Pronunciation-Learning Strategies and their Impact upon the Production of English Front and Back Vowels:

Abstract

Pronunciation is arguably one of the most pivotally important sub-skill that contributes significantly to the gradual growth and eventual maturity of language proficiency. A whole host of different learning strategies has been implemented by practitioners for empowering learners to develop such a skill in a more satisfactory fashion over the years. The main goal of the present research work has been to examine the effectiveness of deploying pronunciation-learning strategies on the production of English front and back vowels. It has endeavored to unveil the teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the use of pronunciation-learning strategies. The case study pertains to third-year students of English at the Department of Foreign Languages at Abdelhafid Boussouf University Centre-Mila during the academic year 2018-2019. To test the research hypothesis, two questionnaires were administered, one for teachers and the other for students. The data gathered reveals that the students have a positive attitude towards the use of pronunciation-learning strategies in learning English front and back vowels. Teachers confirm the importance of those strategies and their positive impact upon the production of English front and back vowels. The findings obtained allow for the confirmation of the hypothesis. From the results, the research proves that more attention should be given to the use of pronunciation-learning strategies. The overwhelming conclusion reached in the current study affirms that pronunciation-learning strategies have a significant impact upon the production of English front and back vowels. Moreover, the more diversified pronunciation-learning strategies students employ, the more error-free their production of English front and back vowels will be.