also provided a similar definition that “pronunciation” is
“the manner in which speech sounds, especially connected sequences, are articulated
by individual speakers or by speakers generally” (p. 291). Both definitions clearly
point out that pronunciation is a way of producing language, word or sound. However,
Kristina et al. (2006, as cited in Pratiwi, 2010) added an element when defining this
term. According to them, pronunciation entails not only the production but also the
reception of speech sounds and the achievement of the meaning. Murphy (2003)
shared the same idea and gave a convincing explanation that
Though most of us think in terms of speech production, the Longman Dictionary of
Applied Linguistics emphasizes “the way sounds are perceived by the hearer” to define
pronunciation (Richards, Platt, and Weber, 1992, p. 296). An emphasis on hearers‟
perceptions is especially relevant. How we pronounce words, phrases, and sentences
communicates to others considerable information about who we are, and what we are
like, as people.
(p. 112)

In conclusion, pronunciation is the way to pronounce an intelligible speech sound.
Regarding the features that constitute the production of sounds in English, Gilakjani
(2012) stated that pronunciation is comprised of features at two levels, namely
segmental (micro) one and supra-segmental (macro) one. He also provided a clear
illustration as in the following Figure.

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Figure 1.1. Features of English Pronunciation

whereas, in spite of the great time and effort made to achieve native-like
pronunciation, the results were often dissatisfied. Nowadays, when the dominant
teaching method is the communicative language teaching, whose goal is to enable
learners to be “communicatively competent” (Celce-Murcia et al, 1995, as cited in To
Thu Huong, et al, 2011: 29), pronunciation becomes more and more crucial. Accurate
pronunciation is regarded as a must for language learner to communicate successfully.
As a result, teachers should pay more attention to teaching pronunciation. In contrast,
in many language courses, the teaching of pronunciation was neglected on account of a
theory that teaching pronunciation in the classroom had little influence on
pronunciation proficiency (Suter & Purcell, 1980, as cited in Varasarin, 2007). Both
teachers and learners tended to take grammar and vocabulary precedence over
pronunciation for granted. Fortunately, these days, that belief has not been popular;
teaching and learning pronunciation has undergone a considerable change to become
an indispensable element completing not only communication competence but
discourse, sociolinguistics and strategic competence as well (Morley, 1994, as cited in
Khoa Anh Viet, et al, 2010).

2.1.3. Approaches to teaching pronunciation
In the history of foreign language teaching, Kelly (1969, as cited in Khoa Anh Viet, et
al, 2010) regarded pronunciation as “the Cinderella of language teaching”. He pointed
7


out that the research of grammar and vocabulary had been paid much more attention
than that of pronunciation. Not until the early 20th century was teaching pronunciation
researched systematically.
In the field of modern language teaching, there exist two general approaches to the
teaching of pronunciation, namely intuitive-imitative approach and analytic-linguistic
approach (Celce-Murcia, et al, 1996)
2.1.3.1. The intuitive-imitative approach

Choosing which approach depends on specific teaching contexts and level of learners.
In this study, the researcher applied the Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence method
to help students recognize sounds from letters of the words. It can be said that this
method is a part of analyzing sounds; therefore, it belongs to the analytic-linguistic
approach.

2.1.4. Techniques of testing pronunciation
In the article “Techniques of testing pronunciation”, Ahmed (2007) gave a
classification of pronunciation tests but in a broader way. According to him, there are
two kinds to test learners‟ pronunciation proficiency, namely sound production tests
and sound recognition ones.
Sound production tests
According to Ahmed (2007), “sound production is the testing of pupil‟s ability to
distinguish between contrastive sounds but it does not mean testing his ability to
pronounce English accurately.” (p. 16)
Sound production tests are composed of scored interviews, highly structured speech
samples and paper-and-pencil tests of pronunciation. (Ahmed, 2007: 17)
Sound recognition tests
Ahmed (2007) stated that teachers can use some techniques, such as sound to
phonemic symbols, minimal pairs of words, and sound to pictures to test their
students‟ ability to recognize the sound segments. (p. 20)
Celce-Murcia, et al (1996) said that testing pronunciation has been given little
attention. One reason for that issue is that “pronunciation involves not only the
application of relevant rules (e.g., when –s endings are pronounced /s/, /z/, or /ɪz/; or
when word-internal palatalization of stops and fricatives occurs) but also perception
and production” (p. 341). These authors also mentioned three techniques which can be
employed to evaluate pronunciation.
The first technique, Diagnostic evaluation, is composed of diagnosing perception and
diagnosing production in the classroom. This kind of technique can serve as a means
of determining a learner‟s level of pronunciation proficiency, which is usually useful

the word wall from /w/ to /t/, the meaning of the word, as well as its part of speech,
changes completely.

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A grapheme is the physical representation of a phoneme presented in written or
printed format (John & Nancy, 2011). In English, a grapheme may be a single letter or
a combination of letters. For example, in the word book, the grapheme b represents the
phoneme /b/, oo for /ʊ/ and k for /k/.
Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence is “the relationship between a grapheme and
the phoneme(s) it represents.” (John & Nancy, 2011:350) For example, the grapheme s
represents the phoneme /s/ in the word sea and the phoneme /ʃ/ in the word sugar. This
correspondence is often referred to as a knowledge of the alphabetic principle and is
defined as distinctive graphical representation of letters used to symbolize each
phoneme or speech sound in oral language (Yonas et al, 1981).
Daria and Alan (1996) stated that
Learning the Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondences necessary to begin to phonetically
decode words involves at least three distinct skills: the ability to (a) recognize and
distinguish between letters, (b) process phonological information, and (c) associate specific
letters with specific sounds. (p. 259)

According to Adams (1994), “phonics is the system of teaching reading that builds on
the alphabetic principle, a system of which a central component is the teaching of
correspondences between letter or groups of letters and their pronunciations” (p.50);
therefore, Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence is a vital constituent of phonics
method in particular and in pronunciation learning in general.
Regarding the advantages of learning phonics, many studies of the National Reading
Panel (as cited in Johnson, 2011) found out that this method improved students‟ wordreading ability. Beginning readers learning reading through phonics would have
phonemic awareness and showed an increased ability to sound out words with regular

for combining sounds into words are different in their native language. Lastly, learners
can transfer the patterns of stress and intonation, which determine the overall rhythm
and melody of a language from the native language into the second language. In brief,
the more different the native language and the foreign one are, the more difficult it is
for learners to learn pronunciation.
For many Vietnamese students, learning English pronunciation is considered to be
hard work. One of the reasons for that matter is that there are a lot of differences in
sound system between Vietnamese and English. Among those differences is that “the
Vietnamese alphabet is phonetic, with a one-to-one correspondence of sound to letter
or letter combination” (Center for Applied Linguistics, 1981:2) while in English, this
correspondence can be “one-to-many” (Trevor, 2013: 210). Take the following
grapheme “a” as an illustration: it can be pronounced as /æ/ in “back”, /e/ in “many” or
12


/ǝ/ in “arrive” and so on. To solve this problem, some linguists proposed a list of
Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence rules to help learners who study English as a
foreign language, especially those at beginner level.
2.1.7. Definition of “attitude”
Ajzan (1988) stated that attitude is “a disposition to respond favorably or unfavorably
to an object, person, institution, or event”. (p. 3)
According to Allport (1954), “an attitude is a mental and neural state of readiness,
organized through experience, exerting as directive or dynamic influence upon the
individual‟s response to all objects and situations with which it is related”. (p. 45)
Wenden (1991, as cited in Atef & Munir, 2009:33) gave a broader definition of the
concept “attitudes”. He states that the term “attitudes” includes three components
namely, cognitive, affective and behavioural. A cognitive component is comprised of
the beliefs and ideas or opinions about the object of the attitude. The affective one is
made up of the feelings and emotions that one has towards an object, 'likes' or
'dislikes', 'with' or 'against'. Finally, the behavioural component refers to one's

Christensen and Bowey (2005) carried out a research to compare the efficacy of two
decoding skill-based programs, namely explicit orthographic and grapheme-phoneme
correspondence, to an implicit phonics program. They drew out the conclusion that
children in the grapheme-phoneme correspondence program consistently spelled
transfer words better than children in the implicit phonics one; moreover, the former
consistently read words more quickly than the latter.
After doing a research into the effects of computer-assisted Phoneme-Grapheme
Correspondence training in the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children, Mentzer (et
al., 2013) concluded that for some DHH children, phonological processing skills were
boosted relatively more by Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence training.
However, no other research, to the best of the researcher‟s knowledge, has attempted
to find out the effects of using Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence on EFL high
school students‟ sound recognition ability.

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CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
In the following part, the researcher provides a detailed description of the research
methodology. Details of the research design, the settings, the instruments employed in
this paper, the procedures of data collection and data analysis are given below.

3.1. Research design: Quasi-experimental
The current study adopts the quasi-experimental research design, which is specifically
known as pretest-posttest non-equivalent group design. Concerning this kind of
research, Singh and Bajpai (2008) described that “this design is often used in
classroom experiments when experimental and control groups are such naturally
assembled groups as intact classes, which may be similar” (p. 284). The researcher did
the real-time experiment for the present study, where it was difficult to use
randomization for the selection of samples for experimentation; as a result, the

Table 3.1. Non-randomized control-group pretest posttest design
Symbols:
01 – pre-test

02 – post-test

X – treatment

- – no treatment

The mentioned design was followed in the process of experiment with the aim of
studying the effects of using Phoneme-Grapheme Correspondence method on sound
recognition ability. Pretests were administered before the application of the
experimental and control treatments and posttests at the end of the treatment period.
15