The document summarizes a presentation on common pronunciation problems found in English teachers in Vietnam and methods to address them. It discusses research that identified final consonants, certain consonant sounds, stress, and intonation as areas of difficulty. A workshop was conducted that involved observation, recordings before and after four months, and feedback. Analysis found high percentages of mistakes in certain sounds, stressed syllables, intonation and linking sounds. Solutions proposed focusing instruction on problematic sounds, incorporating social factors, and teaching pronunciation to young learners.

1. Presenter: Dung Thi Nguyen
Date: September 15, 2011

2. 1. Introduction
 Problems in pronunciation have been found in
teachers of English.
 Their problems result in their miscommunication and
teaching qualification.
 The high percentage of the unqualified teachers is the
motivation for the workshop for training teachers

3. 2. Research questions
 What are the common pronunciation problems of
these subjects?
 Which problems are hard to improve?
 If they perceive their mistakes, can they improve their
weaknesses?

4. 3. Method
A. Data collection
 Class observation to identify the problems
 Workshop: 3 stages
- Input
- Information process, Output: first recordings
- Teacher’s feedback
 Diagnose test after four months: second recordings
 Comparison between the two recordings

5. 3. Method (cont’d)
B. Sites and participants selection
- 58 primary school teachers from seven districts in
Binh Duong Province
20%: BA degree in English
80%: 3-year diploma in English
- Range of age:
40 – 53: 10%
22 – 39: 90%

6. 3. Method (cont’d)
 C. Data analysis
- The subjects’ difficulties in pronunciation is based on
the percentage of their mistakes
- Input – Interaction – Output (IIO) model developed
by Gass, Schumann’s acculturation model , and
Critical Period Hypothesis are applied to the analysis
of the mistakes in pronunciation

7. 4. Findings
 Mistakes found in:
Final consonants: monosyllabic language and multisyllabic
language
Challenging consonants:
/s/ in the middle position,
/ð/ and /Ɵ/ pronounced palatal affricative sounds,
/s/ and /ʃ/ pronounced /s/,
/ʤ/ and /ʧ/ pronounced /d/ and
/ch/, /z/ pronounced /s/, and
/æ/ pronounced /ɛ/ are caused by L1 transfer
 /p/ v.s /f/

8. 4. Findings (cont’d)
 Stress and intonation: can be improved quickly
 But experiencing the process: without stress and
intonation  with stress and intonation  wrong
stress and intonation (IIO)

9. 4. Findings
 High percentage of mistakes fall in:
- /pr/
- final sounds
- stressed syllables
- intonation
- linking sounds
- coalescent assimilation
- Deletion: timing
- Tense and lax vowels

10. 5. Solution
 IIO model: attract learners’ attention to marked
sounds
 Schumann’s model: social factors and affective
variables affect second language acquisition: learners’
friendly environment class
 Critical period hypothesis (Piaget): focus on teaching
pronunciation to young learners (primary school
children)

11. 5. Solution (cont’d)
 Teachers should apply wide varieties of pronunciation
practice:
- Incorporate challenging sounds in conversation
practice with pictures
 TPR: action and picture accelerate children acquisition
 Adults:
- Focusing much more on learning environment
- Analyzing linguistic discrimination

12. THANK YOU
QUESTIONS ?