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, 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 SUPERVISOR: NGUYỄN QUỲNH TRANG, Ph D Candidate Hanoi -2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF FIGURES vi INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale Aims of the study Research questions Methods of the study 4.1 Subjects of study 4.2 Data collection instruments 4.3 Data collecting procedure 4.4 Data analysis Scope of the study Significance of the study Design of the study DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Definition of technique and reaction 1.2 Previous studies about teaching pronunciation 1.3 Techniques of teaching pronunciation 1.3.1 The use of known sounds: 1.3.2 Explanation: 1.3.3 Communication activities: 1.3.4 Written versions of oral presentations: 1.3.5 Modelling and individual correction: 1.3.6 Tutorial sessions and self-study: 1.3.7 Self-monitoring and self-correction: 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 iv 2.1 The subjects 14 2.2 Research design 14 2.3 Research methods 15 2.3.1 The questionnaires: 15 2.3.2 Interview 15 2.3.3 Classroom observation 15 2.4 Procedures of data collection 16 CHAPTER 3: RESUILTS AND DISCUSSION 18 3.1 Questionnaires responses 18 3.1.1 Students’ problems in learning pronunciation 18 3.1.2 Pronunciation techniques used by teachers 20 3.1.3 Students’ appreciation of techniques used by teacher 21 3.1.4 Questions about students’ preference 23 3.1.5 Question about students’ motivation 24 3.1.6 question about students’ expectation for a better and more effective pronunciation practice 26 3.2 Observation 27 3.2.1 Findings based on observation 27 3.2.2 The reasons behind the problems mentioned 27 3.3 The interview 29 3.4 Summary of the chapter 31 CHAPTER 4: PROPOSED SOLUTIONS 32 4.1 Suggestions from observation 32 4.2 Suggestions from questionnaires and interview 32 4.2.1 Teachers’ techniques 32 4.2.2 Equipping facilities 35 4.2.3 Motivating students to learn 35 4.2.4 Among teachers’ staff 36 4.2.5 Summary of the chapter 36 CONCLUSION 37 Conclusions 37 Implications 38 Limitations and suggestions for further study 38 REFERENCES 41 Appendix I Appendix II Appendix VI Appendix IX v 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 vi INTRODUCTION 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 over the last few decades However, English pronunciation teaching seems to be very much neglected by many teachers, especially at high school because of many different reasons At my school, Pham Ngu Lao high school in Thuy Nguyen district, Hai Phong city, teaching and learning English pronunciation is really new challenging work Besides the lack of well-equipped facilities, teaching pronunciation techniques are quite new and unfamiliar to teachers They have been inexperienced in teaching pronunciation methods and techniques since the new English textbook was in use Another thing is that students‟ low levels of proficiency in term of vocabulary, grammar Above all, all important English exams at school as well as the university entrance exam are always in written form Thus, most teachers and students have little motivation to teach and to learn pronunciation In my point of view, there is much to work out current and potential problems, and then create better suitable teaching techniques and strategies that facilitate the effectiveness of pronunciation lessons From this fact, the author of this study, the teacher at Pham Ngu Lao high school, has desire of doing something new to promote English pronunciation teaching and learning at this school And up to now, there has not been any study on students‟ reaction to techniques used in teaching pronunciation yet Therefore, the study aims at finding out “students’ reactions to the techniques teachers use for teaching pronunciation at Pham Ngu Lao high school, Hai Phong” Aims of the study The study aims at: Firstly, to find out problems students face when learning English 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 Research questions (1) What problems 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 Methods of the study 4.1 Subjects of study The participants of the study include: out of 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 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 observation, recording and interview 4.4 Data analysis Qualitative analysis + Quantitative analysis = Data analysis Scope of the study There are many aspects of teaching pronunciation at high schools, however this study focuses on students‟ reactions to techniques teachers used for teaching pronunciation The students are 12th grade at Pham Ngu Lao high school in Hai Phong The study conducts an insightful analysis of the students‟ reactions, looks deeply into the problems and finds suitable solutions as suggested by teachers Significance of the study Pronunciation is an integrated and integral part of foreign language learning as it directly affects learners' communicative competence and performance to a substantial extent Despite its importance, for many years, teaching pronunciation has a very small place at schools in Vietnam in general and Pham Ngu Lao high school in particular Thus, at this school teaching English pronunciation is really new and challenging work How to teach pronunciation effectively and how to get positive reactions from 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 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 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 DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 Definition of technique and reaction According to Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, language teaching is sometimes discussed in terms of three related aspects: approach, method, and technique Different theories about the nature of language and how languages are learned (the approach) imply different ways of teaching language (the method), and different methods make use of different kinds of classroom activity (the technique) Thus, it is understood that technique is the method, procedure or way something is done or the way in which a process is, or should be, carried out Reaction is defined as something done, felt, or thought in response to a situation or event in Oxford dictionaries And in US English dictionary it is an action performed or a feeling experienced in response to a situation or event Therefore, according to Oxford advanced learner‟s dictionary, reaction is commonly known as what you do, say, or think as a result of something that has happened It is also a change in people‟s attitudes or behavior caused by disapproval of the attitudes, etc of the past 1.2 Previous studies about teaching pronunciation Pronunciation has been regarded as „the Cinderella of language teaching‟ (Kelly, 1969; Dalton, 1997) The role of pronunciation in the different schools of language teaching has varied widely from having virtually no role in the grammar-translation method to being the main focus in the audio-lingual 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 ... study on students‟ reaction to techniques used in teaching pronunciation yet Therefore, the study aims at finding out ? ?students’ reactions to the techniques teachers use for teaching pronunciation. .. 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. .. 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