Teaching pronunciation through technology: Academic English pronunciation course

Pronunciation plays a crucial role in effective communication and language proficiency. However, pronunciation instruction has often been neglected in language education, resulting in a gap between learners' oral proficiency and overall language abilities. With the rapid growth of technology, computer-assisted pronunciation teaching (CAPT) has gained attention as a means to enhance pronunciation skills. This study investigates the efficiency of the Academic English Pronunciation Course (ACEPC), a standalone online pronunciation course for international graduate students. It examines the impact of inexpensive and accessible technology in creating pronunciation video lessons, with a focus on segmentals to improve phonological accuracy. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, collecting quantitative data through assessments and qualitative data through participants' perceptions. The findings contribute to the existing body of research on pronunciation instruction, offering practical recommendations for educators and language learning institutions. This study aims to improve the design and effectiveness of pronunciation courses tailored to the needs of international graduate students.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Teaching of English Sec Lang

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Rodrigues Crespo, Ivan Luiz

Contributors dc:contributor

• Franks, Suzanne
• Sadler, Randall

• International Graduate Students
• E-learning
• Pronunciation Instruction
• Technology

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Ivan Rodrigues Crespo

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121368

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F121368