VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST GRADUAGE STUDIES

DƯƠNG THỊ KIM OANH

A STYDY ON STUDENTS’ REACTION TO THE
TECHNIQUES TEACHERS USE FOR TEACHING
PRONUNCIATION AT PHAM NGU LAO HIGH SCHOOL,
HAI PHONG
NGHIÊN CỨU PHẢN ỨNG CỦA HỌC SINH ĐỐI VỚI CÁC THỦ
THUẬT GIÁO VIÊN SỬ DỤNG ĐỂ DẠY PHÁT ÂM TẠI TRƯỜNG
PHẠM NGŨ LÃO, HẢI PHÒNG

M.A MINOR THESIS

FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
CODE: 601410

Hanoi -2012


VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST GRADUAGE STUDIES

DƯƠNG THỊ KIM OANH

A STYDY ON STUDENTS’ REACTION TO THE
TECHNIQUES TEACHERS USE FOR TEACHING
PRONUNCIATION AT PHAM NGU LAO HIGH SCHOOL,

6. Significance of the study ...................................................................... 3
7. Design of the study ............................................................................... 4
DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................ 5
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................... 5
1.1 Definition of technique and reaction .............................................. 5
1.2 Previous studies about teaching pronunciation ............................. 5
1.3 Techniques of teaching pronunciation ........................................... 7
1.3.1 The use of known sounds: ............................................................... 8
1.3.2 Explanation: ................................................................................... 8
1.3.3 Communication activities: .............................................................. 8
1.3.4 Written versions of oral presentations: ........................................... 9
1.3.5 Modelling and individual correction:.............................................. 9
1.3.6 Tutorial sessions and self-study: ..................................................... 9
1.3.7 Self-monitoring and self-correction: ............................................... 9
1.3.8 Computer-assisted language learning: ......................................... 10
1.3.9 Reading aloud: ............................................................................. 10
1.4 Elements of teaching pronunciation............................................. 10
1.4.1 Sound and Spelling Patterns ......................................................... 10
1.4.2. Word Stress .................................................................................. 11
1.4.3 Rhythm ..................................................................................... 11
1.4.4 Sentence focus and Intonation .................................................. 11
1.5 The role of teachers and students ................................................. 12
1.6 Summary the chapter ................................................................... 13
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY............................................................. 14

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2.1 The subjects ....................................................................................... 14
2.2 Research design ................................................................................. 14

3. Limitations and suggestions for further study ...................................... 38
REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 41
Appendix 1 ..................................................................................................... I
Appendix 2 ................................................................................................... II
Appendix 3 .................................................................................................. VI
Appendix 4 .................................................................................................. IX

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Students’ opinion about the purposes of pronunciation
learning ....................................................................................................... 18
Figure 2: students’ problems in learning pronunciation ....................... 19
Figure 3: techniques used by teachers .................................................... 20
Figure 4: Students’ attitude to techniques teachers use ........................ 21
Figure 5: students’ evaluation on effectiveness of techniques ............... 22
Figure 6: Students’ like .......................................................................... 23
Figure 7: students’ dislike ....................................................................... 24
Figure 8: techniques motivating students to practice pronunciation .... 25
Figure 9: Suggestions for better English pronunciation practice ......... 26

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INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
English has become a language of global communication due to its role in
different fields of our life such as : science, technology, aviation and so on. In
Vietnamese, English has experienced its popularity in teaching and learning

pronunciation
Secondly, to find out what techniques are used at Pham Ngu Lao high
school, Thuy Nguyen, Hai Phong and what is the most suitable to students.
Thirdly, to find out students‟ reactions to those techniques and give
solution to those reactions
3. Research questions
(1) What problems do students face when learning English pronunciation?
(2) What pronunciation techniques are commonly used by teachers?
(3) What are students‟ reactions to those teaching pronunciation
techniques used by teachers?
(4) What are suggested implementations in teaching pronunciation at
Pham Ngu Lao high school.
4. Methods of the study
4.1 . Subjects of study
The participants of the study include: 5 out of 9 teachers were randomly
chosen at Pham Ngu Lao high school. All of them teach 12th grade. Besides,
in order to get more information for the answers to research questions, 200
students among 400 in 12th grade are surveyed.
4.2 . Data collection instruments
The research is done by both quantitative and qualitative methods; it is
carried out on the basis of situation analysis, material collection, survey

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questionnaires, and class observation and recording. These instruments bring
about the data for analysis, and evaluation.
4.3. Data collecting procedure
The first step is analyzing and synthesizing data
The second one is discussing the results obtained from questionnaires and

students are big questions. Moreover, there has not been any study on
teaching pronunciation at this school yet. With the purpose on this study in

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mind, the thesis tries to report some major problems teachers and students
face in teaching and learning pronunciation, the teaching pronunciation
techniques teachers use and students‟ reaction so that some solutions to
improving English pronunciation teaching are provided.
7. Design of the study
This thesis is composed of three parts.
Part 1, INTRODUCTION, presents the rationale, aims, scope, methods
and design of the study.
Part 2, DEVELOPMENT, is divided into four chapters.
Chapter 1: Literature Review, presents relevant concepts to pronunciation
and pronunciation teaching techniques
Chapter 2: Methodology, involves the information about context,
participants and instruments of the study.
Chapter 3: Results and discussion, focuses on data analysis to show
students‟ reaction to pronunciation teaching techniques and the effectiveness
of different techniques.
Chapter 4: Proposed solutions, gives out some solutions to fact and
problems mentioned
Part 3, CONCLUSION, summarizes some major findings, provide
implications for English pronunciation teaching, limitation of the study and
suggestions for further research.

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method where emphasis is on the traditional notions of pronunciation,
minimal pairs, drills and short conversation. (Castillo, 1990) During the late
1960s and the 1970s questions were asked about the role of pronunciation in
the ESL/EFL curriculum, whether the focus of the programs and the

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instructional methods were effective or not. Pronunciation programs until then
were „viewed as meaningless non-communicative drill-and-exercise gambits‟
(Morley, 1991).
Pronunciation is not an optional extra for the language learner, any more
than grammar, vocabulary or any other aspect of language is. If a learner's
general aim is to talk intelligibly to others in another language, a reasonable
pronunciation is important.
Varonis and Gass (1982) examine the factors affecting listening
comprehension in native speakers of English exposed to L2 accents, and
conclude that grammar and pronunciation interact to influence intelligibility. s
more distinct when the connection between pronunciation and listening
comprehension is taken into account. Wong (1993) also demonstrates that a
lack of knowledge of pronunciation could even affect learners' reading and
spelling. According to Baker (1992), pronunciation is very important and
learners should pay close attention to pronunciation as early as possible.
Otherwise, the result will be that advanced learners find that they can improve
all aspects of their proficiency in English except their pronunciation, and
mistakes which have been repeated for years are impossible to eradicate.
Scarcella and Oxford (1994) similarly postulate that pronunciation should be
taught in all second or foreign language classes through a variety of activities.
With the emphasis on meaningful communication and Morley's (1991: 488)
premise, that 'intelligible pronunciation is an essential component of

According to Mortimer (1985), teaching pronunciation includes weak
forms, clusters, linking-up, contractions and stress time. Whereas, Kelly
(2000) argues that teaching pronunciation involves: vowels, consonants, word
and sentence stress, intonation, other aspects of connected speech and
spelling. However, Jenkins (2004) stated that depending on the second
language in question, pronunciation teaching typically covers any or all of the
following: consonant and vowel sounds, changes of these sounds in the
stream of connected speech, word stress patterns, rhythm, and intonation.
Grant (1993) provides a more comprehensive and authentic elements of
teaching pronunciation. This researcher organized the teaching elements from
sounds to syllables and words, to sentences and finally to discoursal
segments. Elements of pronunciation to teach are as follows:
1.4.1 Sound and Spelling Patterns

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Those are rather confusing aspects of English pronunciation. They are
irregular because English has borrowed lots of words from other languages,
such as ancient Latin, Greek, Eskimo and Farsi. Homographs and
homophones are two typical examples of unequivalence of sound and
spelling. Thus, an effective pronunciation teaching should also consider
individual sounds, phonetic transcription, syllable and ending sounds (Linda
Grant ,1993).
1.4.2. Word Stress
It must be highly focused on at the beginning of any pronunciation
course to help learners to have understandable pronunciation. In every words
two or more syllables, one of them is stressed and stronger, louder and longer
than the others. This stressed syllable is very important because speakers of
English rely on patterns of stress to identify the words and phrases they hear

importance of pronunciation teaching because in their opinion, little
relationship exists between teaching pronunciation and attained pronunciation
proficiency. It is stated that “the attainment of accurate pronunciation in a
second language is the matter substantially beyond the control of educators”.
Nevertheless, Pennington (1989) believed that teachers with formal training in
pronunciation play an important role in helping students improve their
pronunciation. The followings are some roles of typical teacher of teaching
pronunciation mentioned by Kenworthy (1996)
 Helping learners hear

 Helping learners make sounds

 Providing feedback

 Pointing out what‟s going on

 Establishing priorities

 Devising activities

 Assessing progress
However, there is still no success in the teaching and learning process if
students do not involve. It is necessary that students develop awareness and
monitoring skills which will allow learning opportunities both inside and
outside the classroom environment. Morley (1991) argued that the learners‟
involvement in the learning process has been noted as one of the best
techniques for developing learner strategies, that is, the measures used by the
learners to develop their language learning. Thus, students must become part
of the teaching and learning process, actively involve in their own learning.
Success in pronunciation teaching surely depends on learners‟ reaction and

selected classes are chosen to be participants. They are both male and female.
All of them are at grade 12th who have been learning English for over six
years. The author chose these grade 12th students to be the participants of the
study because, firstly, at Pham Ngu Lao high school, pronunciation tests are
only designed in paper tests for 12th grade. Thus, students of this grade have
to pay more attention to learning pronunciation. Further more, the
pronunciation in textbook of 12th grade seems to be more confusing than those
in 10th and 11th ones. The author hope to receive the most reliable and honest
data from the questionnaires.
With the interview instrument, the participants were 5 teachers in
random of 9 at the school. Among them, there were three male teachers and
two female ones. They have been teaching at that school from five to ten
years.
2.2 Research design
The purpose of this research is to find out students‟ reactions to learning
pronunciation at Pham Ngu Lao high school. Their reactions to techniques
teachers use are taken into consideration. Regarding techniques used by
teachers, classroom activities and teachers‟ use of English are mentioned. The
research gives chance for students to show their preference in learning

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English pronunciation, which proves much help to recommendation for a
better teaching and learning English pronunciation at Pham Ngu Lao high
school.
2.3 Research methods
To answer the research questions, the study used the method of survey
questionnaires, interview, and class observation
2.3.1. The questionnaires:

2.4 Procedures of data collection
The data procedure is summarized as follows:

Data procedure
Giving Materials

teachers

Observation

Interview
Questionnaire
s

5 Students

2 Teachers

Pilot study

Pilot study

Final version
200 students

Returned + reliable

Final result

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Two hundred questionnaires were delivered to students, and one hundred
ninety six were returned and reliable. The responses are outlined and
discussed below. Wherever possible, the information discussed is provided in
diagrammatic form.
3.1.1 Students’ problems in learning pronunciation
Question 1: What are your purposes of learning English pronunciation?
Question 2: What are your problems in learning English pronunciation?
According to the data collected from 196 students at Pham Ngu Lao high
school, their learning pronunciation purposes are presented hereafter:

10.20%

40.82%

23.47%

Communicating well
For a good job in the future
Passing exam
others

25.51%

Figure 1: Students’ opinion about the purposes of pronunciation
learning
From the chart, it can be seen that most students realize the importance of
learning English pronunciation. Most of students (40.82%) aware of that
learning English pronunciation is to communicate well in English. Many of
them (25.51%) have long term goals to find a good job in the future. There


20.04%
20%

10.20%

7.75%

0%

Figure 2: students’ problems in learning pronunciation
All students considered the large class size is the biggest problem in
learning pronunciation. 51.02% of them think that the boring pronunciation
teaching techniques are problems. The techniques are the same for every
lesson: teacher explains the way the words are pronounced, students listen and
repeat. This result is more demonstrated in the third question. Another 20.04

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% said that they have little practice at home. A small percentage (10.20%)
stated that they don‟t have material to practice and the other reasons account
for 7.75 %.
3.1.2

Pronunciation techniques used by teachers

The third question of questionnaires focuses on finding out techniques
teachers use. All the answers are five techniques used, namely, explanation,
communication activities, written version of oral, modeling and individual
correction and reading aloud. The result came up as following:

30

Reading aloud

20
6.12

10

Others

0

Figure 3: techniques used by teachers
Reading aloud and modeling and correction rank first, 93.75% and 91.84%
respectively. 79.6% of the students answered that communication activities
are used. Written version of oral is technique used less than communication
activities. It accounts for 61.22%. Only 41.1% said that their teachers
explained when teaching pronunciation. The following techniques aren‟t
used: the use of known sounds, tutorial sessions and self study, selfmonitoring and self-correction and computer-assisted language learning.
However, 6.12% of answers mentioned other techniques.

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