Rationale
The rapid development of our world highlights the significance of international cooperation as a key strategy for socio-economic advancement To effectively integrate into the global economy, proficiency in foreign languages, particularly English, is essential Recognizing this, the Vietnamese government has implemented an English curriculum for children starting at age six, leading to a significant rise in English language centers over the past two decades While many young Vietnamese are learning to speak English, there is a notable concern regarding pronunciation, as many speakers struggle to be understood by foreigners Mastering English pronunciation is crucial for effective communication, making it vital for learners to focus on accurate pronunciation from the beginning of their studies.
While I teach English to students age from 6 to 10 years old at
At Linkin’world English Skills Center in Dong Anh, Hanoi, many students struggle with pronouncing English consonants correctly Identifying and addressing these pronunciation errors is crucial for their language development To assist students in mastering English consonants from the outset of their learning journey, I initiated a study titled "An Investigation on Common Errors in Pronouncing English Consonants Made by 6 to 10-Year-Old Students at Linkin’world English Skills Center."
Anh, Hanoi” It is hoped that this study will contribute to the goal of enhancing students‟ performance in teaching and learning foreign language.
Aims and objectives
- Improving students‟ pronunciation of English consonants 2.2 Objectives of the study
- Identify what English consonants that are often mispronounced by 6 to 10 year old students at Linkinworld English skills centre, Dong Anh, Hanoi
- Identify what common mistakes students make in pronouncing those English consonants
- Find out causes of mistakes made by students in pronouncing those English consonants
- Suggest some possible solutions to help students improve their pronunciation of English consonants.
Research questions
- Question 1: What are English consonants that are often mispronounced by 6 to 10 year old students at Linkin‟world English skill centre, Dong Anh, Hanoi
- Question 2: What common mistakes do students make in pronouncing those English consonants?
- Question 3: What are the causes of those mistakes?
- Question 4: What are teachers‟ possible solutions to those mistakes?
Scope of the study
Vietnamese students often face challenges with English pronunciation, particularly with certain consonants Due to time constraints and the scope of this minor thesis, this study will concentrate on common pronunciation errors among students aged 6 to 10 at Linkin’world English Skill Center in Dong Anh, Hanoi It will also explore the underlying causes of these mistakes and propose effective solutions for improvement.
Significance of the study
Theoretical significance: The research provides both teachers and learners with revision of phonological characteristics and articulation of the sounds It is a basic foundation in teaching and learning English pronunciation
This study highlights the common pronunciation errors made by young students when articulating English consonants By pinpointing these mistakes, it equips teachers with valuable insights and practical strategies to effectively enhance students' pronunciation skills promptly.
Organization of the study
This study is structured into five chapters, beginning with Part A: "Introduction," which outlines the rationale behind the thesis selection, the study's aims and objectives, key research questions, its scope, significance, and overall organization.
LITERATURE REVIEW
METHODOLOGY
The informants of the study
There were 35 informants in the study including thirty students aged from
At Linkin'world English Skill Centre, students aged 6 to 10 are enrolled in four classes: Fa1.5, Fa1.6, Fa1.7, and Fa1.8, taught by a team of five experienced English teachers Most students have been learning English for one year, while some have over a year of experience, and they have recently completed the course book "Family and Friends 1" from Oxford University Press Each teacher brings a minimum of one year of experience in instructing young learners in this age group.
Research method
In order to answer the research questions, the survey method was adopted in which a survey questionnaire and recording informants‟ pronunciation were the data collection instruments
2.2.1 Data collection instruments Instrument 1: Recording informants’ pronunciation
Using a recorder is the most prevalent method for capturing interview data, as it effectively preserves the entire verbal exchange for future analysis This allows the interviewer to pause and replay segments of the conversation, facilitating a clearer understanding of the information gathered Consequently, tape recording is particularly beneficial for identifying students' challenges with pronouncing English sounds.
The task aimed to evaluate students' pronunciation through three distinct parts In the first part, students articulated sounds and words featuring consonants in various positions—initial, middle, and final The second part involved students reading aloud additional phonetic components to further assess their pronunciation skills.
The article features eight sentences highlighting common mispronounced sounds among students In Part 3, pairs of students engage in reading two dialogues All vocabulary and dialogues are sourced from the "Family and Friends 1" course book published by Oxford University Press This interactive task aims to enhance pronunciation skills while utilizing familiar content By focusing on these specific sounds, students can improve their speaking abilities The structured practice encourages collaboration and reinforces learning Through repetition and dialogue reading, students gain confidence in their pronunciation Overall, this exercise is an effective way to address pronunciation challenges in language learning.
Survey questionnaires are an effective tool for collecting valuable information on the emotional aspects of teaching and learning, including beliefs, attitudes, motivation, and preferences, as noted by Richards and Lockhart (1994) They allow researchers to gather substantial data efficiently and swiftly.
In this study, a great number of question types categorized by Youngman
(1986, as cited in Nunan, 1992:144) including frequency, list, category and ranking questions had been applied
As the basic for the completion of the study, the questionnaire is carefully designed with 11 questions to get the most effective investigation
The questionnaire is designed to clarify:
- Teachers‟ perception about their student‟s pronunciation mistakes
- Teachers‟ perception about causes of students‟ mistakes in pronouncing consonants
- Teachers‟ methods to help students eliminate their mistakes in pronouncing English consonants
The researcher utilized tape recording to gather data from thirty students, who were informed about the reading materials prepared for their recording session The reading materials consisted of three distinct parts, as previously described.
After identifying pronunciation mistakes in the subject, the researcher conducted a second phase involving a questionnaire distributed to five teachers The goal was to uncover the causes of these errors and explore potential solutions for helping students improve To ensure clarity and effectiveness, pilot recordings and a pilot questionnaire were administered prior to this phase, confirming that there were no issues with the tasks or questions.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS
Findings and discussions
In this chapter, all collected data will be analyzed and discussed to reveal the answers to the four research questions
3.1.1 Research question 1: What are English consonants that are often mispronounced by 6 to 10 year old students at Linkin’world English skill centre, Dong Anh, Hanoi
The findings from the tape recording data indicate that the sounds categorized as "often mispronounced" must exhibit two key characteristics: they are frequently repeated by participants facing difficulties, and they are pronounced by students in a manner that significantly diverges from native speakers, potentially impacting listeners' comprehension.
The table below presents the number of students having troubles with English consonants
Numbers of students with troubles
Numbers of students with troubles
Table 2: Number of students with troubles of English consonants
The problematic sounds that student participants had troubles with would be discussed and ranked with descending order
A study involving 27 student participants revealed that they struggled primarily with the sounds / θ /, / ð /, and / dʒ / In contrast, they had no difficulties with / m /, / n /, / η /, / h /, and / w / Additionally, other challenging sounds included / f /, / ∫ /, / tʃ /, / k /, / v /, / ʒ /, / t /, / s /, and / z / The sounds / p /, / l /, and / j / were incorrectly produced by 10 participants, while fewer than 10 students had difficulty with / b /, / d /, / r /, and / g /.
All in all, the answer to the first research question are following sounds / θ /, / ð/, /dʒ / / f /, / ∫ /, / t∫/, / k /, / v /, / ʒ /, / t /, / s /, / z /, /p/, /l/, /j/
3.1.2 Research question 2: What common mistakes do students make in pronouncing those English consonants?
The recording tasks aimed to identify the most frequent pronunciation errors made by students when articulating English consonants This was achieved by having them read aloud specific sounds, related vocabulary, short sentences, and two dialogues that included these sounds.
To have a general look, the researcher synthesizes students‟ pronunciation mistakes in 2 successive tables
Table 3: Number of students pronouncing sound omission
The data indicates that a significant majority of students (approximately 80%) frequently omitted fricative sounds /f/, /v/, /θ/, and /ð/ at the end of words, while none neglected these sounds at the beginning Additionally, 67% of students omitted sounds such as /t/, /s/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/, /k/, and /dʒ/ This tendency can be attributed to the absence of final sound pronunciation in Vietnamese Moreover, sounds like /dʒ/ and /tʃ/ pose particular challenges for Vietnamese learners when they occur at the end of words Some sounds, including /θ/, /s/, and /f/, were also omitted in the middle position, with 22 students omitting /θ/, 15 omitting /s/, and 6 omitting /f/ In contrast, sonorant sounds such as /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /h/, /j/, /r/, and /w/ did not present difficulties for the students during pronunciation.
Sounds Deviations Numbers of students making mistakes
Table 4: Number students making mistakes of sound deviation
The data presented in the table highlights that a significant number of informants made sound deviation errors, with the most common mispronunciations being /θ/, /tʃ/, /dʒ/, and /ð/ Notably, 67% of students mispronounced these sounds, with /θ/ often substituted by /tʔ/ due to its similar pronunciation in Vietnamese, despite differences in articulation Similarly, /tʃ/ was frequently replaced by /c/, and /ð/ by /d/, indicating a negative transfer from their mother tongue Additionally, while /θ/ was occasionally mispronounced as /t/ by 30% of students, the sound /dʒ/ was mostly replaced by /z/.
Half of the participants mispronounced the sounds /f/, /t/, /∫/, /v/, /z/, and /ʒ/, often substituting them with /s/, /t‟/, or /n/, indicating a lack of attention to proper tongue placement during articulation Notably, 17% of students incorrectly pronounced /l/ as /n/, a mistake attributed to their hometown dialects This suggests that students are influenced by the pronunciation habits of their parents and peers, leading to widespread mispronunciations.
Students often exhibit omissions and deviations of certain consonants in both middle and final positions Their existing phonemic habits carry over into their English pronunciation, leading to difficulties in accurately imitating proper pronunciation.
3.1.3 Research question 3: What are the causes of those mistakes?
Finding out the causes of the students‟ mistakes in pronouncing English consonants can be considered as a key to solve the problems so that question
6 was designed In this question, possible causes were listed for teachers who directly teach pronunciation to students to give their opinions
Strongly agree agree neutral disagree
Figure 1: Teachers’ perceptions of causes of students’ mistakes
Many students struggle with English pronunciation due to a lack of familiarity with the proper use of their mouth, tongue, and lips English consonants often seem unfamiliar, leading students to pronounce them as they would in Vietnamese Additionally, infrequent practice and feelings of shyness further hinder their ability to articulate these sounds correctly Moreover, regional dialects can significantly impact students' pronunciation skills, adding to the challenges they face in mastering English consonants.
A recent survey revealed that 80% of teachers believe their students struggle with the correct use of their tongue, lips, and mouth when pronouncing English consonants Additionally, 57% of educators noted that English consonants seem unfamiliar to students, while 85.5% acknowledged that students often pronounce English consonants similarly to Vietnamese ones Interestingly, when asked about the lack of practice with English consonants as a potential cause for these pronunciation issues, 43% of teachers were uncertain, and 28.5% disagreed Furthermore, 57% of teachers indicated that students lack confidence in pronouncing English consonants, with dialect influences also affecting their pronunciation; only 14.5% disagreed with this assessment.
A survey conducted among teachers identified several key factors contributing to students' difficulties in pronouncing English consonants Firstly, many students lack the knowledge of how to properly use their mouth, tongue, and lips, resulting in a limited understanding of the articulation of English consonants Secondly, the influence of their mother tongue, particularly Vietnamese, negatively affects their pronunciation Lastly, a lack of confidence in speaking English leads to students' fear of making mistakes, further hindering their ability to pronounce English sounds correctly.
3.1.4 Research question 4: What are teachers' possible solutions to those mistakes?
Question 7 was designed to discover the frequency of use some methods which help students improve their pronunciation
Always Often Some times Seldom
Figure 2: Teachers’ methods used to help students correct mistakes
Methods Always Often Sometimes Seldom Never a listening and imitating b phonetic training c minimal pair drill d visual aids e tongue twister f reading aloud g Playing game
Teachers predominantly use listening and imitating, along with reading aloud, as their primary methods in the classroom, with 57% always and 43% often employing these techniques due to their ease of application Phonetic training is also widely utilized, with 14% always using it, 72% often, and 14% sometimes Additionally, minimal pair drills and visual aids are common, with 57% often using them and 43% sometimes While tongue twisters and games are employed by teachers, they are used less frequently, with 43% often and 28.5% sometimes or seldom incorporating these activities.
At Likin'world English Skills Center, teachers employ various effective methods to enhance students' pronunciation Common techniques include listening and imitating native speakers, as well as reading aloud to reinforce correct pronunciation.
To enhance pronunciation lessons, teachers should prioritize a variety of methods, including visual aids, phonetic training, and minimal pair drills, while also incorporating tongue twisters and games more frequently By diversifying instructional activities, educators can better engage students and improve their learning outcomes in pronunciation.
Some suggested activities for students to improve their mistakes
To enhance pronunciation skills, students require significant time to understand sound production In addition to traditional classroom activities, the following exercises can effectively support students in practicing English sounds, serving as valuable supplementary resources for teachers.
Tongue twisters are an effective tool for teaching pronunciation, enabling students to practice language skills without the fear of making mistakes They enhance fluency by featuring similar-sounding words with different meanings, often resulting in nonsensical phrases that encourage students to engage with the sounds more rapidly This method not only makes learning enjoyable but also fosters a sense of humor among students For instance, instructors can provide sentences with specific sounds and ask students to read them aloud, promoting both fun and skill development.
/ s /and / ∫ / She sells sea shells on the sea shore
Susie‟s shirt shop sells shirts /dʒ / and / t∫/ Joy to see your chin, jaw and cheek”
/z/ Zizi‟s zippy zipper zips /h/ Harry Hunt hunts heavy hairy hares
This game enhances pronunciation skills by incorporating logical problem-solving Players navigate a grid filled with words that share a common vowel sound from the top left to the bottom right corner, while other squares contain words that may seem similar but differ in sound Students must find the correct path to reach the endpoint, followed by practicing the words along the chosen route and those with varying sounds for comprehensive learning.
To assist students in mastering the pronunciation of the /θ/ sound, the teacher provides a table filled with words that include this sound Students are then tasked with navigating from START to FINISH by identifying and connecting the words that contain the /θ/ sound throughout their path.
Thursday Clothes Those Weather Thousand Thick
Tooth Them They Bathroom Throw Thirsty
Three Although Brother Healthy These Thing
Thin Than Through Theme Their Thank
Mouth Path Think Mother Then Teeth
This Either rather that the Birthday
This activity focuses on distinguishing between similar sounds, specifically /θ/ and /ð/ The teacher begins by prompting students to repeat words like "think," "thing," and "thin" to raise their awareness of these sounds Next, students receive a blank grid and a list of words, which they fill in randomly As the teacher calls out words containing the target sounds, students cross off the corresponding words they hear The objective is to be the first to complete a line of connected boxes, either horizontally or vertically, using words such as "birthday," "bathroom," "mouth," "teeth," "three," "them," "father," "thump," "mother," "this," "thin," and "thick."
To enhance pronunciation lessons, teachers can implement various engaging activities tailored to their students' needs The effectiveness of these activities hinges on the teacher's ability to determine the appropriate context for their use In addition to the suggested activities, numerous other engaging options exist to aid students in improving their pronunciation skills Crucially, educators should focus on fostering students' self-confidence, encouraging regular practice, and creating a motivating classroom environment that promotes enjoyment and relaxation during lessons.
Summary
Effective pronunciation is crucial in teaching English, particularly to young learners This study investigates common pronunciation errors made by students with English consonants, aiming to correct these mistakes while fostering interest in the language It also identifies the underlying causes of these errors and offers practical suggestions for improvement Overall, this research serves as a valuable resource for educators focused on enhancing English pronunciation skills.
Questionnaire and recordings of students‟ pronunciation are two instruments to collect data for the research From the results and findings, it can be drawn that:
Students aged 6 to 10 at Linkinworld English Skill Centre in Dong Anh, Hanoi, commonly make pronunciation errors, primarily characterized by sound omission in both middle and final positions, as well as sound deviation The most frequently mispronounced sounds include /θ/, /ð/, /dʒ/, /f/, /ʃ/, and /tʃ/.
Students often make pronunciation mistakes due to a lack of understanding of how to properly use their mouth, tongue, and lips This gap in knowledge includes the manner and place of articulation for English consonants, which contributes to their difficulties in achieving accurate pronunciation.
The influence of the mother tongue can significantly hinder students' English pronunciation skills, as they often rely heavily on Vietnamese phonetics This reliance leads to a lack of confidence in articulating English sounds, causing students to fear making mistakes during their pronunciation practice.
Some practical suggestions to over come these mistakes are mentioned in the study: using visual aids, phonetic training, minimal pair drill, tongue twister, playing game
Learning a foreign language is a long-term endeavor that demands significant effort from learners to achieve success and proper pronunciation It is essential for both teachers and students to recognize its importance and explore innovative methods to tackle challenges and enhance their knowledge.
Pedagogical Implication
Teaching a foreign language, particularly English, is often seen as a challenging task due to the significant differences in sound systems between English and Vietnamese As a result, pronunciation becomes a critical focus for educators This study serves as a valuable resource for teachers who are dedicated to improving their students' pronunciation skills.
Firstly, this study can be use as supporting material providing the basic knowledge of the pronunciation, role of pronunciation in language teaching as well as factors affecting pronunciation learning
The study reveals common pronunciation mistakes made by Vietnamese students when articulating English consonants, identifies the underlying causes of these errors, and offers potential solutions for improvement This insight equips teachers with a better understanding of their students' pronunciation challenges, enabling them to apply effective teaching methods tailored to enhance English pronunciation skills.
Limitation and suggestion for further research
Although the researcher has great effort to carry out the study, there still remain some inevitable shortcomings
The study's scope is limited, concentrating solely on the most prevalent pronunciation errors of consonants among a small group of students at the English skill center in Dong Anh, Hanoi This restricted sample size may not adequately represent the broader student population.
Secondly, the findings of the research and suggested solutions are based only on the opinions of the teachers and students at English skill centre, Dong Anh, Hanoi
Future researchers in the field of pronunciation can build on this study by exploring areas such as vowels, stress, and intonation Identifying students' challenges in these aspects can lead to the development of various techniques for effectively addressing pronunciation issues This comprehensive approach aims to enhance learners' pronunciation skills Additionally, it is anticipated that subsequent research will validate the practical effectiveness of the proposed solutions.
Due to the limited time and knowledge, mistakes are inevitable so all the comments and suggestion are highly appreciated so that the quality of the study can be improved
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APPENDIX 1: EXERCISES FOR TAPE RECORDING
1 Read aloud these sounds and words
1 There‟s an egg with a yellow hat
2 Look! The goat‟s got a fig
3 The lion‟s got some jam
4 Mum‟s got an orange and a pen
5 I can see a zebra in a van and a yoyo on a box
6 The sheep is white and the fish is red
7 My teacher‟s on a chair and she‟s got a sandwich
8 Baby Theo‟s in the bath
3 Read aloud these dialogues Dialogue 1 (Story - Unit 7)
Mum: Help! The clothes Look, this is Rosy‟s dress
Dad: Are these her socks?
Dad: Is this Billy‟s T- shirt?
Mum: Yes, it is Put it in his basket Are these his trousers?
Dad: No, they aren‟t his trousers They‟re my shorts
Dialogue 2 (Story - Unit 9) Tim: It‟s lunchtime Get our lunch boxes
Rosy: Oh no! I haven‟t got my lunch box
Tim: I‟ve got two sandwiches and I‟ve got an apple and a banana Choose one Rosy: Thanks! The apple, please Look! Now I‟ve got ten sandwiches and six
This survey questionnaire is designed to collect the information or data for my
The MA study, titled "An Investigation on Common Errors in Pronouncing English Consonants Made by 6 to 10-Year-Old Students at Linkin’ World English Skills Center, Dong Anh, Hanoi," aims to identify prevalent pronunciation mistakes among young learners Your valuable assistance is crucial for this research, and the findings will be used exclusively for academic purposes related to this study.
Decide your answer by putting a tick (v) or filling in your own opinion in blanks
1 How long have you taught English? ………
2 How often have you taught your students pronunciation?
A very important in studying English
D not very important in studying English
E not important in studying English
4 You think your students’ frequency of making mistakes in pronouncing English consonants
5 Which sounds do you think your students often mispronounce? Sounds Often mispronounce Sounds Often mispronounce
6 Answer the questions by putting a tick into the box which is the best of your representative of your answer
Causes of mistakes Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
1 Students do not know how to use their mouth, tongue, lip to pronounce
2 English consonants are strange to students
3 students pronounce English consonants in the same way in Vietnamese
4 Students do not practice English consonants frequently
5 Students feel shy to pronounce English consonants
6 Dialect affects on students‟ pronunciation Your opinion:
7 How often do you use following methods to help your students pronounce English consonants?
Methods Always Often Sometimes Seldom Never