Reinterpreting the Role of Pronunciation in English Language Teaching

Abstract

Teaching pronunciation is as important as teaching any other aspect of language (grammar or vocabulary) for a number of reasons. To start with, poor pronunciation can badly affect all major learners’ skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). However, pronunciation seems to be the most neglected aspect of teaching in the English language classroom. This is evident, Adrian Tennant argues, in the way that pronunciation is treated in most coursebooks. It is often the case that a coursebook lacks regular pronunciation activities in its units. Moreover, the research findings suggest that the overwhelming majority of teachers do either very little or no pronunciation in lessons.