Volume 07 Issue 05 May 2024
Le Quang Dung
Dai Nam University, Hanoi, Vietnam
DOI : https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v7-i05-74Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT
This study investigates the phonological challenges encountered by Vietnamese learners of English and explores the strategies employed to address these challenges. A mixed-methods approach was employed, comprising a quantitative survey administered to 152 participants and semi-structured interviews conducted with a subset of 7 participants. Quantitative analysis of survey data revealed perceived difficulty levels for various phonological aspects of English pronunciation, with reconciling spelling and pronunciation emerging as the most challenging aspect. Qualitative interviews provided deeper insights into learners' experiences, highlighting additional phonological challenges such as distinguishing between vowel sounds and mastering intonation patterns. Participants reported employing a range of strategies, including regular practice, utilization of resources, and participation in interactive learning experiences, to address pronunciation difficulties. The implications of this research are twofold. Firstly, it contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the complexities surrounding English pronunciation learning among Vietnamese learners. Secondly, the identified strategies offer valuable insights for language teaching and support. Educators can tailor their teaching approaches to address the specific phonological challenges highlighted in this study, fostering more effective English pronunciation acquisition among Vietnamese learners. Additionally, the findings underscore the importance of providing diverse learning resources and opportunities for interactive practice to enhance pronunciation skills. These implications not only enrich our understanding of language acquisition processes but also have practical implications for educators, curriculum developers, and language learners alike.
KEYWORDS:English pronunciation, Vietnamese learners, Phonological challenges, Language acquisition, Strategies
REFERENCES1) Alves, M. (2007). Language policies and orthographic standardization in Vietnam. Language Problems & Language Planning, 31(1), 51-76.
2) Brown, H. D. (1994). Principles of language learning and teaching. Prentice Hall.
3) Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., & Goodwin, J. M. (1996). Teaching pronunciation: A reference for teachers of English to speakers of other languages. Cambridge University Press.
4) Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., & Goodwin, J. M. (2010). Teaching pronunciation: A course book and reference guide (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
5) Chen, Y., & Wang, L. (2023). Phonological difficulties in English pronunciation among Mandarin-speaking learners. Journal of Applied Linguistics, 15(2), 45-68.
6) Chun, D. M., & Plass, J. L. (1996). Effects of multimedia annotations on vocabulary acquisition. The Modern Language Journal, 80(2), 183-198.
7) Dalton, C., & Seidlhofer, B. (1994). Pronunciation. Oxford University Press.
8) Dang, T. T. M. (2009). Phonological error analysis of Vietnamese learners of English: Evidence from English major students. Asian EFL Journal, 11(4), 148-172.
9) Dang, T. N. (2013). A study of pronunciation errors made by EFL learners: Evidence from Vietnamese learners. International Journal of English Linguistics, 3(1), 108-121.
10) Derwing, T. M., & Munro, M. J. (2005). Second language accent and pronunciation teaching: A research-based approach. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 379-397.
11) Dinh, H. (2017). The challenges of teaching pronunciation in the Vietnamese EFL context. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 8(6), 1095-1102.
12) Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Routledge.
13) Duong, V. M., & Huynh, H. H. (2017). Pronunciation Errors Made by Vietnamese Learners of English: A Study of Prosodic Features. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 8(1), 149-157.
14) García, M., et al. (2022). Sociocultural factors influencing pronunciation development in Spanish-speaking learners of English. Language Learning and Teaching, 10(3), 112-130.
15) Gilbert, J. B. (2012). Clear speech: Pronunciation and listening comprehension in North American English. Cambridge University Press.
16) Grant, L. (2014). Well said: Pronunciation for clear communication. Cengage Learning.
17) Ho, M. L. (2018). English Phonology and Phonetics: A Course Book for Vietnamese Learners of English. Education Publishing House.
18) Johnson, R. (2024). Enhancing phonological accuracy through explicit instruction and technology-based practice: Insights from diverse learner populations. TESOL Quarterly, 38(1), 78-95.
19) Kenworthy, J. (1987). Teaching English pronunciation. Longman.
20) Kim, S., & Lee, J. (2021). Technology-enhanced pronunciation instruction for Korean learners of English: A multimedia approach. Computer-Assisted Language Learning, 25(4), 321-345.
21) Ladefoged, P., & Johnson, K. (2011). A course in phonetics. Cengage Learning.
22) Le, T. H. H. (2012). An investigation into pronunciation problems faced by Vietnamese tertiary level students. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 3(3), 496-504.
23) Levis, J. (2005). Changing contexts and shifting paradigms in pronunciation teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 369-377.
24) Levis, J. M., & LeVelle, K. M. (2016). Pronunciation teaching. In J. I. Liontas (Ed.), The TESOL encyclopedia of English language teaching (pp. 1-9). Wiley Blackwell.
25) Major, R. C., & Kim, S. (2012). Interlanguage phonology: The acquisition of a second language speech. John Wiley & Sons.
26) Nguyen, D. H. (1997). Vietnamese: Tiếng Việt không son phấn. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
27) Nguyen, H. T. (2006). Vietnamese (Hanoi Vietnamese). Journal of the International Phonetic Association,36(2), 301-305.
28) Nguyen, H. T. (2014). English Phonetics and Phonology for Vietnamese Learners. National University Publishing House.
29) Nguyen, T. T. (2010). Teaching pronunciation to Vietnamese EFL learners: Problems and solutions. Asian EFL Journal,12(1), 243-260.
30) Nguyen, T. T. H. (2014). An analysis of English pronunciation problems of the third-year non-English major students at Thai Nguyen University, Vietnam. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 2(2), 250-258.
31) Nguyen, T. T. H. (2016). Pronunciation problems faced by Vietnamese students in English learning. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 7(6), 1135-1142.
32) Nguyen, V. H. (2015). A contrastive analysis of English and Vietnamese segmental phonology. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 6(2), 251-259.
33) Norton, B. (2000). Identity and language learning: Gender, ethnicity and educational change. Pearson Education.
34) Pennington, M. C. (1996). Phonology in English language teaching: An international approach. Addison Wesley Longman.
35) Phan, L. H. (2014). Pronunciation problems of Vietnamese learners of English: Segmental features. International Journal of Research Studies in Language Learning, 3(1), 3-12.
36) Roach, P. (2009). English phonetics and phonology: A practical course. Cambridge University Press.
37) Tran, D. C., & Dang, T. T. (2020). An Investigation into Vietnamese Learners’ English Pronunciation Errors. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Culture, 6(1), 1-16.
38) Underhill, A. (2005). Sound foundations: Learning and teaching pronunciation. Macmillan Education.
39) Vo, T. T. N. (2018). Pronunciation problems encountered by Vietnamese learners of English.VietTESOL Journal,5(1) 90-109.