Presenter: Dung Thi Nguyen
Date: September 15, 2011
1. Introduction
 Problems in pronunciation have been found in
teachers of English.
 Their problems result in their miscommunication and
teaching qualification.
 The high percentage of the unqualified teachers is the
motivation for the workshop for training teachers
2. Research questions
 What are the common pronunciation problems of
these subjects?
 Which problems are hard to improve?
 If they perceive their mistakes, can they improve their
weaknesses?
3. Method
A. Data collection
 Class observation to identify the problems
 Workshop: 3 stages
- Input
- Information process, Output: first recordings
- Teacher’s feedback
 Diagnose test after four months: second recordings
 Comparison between the two recordings
3. Method (cont’d)
B. Sites and participants selection
- 58 primary school teachers from seven districts in
Binh Duong Province
20%: BA degree in English
80%: 3-year diploma in English
- Range of age:
40 – 53: 10%
22 – 39: 90%
3. Method (cont’d)
 C. Data analysis
- The subjects’ difficulties in pronunciation is based on
the percentage of their mistakes
- Input – Interaction – Output (IIO) model developed
by Gass, Schumann’s acculturation model , and
Critical Period Hypothesis are applied to the analysis
of the mistakes in pronunciation
4. Findings
 Mistakes found in:
Final consonants: monosyllabic language and multisyllabic
language
Challenging consonants:
/s/ in the middle position,
/ð/ and /Ɵ/ pronounced palatal affricative sounds,
/s/ and /ʃ/ pronounced /s/,
/ʤ/ and /ʧ/ pronounced /d/ and
/ch/, /z/ pronounced /s/, and
/æ/ pronounced /ɛ/ are caused by L1 transfer
 /p/ v.s /f/
4. Findings (cont’d)
 Stress and intonation: can be improved quickly
 But experiencing the process: without stress and
intonation  with stress and intonation  wrong
stress and intonation (IIO)
4. Findings
 High percentage of mistakes fall in:
- /pr/
- final sounds
- stressed syllables
- intonation
- linking sounds
- coalescent assimilation
- Deletion: timing
- Tense and lax vowels
5. Solution
 IIO model: attract learners’ attention to marked
sounds
 Schumann’s model: social factors and affective
variables affect second language acquisition: learners’
friendly environment class
 Critical period hypothesis (Piaget): focus on teaching
pronunciation to young learners (primary school
children)
5. Solution (cont’d)
 Teachers should apply wide varieties of pronunciation
practice:
- Incorporate challenging sounds in conversation
practice with pictures
 TPR: action and picture accelerate children acquisition
 Adults:
- Focusing much more on learning environment
- Analyzing linguistic discrimination
 THANK YOU
 QUESTIONS ?