Difficulties in learning pronunciation encountered by the first year students of english major at hanam teachers training college

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSTIY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES - - ĐÀO THU PHƯƠNG DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING PRONUNCIATION ENCOUNTERED BY THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH MAJORS AT HANAM TEACHERS’ TRAINING COLLEGE (KHÓ KHĂN TRONG VIỆC HỌC PHÁT ÂM CỦA SINH VIÊN CHUYÊN TIẾNG ANH NĂM THỨ NHẤT TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG SƯ PHẠM HÀ NAM) M.A Minor Thesis Field: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY Code: 60.14.10 Hanoi, - 2011 ii VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSTIY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES - - ĐÀO THU PHƯƠNG DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING PRONUNCIATION ENCOUNTERED BY THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH MAJOR AT HANAM TEACHERS TRAINING COLLEGE (KHÓ KHĂN TRONG VIỆC HỌC PHÁT ÂM CỦA SINH VIÊN CHUYÊN TIẾNG ANH NĂM THỨ NHẤT TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG SƯ PHẠM HÀ NAM) M.A Minor Thesis Field: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY Code: 60.14.10 Supervisor: PHÙNG THỊ KIM DUNG, M.A Hanoi - 2011 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration…………………………………………………………………………… i Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………… ii Abstract………………………………………………………………………… iii Table of contents…………………………………………………………………… iv List of charts and tables……………………………………… ……………………… vi PART I: INTRODUCTION……………………………… ……………………… 1 Rationale of the Study………………………………… …………………………… Aim of the Study…………………………………………………………………… Research Questions…………………………………………….…………………… Methods of the Study…………………………………… ………………………… Scope of the Study ……………………………………….………………………… Significance of the Study………………………………… ……………………… PART II: DEVELOPMENT………………………………………………………… Chapter 1: Literature Review ……………………………………………………… 1.1 Place of Pronunciation in Communicative Competence and Foreign Language Learning……………………………………………………………………………… 1.2 Approaches to Pronunciation Teaching –Pronunciation Teaching Methodologies ………………………………………………………………………… 1.3 Factors Affecting Pronunciation Learning ………………………………………… 1.4 Differences in the Sound Systems of the Two Languages: English and Vietnamese …………………………………………………………………………… 1.5 Some Common English Pronunciation Problems Met by Vietnamese Learners ……………………………………………………………………………… Chapter 2: Methodology …………………………………………………………… 12 2.1 Context of the Study ………………….…………………………….…………… 12 2.2 Participants of the Study ………………………………………………………… 12 2.3 Instruments ……………………………………………………………………… 13 2.3.1 Survey Questionnaire …………………………………………………………… 13 2.3.2 Interview ……………………………………………………………………… 13 2.3.3 Classroom Observation ………………………………………………………… 14 v Chapter 3: Data Analysis and Discussions …………………….…………………… 15 3.1 Data Analysis and Discussions …………………………………………………… 15 3.1.1 Students’ Evaluation of the Importance of Pronunciation ……………………… 15 3.1.2 Students’ Difficulties in Learning English Pronunciation …………………… 15 3.1.3 Students’ Difficulties with English Vowels …………………………………… 17 3.1.4 Students’ Difficulties with English Consonants ……………………………… 18 3.1.5 Students’ Difficulties with Stress, Intonation and Rhythm …………………… 22 3.1.6 Causes of Difficulties in Learning English Pronunciation ………………… 24 3.1.7 Teachers’ Suggestive Teaching Techniques …………………………………… 26 3.2 Summary of the Findings 26 Chapter 4: Recommendations ……………………………………………………… 28 4.1 Amount of Exposure ……………………………………………………………… 28 4.2 Attitudes and Motivation ………………………………………………………… 28 4.3 Suggested Teaching Techniques ………………………………………………… 29 PART III: CONCLUSION ………………………………………………… ……… 37 Conclusions of the Study…………………………………………………………… 37 Limitations of the Study…………………………………………………………… 37 Suggestions for Further Study.……………………………………………… …… 37 REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………………… 39 APPENDICES ……………………… ……………………………………………… I-VII SUMMARY OF THE STUDY Despite the full recognition of the importance of English pronunciation in developing students’ communicative competence, students at Hanam Teachers’ Training College encounter a number of difficulties in their pronunciation learning process This case study aims at investigating what difficulties the first year students majoring in English at Hanam Teachers’ Training College meet when learning English pronunciation and what are possible causes of such difficulties The data was collected by means of survey questionnaire, interview and class observation Results indicated that the first year students at Hanam Teachers’ Training College shared common difficulties in pronouncing English with most of Vietnamese learners However, due to the local accents, they make other typical mistakes with certain vowel and consonant sounds Different causes of these difficulties were also presented in the data analysis and discussion The findings of the study then were used as the bases for applicable pedagogical implications about the techniques of teaching pronunciation to facilitate the first year students in their English pronunciation learning  ... number of difficulties in their pronunciation learning process This case study aims at investigating what difficulties the first year students majoring in English at Hanam Teachers? ?? Training College. .. I-VII SUMMARY OF THE STUDY Despite the full recognition of the importance of English pronunciation in developing students? ?? communicative competence, students at Hanam Teachers? ?? Training College encounter... that the first year students at Hanam Teachers? ?? Training College shared common difficulties in pronouncing English with most of Vietnamese learners However, due to the local accents, they make other