Teaching EFL Pronunciation: Why, What and How?

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Why is EFL pronunciation teaching ignored?
• Firstly, the absence or exclusion of EFL pronunciation from the curriculum/ syllabus is indicative of the fact that the curriculum/ syllabus designer has deliberately or ignorantly overlooked its significance.
• Secondly, the locally produced materials and/or the imported overseas ones used to teach/ learn EFL do not usually embody pronunciation components and lessons.
• Thirdly, as most teachers do not have useful strategies or techniques for teaching EFL pronunciation and as they do not know what strategies are appropriate when they meet a specific problem, they simply avoid pronunciation instruction in the classroom by employing shrewd tricks.
• Finally, it is a fact that a substantial number of persons (of course more than fifty percent in Bangladesh) currently working as English curriculum/ syllabus designers, materials developers, educators, classroom teachers and test writers/ question setters in EFL settings have either literature background or insufficient training in ELT and hence tactfully avoid and/or consciously exclude EFL pronunciation items from the syllabus, lessons from the material and instruction from the classroom activities.
• Why should EFL pronunciation be taught?

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper examines and addresses four major issues concerning teaching EFL pronunciation to learners at different levels. The author explores the reasons behind the neglect of pronunciation teaching, justifies its importance alongside other language skills, discusses levels and aspects of pronunciation that should be taught, and presents various teaching approaches and techniques.

• The significance of pronunciation in communicative competence and performance.
• The reasons for overlooking EFL pronunciation teaching in various educational settings.
• Justification for incorporating pronunciation instruction in EFL curricula.
• Determining the appropriate levels and aspects of pronunciation to be taught.
• Effective teaching approaches and techniques for EFL pronunciation.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: The paper establishes the importance of pronunciation in second language learning, highlighting its impact on communicative competence. It also acknowledges the varied treatment of pronunciation teaching in different syllabuses and methods, leading to discussions about its effectiveness in communicative language teaching.
• Why is EFL pronunciation teaching ignored?: This section delves into the reasons for neglecting pronunciation instruction in various EFL contexts, including Bangladesh. It explores factors such as curriculum design, materials used, teacher training, and attitudes towards pronunciation.
• Why should EFL pronunciation be taught?: The author presents arguments for the importance of pronunciation teaching, citing its impact on listening comprehension, intelligibility, and overall communication effectiveness. It also discusses the limitations of research on the effectiveness of pronunciation instruction.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This paper focuses on EFL pronunciation, its teaching, justification, intelligibility, approaches, and techniques/activities. The central theme is the importance of pronunciation in achieving communicative competence in English as a foreign language.