ESL Pronunciation Teaching: Could it Be More Effective?

1. Do we need to teach orthoepy?\nThe pendulum has swung back again, and most ESL teachers instantly agree that explicit orthoepy belief is an necessity articulation of language courses. On the angiotensin-converting enzyme hand, confidence with pronunciation all(prenominal)ows learners the fundamental fundamental interaction with native speakers that is so essential for all aspects of their linguistic development. On the other hand, poor pronunciation can mask other than good language skills, condemning learners to slight than their deserved social, faculty member and work advancement.\nWhile at that place is little doubt virtually teachers appreciation of the importance of pronunciation instruction, there is even less doubt about learners give demand for hard-hitting pronunciation teaching: almost all learners rate this as a priority and an argona in which they need more guidance. For whatsoever remaining sceptics, it may be worth briefly rehearsing the quest re sponses to reasons sometimes given for not teaching pronunciation explicitly in an ESL program.\n\na) it is full-strength that learners are very unlikely to accomplish a native-like accent - tho their intelligibility can be greatly improved by effective pronunciation teaching;\n\nb) it is current that pronunciation improves most by means of the gradual intuitive changes brought about by real interaction with native speakers - but for a large proportion of ESL learners the skills that alter this type of interaction do not come by nature; most need a leg-up from explicit pronunciation teaching.\n\nc) it is legitimate that it is offensive to prescribe an accent norm to which learners moldiness assimilate, and it is true that people should be free to express themselves in whatever accent they get hold of - but it is not true that\nthis freedom is given by withholding pronunciation teaching. On the contrary, it is effective pronunciation teaching that offers learners a genuine election in how they express themselves.\n\n2. The line: not whether to teach, but how to teach, pronunciation\nDespite widespread agr...