An investigation into the pronunciation of the fricatives θ and ð experienced by the students of grade 10th at thanh binh 2 high school – problems and solutions

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INTRODUCTION
1. Motivation of the study
Nowadays, the tendency of globalization has raised the important role of English
spectacularly. As a result, more and more people learn English as an international
communicative tool. In Vietnam, English has become an obligatory subject in
schools for many years. Vietnamese students study not only four language skills:
Listening, speaking, reading and writing but also language focuses including
grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation simultaneously in English courses.
However, they find difficult in communicating with native speakers and non-native
speakers as well and many foreigners have made comments that a large number
Vietnamese can speak English, yet a few have intelligible English pronunciation
which help them be understood easily by foreigners. In domain of international
communication, English speaking skill need to be proficient. The core of speaking
is producing sound and meaning intentionally. Mastering pronunciation is the
priority of speaking because “up to a in certain proficiency standard, the fault which
most severely Impairs the communication process in EFL/ESL learners is
pronunciation, rather than vocabulary or grammar, according to Hinofitis and Baily(
1980, pp.124-125).
Vietnamese students in High Schools learn pronunciation at language focus lessons.
In comparison to grammar and vocabulary, it is usually not paid much attention. In
forty-five minute classroom hour, it takes about from five to ten minutes for the
teachers to instruct the focused sounds and help their students practice them because
they need more time to study grammar. In a very short time, the teachers only can
guide the students to pronounce the noticed sounds in words and sentences by
modeling and repeating them, they don’t have enough time to instruct how
articulation the sounds employ and what articulators the sounds use and the learnt
sounds are rarely compared with similar Vietnamese sounds. The students mostly
listen to the teachers’ model, sometimes native speakers’ tape recording; however,
many teachers are not very proficient at pronunciation which leads to wrong input

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language. As a consequence, the students gradually find hard to take in real English
and perform correct pronunciation.
In term of language transfer, many learners use their mother tongue to help them
create their language system. Hardly can the students tell differences between
English texts and English sounds. They don’t know what sounds represent for what
letters and vice versa because they spend much time on English texts, using their
eyes to adsorb English not their ears. In process of learning pronunciation, English
sound need to be both the ears and the mouths work together and their brain helping
them remember the sounds. Many students borrow Vietnamese texts, as a mean of
storing English pronunciation in their book or note book, to correspondence to
English sound. How their ears and their brains perceive the English sounds is much
more important.
In real contexts, the students love to use most common used words. Thanking
people and replying to thanks, as a vivid example; when someone give them a hand
or receiving compliments, wishes of success, an offer of help, an invitation, they
usually respond as “thanks”, “thank you”. This seems to be simple and easy when
they use the word “thank’’. However, there are a dozen of both sad and happy
situations occurring when “thank” is performed. They often mispronounce “thank”
as “tank” or “sank” or “thanh” of Vietnamese. Imagining that how funny and
embarrassed they are when they say “sank you, my mother”. Pronouncing “mother”
is also a dizzy problem, replacing “mother” as “murder” for example. “Thank you,
my mother” become “Sank you, my murder” which is a horrible respond when their
mothers give praises on them. Speaking words such as “father and brother”, as
another example, are usually not performed beautifully by many students. The
problematic sounds which they are dealing with are /θ/ as in “thank” and /ð/ as in
“mother”, which can create many obstacles in both formal and informal

communication.


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Located at Tan Binh commune, Thanh Binh district, Dong Thap province, Thanh
Binh 2 high school is my old warmhearted school. As a future teacher, helping my
future students learn pronunciation well is my ambition. The fricatives /θ/ and /ð/
are really hard sounds which many students cream at, students at Thanh Binh 2 are
not an exception. Introduced at Unit 15 of English 10, the fricatives /θ/ and /ð/ need
to be paid more attention because they are first taught at high school. They will
learn consonant clusters containing fricatives /θ/ and /ð/ next grades. If they are not
guided carefully, many students will suffer from disaster’s /θ/ and /ð/ pronunciation.
“A good beginning makes a good ending”. Indeed, supporting the students at my
old school to get over the problems of pronouncing the two sounds is very
meaningful to me.
Because of these above reasons, I decided to do research on Thanh Binh High
School grade 10th students’ difficulties in learning two fricatives /θ/ and /ð/,
teachers’ obstacles of teaching the two sounds, entitled: “An investigation into the
pronunciation of the fricatives /θ/ and /ð/ experienced by the students of grade 10th
at Thanh Binh 2 high school – problems and solutions”. The study was conducted to
seek the answers to the question of what difficulties the students and teachers of
grade 10th at Thanh Binh 2 high school face when they learn and teach the fricatives
/θ/ and /ð/ pronunciation, what phonemes which the replace /θ/ and /ð/ with, what
solutions to the difficulties for both the students and the teachers.
2. Aims of the study
With the mentioned reasons, this study was conducted to gain some following
aims:
-Finding out realities of learning and teaching dental fricative /θ/ and /ð/ at Thanh
Binh 2 high school.

-Discovering what English sounds and Vietnamese sounds, which the students
replace /θ/ and /ð/ with.
-Making some suggestions for both teachers and students to overcome the
difficulties.


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3. Theory of the study
This study was conducted based on two following theories
- The students have difficulties in distinguishing /θ/ and /ð/ with other English
fricatives and plosives when listening to them in context.
- The students have substituted /θ/ and /ð/ for Vietnamese sounds: /t’/, /d*/ and
/s*/.
4. Research methods
In the process of doing the study, three research methods: classroom observation,
questionnaire, and experiment, were used to secure relevant information. First,
listening experiment was carried out. Then pre recording experiment was
conducted. Next, classroom observations were employed. Coming after that, the
students’ questionnaires delivered. After that, the researcher carried out teaching
experiments. Finally, post-recording experiment was put in action.
5. Scope of the study
The thesis focuses on research learning and teaching /θ/ and /ð/ pronunciation of
students’ grade 10th and teachers at Thanh Binh 2 High School. Because I have
practiced teaching four classes 10cb1, 10cb2, 10cb3, 10cb4 in my teaching practice
period, my study was only researched on the four classes.
6. Significance of the study
The study, the researcher’s ambition on doing educational scientific research, has
paid the researcher many experiences than before, has contributed certain benefits
for learning and teaching pronunciation. It is a chance for the researcher to do

scientific research, to practice writing skill, to enhance his social skills as well.
Because the thesis focused researching θ/ and /ð/, it helped the researcher
experiment his own methods of teaching /θ/ and /ð/. Consequently, the researcher
could seek good solutions for both teachers and learners when teaching and


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learning these challenging phonemes. Furthermore, the thesis is about to wake the
students up to see how crucial pronunciation is, and how interesting pronouncing
correctly /θ/ and /ð/ is. Many students will take pride on themselves when they can
pronounce /θ/ of a famous interjection “thank you” correctly, even more, can
speak /ð/ of wonderful words like “mother, father” wonderfully. In addition, it also
highlights difficulties of pronunciation /θ/ and /ð/. Accordingly, teachers will pay
more attention to these hard phonemes. In brief, the study brought advantages for
the researcher, teachers and students.
7. Related previous study
-The effectiveness of using game in teaching and learning pronunciation for grade
11 students at Sa Dec town high school by Do Nguyen Xuan Thao,
-Improving the pronunciation of English final sounds / k/, t ʃ/. / ʃ/,/θ/ and /dʒ/ for
the second- year students of bachelor of English at Dong Thap University by
Nguyen Thi Truc Giang.
Although the two studies have contributed to improving the students’
pronunciation, they are weak at methodologies of study, giving recommendations.
When analyzing the learners’ error pronunciation, Nguyen Thi Truc Giang just
used qualitative methods not quantitative ones. Also, Do Nguyen Xuan Thao did
not make clear pronunciation difficulties of the learners. They didn’t also focus on
researching /θ/ and /ð/.
8. Organization of the thesis
The present study comprises three parts. The first one is the introduction bearing

motivation of the study, aims of the study, scope of the study, the theory of the
study, research methods, and significance of the study, related previous studies,
and organization of the study. The second one is the content of the study which
includes three chapters. Chapter 1 is concerned about literature review, chapter 2
the methodology of the study, and chapter 3 the results and discussion. The last one


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is the conclusion of the study consisting of overview of the study, limitations of the
study, and suggestions for further research.

CHAPTER 1 LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter presents some theories related to the study. It is made up of six
sections: introduction of pronunciation in general; introduction to English fricatives;
a brief introduction to Vietnamese consonants; comparison between /θ/, /ð/ and /t’ /,
/d*/, /s*/ of Vietnamese; factors influencing on studying pronunciation;
pronunciation teaching methodologies.
1.1 Pronunciation
1.1.1 Definition of pronunciation

Learning to speak a foreign language, English as an example, means dealing with a
new way of producing a wide range of new sounds. In term of both native and
nonnative speakers’ perception, it takes time to practice and produce them
comprehensibly. Producing sounds of speech with certain meanings refers to
pronunciation. Encarta Dictionary defines pronunciation as “the way in which a
sound, word, or language is articulated, especially in conforming to an accepted
standard’’. Another explanation, “Pronunciation is the act of uttering with
articulation; the act of giving the proper sound and accent; utterance; as the
pronunciation of syllables of words; distinct or indistinct pronunciation”, adapted

from Lac Viet dictionary can be more detail .Far beyond the spoken individual
sounds, pronunciation also conveys the soul of the language such as intonation,
stress words, rhythm and speakers’ unique voice quality. Because of varieties of
English, people can pursuit different English accents which they like. A model of
English pronunciation was used mostly is BBC English (British English); however
American English pronunciation is also popular. What models of English
Pronunciation can be used by the learners; comprehension by both native and non-


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native speakers is the ambitious goal of most of them.
1.1.2 The important role of pronunciation

Language is a magic communicating tool. People can communicate through spoken
language or written one as well. It is oral communication that people typically use
in not only daily life but also academic cases. Thus, pronunciation plays an
important role of communication. Clear and confident speech can enhance what we
speak even polish our unique characteristics. Kenworthy(1987, p34) stated that
“poor, unintelligible speech will make their attempts at conversing frustrating and
unpleasant both for themselves and for their listeners.”, so the goal of English
pronunciation is to be understood, to be proud of the ways we pronounce English.

Furthermore, good pronunciation can create many interests on listeners in
communication. When the listeners can taste the beauties of the speakers’ spoken
language through their ways of producing English sounds, they can comment that
“you have good English” or “you speak English so well”. What they primarily react
to the speakers is usually their pronunciation. Also, good pronunciation, sub-skill of
speaking skill, can be magic communicating attraction. As an example, in tourism,
both native and non native visitors would rather spend hours on listening to easilycomprehended spoken English of a tour guide than try to listen deadly choppy and

incomprehensible of a manager in

just thirty seconds since they are fell

comfortable and respectful. Therefore, good spoken English often creates much
attractive to listeners, regardless of whom the speakers are.

Pronunciation also plays an important role of both perceptive and productive
language skills. For the most part, speaking skill is the ability to produce the
comprehensible sounds. When learners have good spoken English, they easily
understand others and vise versa. No matter how good grammar and vocabulary the
speakers employ, they can be incomprehensible speaker when they earn much
pidgin pronunciation. In the process of speech, speaking and listening skill work


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together at the same time. Listening skill is very crucial if the listeners want to
respond the speakers appropriately. Both listeners and speakers can understand
together when their spoken language at a same interchangeable language rate. In
term of bottom up listening, people need to have ability to decode spoken language
based on their phonetic ability. As a sequence, perfect pronunciation is convenient
for both listeners and speakers.

In short, pronunciation is very essential for learners in both foreign communication
and language skill improvement. The better pronunciation they gain the better
speakers they are. When their pronunciation is more proficient, their
communication will be more effective, their listening skills and speaking ones are
good as well.
1.2 The brief introduction to English fricative consonants

Roach, P (1999, p34) defined “fricatives are consonants with characteristics that,
when they are produced, air escapes through a small passage and makes a hissing
sound”. Another explanation by Kennedy, G (2000, p123), “the airflow can be
made turbulent in friction, thus producing fricative consonants”, can be clearer.
Nine fricatives /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /h/ are described with terms of place
of articulation, manner of articulation, and degree of noise in the following table
below
Table 1.2 English fricatives
Degree of
noise

Place of articulation
Labiodentals Dental

voiceless

f

θ

s

Post- alveolar
Glottal
h
ʃ

voiced

v

ð

z

ʒ

1.2.1 Dental fricative /θ/ and /ð/

Alveolar

Manner of
articulation
Airflow
released
through a
constricted
passage


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In English, combination of two letters t and h is very popular in English. They stand
for one of two different sounds:
-The voiced dental fricative /ð/
-The voiceless dental fricative /θ/
The popularity of /θ/ and /ð/ is shown in the below table, according to Kennedy, G
(2000, p 100).
Table 1.2.1a Frequency of English phonemes

The /θ/, /ð/ phonemes exist at three positions: initial position, medial position, final
position in word, are shown at the below tables
The /θ/ phoneme
Table 1.2.1b Positions of phoneme /θ/ in word, adapted from
/>

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Initial
*At the beginning
of content words
bearing ‘th-’, e.g.
thing, thank,
thought

/θ/
Positions
Medial
Final
*Compound words * Nouns and
in which the first
adjectives ending
element ends or the with “-th”, e.g.
second element
teeth, width,
begins with th”:
warmth, width,
e.g. bathroom,
strength, etc.

anything, nothing,
* Cardinal
something
numbers ending
* The adjective
with “-th”: e.g
suffix -y normally fourth, fifth, sixth,
leaves terminal /θ/ ect
unchanged: earthy,
healthy, pithy,
stealthy, wealthy

Exception
-The th is
pronounced /t/ in
Thailand, Thomas ,
Thames
- The only other
native words with
medial /θ/ would
seem to be brothel
and Ethel.

* Most loan words
- From Greek:
athlete, cathedral,
anthem, Athens,,
etc.
- From Latin:
author, authority,

Bertha, etc.
- From Celtic
languages: Arthur,
Abernathy,
Abernethy, etc.
- From Hebrew:
Ethan, Jonathan,
Bethany, etc.
- From German:
Luther

- Worthy and
swarthy have /ð/.


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The /ð/ phoneme
/ð/
Initial
*At the beginning
of the function
words including
-5 demonstratives:
the, this, that,
these, those, etc.

Positions
Medial
*Between vowels,

e.g.: mother,
father, brother,
either, rather.etc

*-th preceded by
/r/, e.g.:
- 2 personal
Worthington,
pronouns each with farther, further,
multiple forms:
northern, etc.
thou, thee, thy,
thine, thyself; they, *-th followed by
them, their, theirs, /r/, e.g.: brethren
themselves, etc.
* Greek words
with the
-7 adverbs and
combination -thm-:
conjunctions:
algorithm,
there, then, than,
logarithm, rhythm.
thus, though,
Also asthma, etc.
thence, thither.

Exceptions
Final
*Verbs ending in a

dental fricative
usually have /ð/,
and are frequently
spelled “the”:
bathe, breathe,
clothe, loathe,
scathe, scythe,
seethe, sheathe,
soothe, teethe,
tithe, wreathe,
writhe, etc.

-Various
compound adverbs
based on the above
words: therefore,
thereupon, thereby,
thereafter,
thenceforth, etc.
Table 1.2.1c Positions of phoneme /ð/ in word, adapted from
/>1.2.1.1 The features and mispronunciation of /θ/

*Place and manner of /θ/ pronunciation

- “-th” of with,
bathed, bathing,
bathes; frothing
has either /θ/ or /ð/.
- Froth has either
/θ/ or /ð/ as a verb,

but only /θ/ as a
noun.
- Blithe, booth,
scythe, smooth
have either /ð/ or
/θ/.


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The /θ/ sound has been described in term of place of articulation and manner of
articulation,

degree

of

noise,

adapted

from

rning-english-

online.net/areas/pronunciation/the-english-th/
-Its manner of articulation is fricative. That means the sound is produced by letting
air flow through a narrow channel at the place of articulation. In comparison to the
voiced /ð/, the /θ/ is pronounced by making more air flow.
-Its place of articulation is dental. However, in contrast to /ð/, the sound is

pronounced with the blade of the tongue resting against the lower part of the back
of the upper teeth. The tip of the tongue sticks out of the mouth slightly.
-Its phonation (degree of noise) is voiceless. That means the sound is produced
without vibrations of the vocal cords.
It can be more visual when the /θ/ is described by the picture below, according
Jonathan Marks (pp 38)
Picture 1.2.1.1a Place and manner of articulation of /θ/

When spoken /θ/ is analyzed by speech analyzer program, the sound is much more
graphic.
Picture 1.2.1.1b Waveform and frequency of /θ/


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**Mispronunciation of /θ/
Many learners have replaced /θ/ with /s/, /t/ because they don’t know how their
articulators work when pronouncing /θ/. Most of the learners have difficult in /θ/ at
beginning and final positions. They tend to substitute /θ/ with /t/ at the beginning
position and /s/ at the ending positions. These pictures, as an example, according to
Lisa Mojsin, (pp44-47) give a comparison /θ/ with /s/, /t/ can be make clear their
problems.
Picture 1.2.1.1c A comparison between /θ/ and /t/ in term of place of articulation


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The picture shows that /θ/ employs dental articulator (inter-dental) to make the
sound but /t/ earns alveolar one. In addition, /t/ is plosive while /θ is a fricative.
Picture 1.2.1.1d A comparison between /θ/ and /s/ in term of place of articulation

The picture also illustrates that /θ/ is different from /s/ in term of place of
articulation. The /θ/ is pronounced at inter-dental position, but /s/ is pronounced at
alveolar position though the two sounds are fricatives.


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1.2.1.2 The features and mispronunciation of /ð/

*Place and manner of /ð/ pronunciation
The sound /ð/ has the following features described by />-Its manner of articulation is fricative. That means the sound is produced by letting
air flow through a narrow channel at the place of articulation.
-Its place of articulation is dental. That means the sound is articulated with the tip
of the tongue against the back of the upper teeth.
-Its phonation (degree of noise) is voiced. That means the vocal cords vibrate
during the articulation.
It can be more visual when the /ð/ is described by the picture below, according
Jonathan Marks (2000, pp 38)
Picture 1.2.1.2a Place and manner of articulation of /ð/

When spoken /ð/ is analyzed by speech analyzer program, the sound is much
more graphic.
Picture 1.2.1.2.b Waveform and frequency of /ð/


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**Mispronunciation of /ð/
Majority of learners have replaced /ð/ with /d/ because they don’t know how their

places of articulation work when pronouncing /ð/, and they can hear /ð/ be similar
with /d/. Most of the learners have difficult in /ð/ at all positions, especially the final
position. They usually omit /ð/ at the final position. Furthermore, they tend to
substitute /ð/ with /d/ at the initial position, medial one. Even worse, the final /ð/
position is often omitted. The picture, as an example, according to Lisa Mojsin,
(pp44-47) gives a comparison /ð/ with /d/ can state more explicitly their difficulties.
Picture 1.2.1.2c A comparison between /ð/ and /d/ in term of place of articulation


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The picture demonstrates the differences from place of articulation of /ð/ and /d/.
The voiced /ð/ is pronounced with tongue placed at inter-dental position whereas
the voiced /d/ is pronounced with tongue placed at alveolar one.
1.3 The brief introduction to Vietnamese consonants

Thien Thuat, D stated that Vietnamese owns 30 consonants, including 22 initial
consonants and 8 final ones. Vietnamese do not have any medial consonants .The
consonants are shown in two tables below
Table 1.3a Initial Vietnamese consonants, according to Thien Thuat, D ( 1995,
p34)
Lamina l
Place of articulation

Labial

Manner of articulation

Obstruent

Voiceless

t

Unasp ir ated
Voiced

Radical

Glottal

c

k

?

Retr of lex

t’

Asp ir at ed
Plos ive

Dor sal
Flat

b

d

ʈ


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Sonant ( Nasal)

ɲ

ŋ

f

s

ʂ

x

Voiced

Obstruent

n

Voiceless

Fr icative

m

v

z

ʐ

ɣ

Sonant ( Later al)

l

Table 1.3b Final Vietnamese consonants, according to Thien Thuat, D ( 1995,
p37)
Laminal

Point of articulation
Labial

Laminal

Dorsal

p

t

k

Non-nasal

m

n

ŋ

Nasal

u

Manner of articulation
Obstruent

Sonant
i

In addition, Vietnamese, a monosyllabic language, has some distinct
phonology features of consonants:
-Final consonants are not pronounced
-Medial consonants are not pronounced
-No consonant clusters are in Vietnamese consonants
-Linking and assimilation of consonants are not found in Vietnamese contexts.

h


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’

1.3.1 Pronunciation features of /t /, /d*/, /s*/ of Vietnamese
1.3.1.1 The features of / t’ / pronunciation

Based on table 1.3a Initial Vietnamese consonants, /t’/ is the voiceless aspirated
flat laminal (alveolar or apico-dental) plosive consonant; it is produced with a
strong aspiration. And phoneme /t’/ is an initial consonant, In Vietnamese, the
combination between letter t and h is ‘th’ corresponded to /t’/, ex: thi: ‘to take an
exam’; thơ : ‘poetry’; thắng : ‘to win’.
1.3.1.2 The features of /d*/ pronunciation

Table 1.3a Initial Vietnamese consonants shows that the phoneme /d*/ is the
obstruent, voiced unaspirated, flat laminal (alveolar) plosive consonant. Phoneme
/d*/ is also an initial consonant. In Vietnamese, the letter “đ” is stood for /d*/, Ex:
đi: ‘to go’; đầu : ‘head’; điếc : ‘dead’.
1.3.1.3 The features of /s*/, /ʂ/ pronunciation

Table 1.3a Initial Vietnamese consonants demonstrates the two similar fricatives
- /s*/ is the voiceless flat laminal (post-dental sibilant) fricative. In Vietnamese the
letter “x” is corresponded phoneme /s*/ E.g.: xé (to tear); xấu (ugly); xin (to ask
for).
-/ ʂ / is a voiceless fricative articulated like the English /s*/ with laminal retroflexion of the top of the tongue back further behind the alveolar ridge with weak
friction; In Vietnamese, the letter ‘s’ stands for /ʂ/. E.g.: số (number); sai (wrong);
sướng (happy).
In reality, many southern Vietnamese cannot distinguish /s/ and /ʂ/, so the two
phonemes

can be considered the same. They are simply described as voiceless

laminal fricatives. In order to do conduct the thesis easily, the researcher
intentionally equalized /s*/ and /ʂ/ as /s*/.


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1.4 The comparison between /θ/, /ð/ and /t’ /, /d*/and /s*/ of Vietnamese

The table 1.4 A comparison between /θ/, /ð/ and /t’ /, /d*/ and /s*/ of Vietnamese
Vietnamese /t’ / and /d*/, /s*/

English /θ/ and /ð/
Fricative

/θ/

/ð/
/t’/

Plosive
Represented
letters
Phoneme
position in
word

/s*/
/d*/

th

th

th

đ

s, x

Initial,
medial,
final

Initial,
medial,
final

Initial

Initial

Initial

The table concerns some basic pronunciation features of English /θ/ and /ð/ and
Vietnamese /t’/ and /d*/, /s*/. From the table, the phoneme /θ/, /ð/ and Vietnamese
/s*/ are fricatives. When /θ/ is pronounced, it makes hissing sound and /s*/ also
shares the same characteristics. However, /θ/, /ð/ employ dental articulator, /s*/
earns laminal blade of tongue. In addition, the /θ/, /ð/ are inter-dental fricatives
whereas /t’/, /d*/ are alveolar plosives. Vietnamese students often confuse /θ/ and

/t’/ because they have the same represented letter ‘th’. They also hardly distinguish
/ð/ and /d*/ as well. The Vietnamese phonemes: /t’/, /d*/, /s*/ are just appeared at
the initial positions in words while /θ/, /ð/ are found at all positions.
1.5 Factors influencing on studying pronunciation
1.5.1 Native language

The mother tongue is the most influential factor effecting learners’ pronunciation.
Because learners are familiar with their own spoken languages, they easily fall back
on their languages to pronounce English. Accordingly, their spoken English have
distinct characteristics of their mother tongues. Vietnamese speakers, as an
example, who have unpronounced final consonants in their language, enviably meet
difficulty in pronouncing final English sounds, commented by Hammer (1991,


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pp183). It is true that the more different sound systems of their languages from
English are, the more difficult they can acquire English pronunciation.
1.5.2 Age

Age deserves to be a concerning factor. According to Kenworthy, age is not the
crucial only factor that affects learning or improving pronunciation abilities of
learners. As many linguistic experts believed that adults acquire English
pronunciation slower than young children. And they usually have foreign accent
while the children often achieve native-like pronunciation. As Krashen (1988; p43)
stated that acquirers who begin to exposure to a second language during childhood
generally achieve higher second language proficiency than those beginning as
adults. However, this does not mean that no adults can achieve native-like
pronunciation. Brown (1992) represented that adults will be able to learn second
language phonology as well as children do, in a direct way, using a traditional listen

and repeat exercises, minimal pairs in the context of the sentences, conversation and
role playing. In short, both young learners and adults can achieve good
pronunciation.
1.5.3 English exposure

The more time English learners can interact with spoken English, the more
determiner of acquisition of good pronunciation they gain. It is very advantageous
to live in an English speaking country in a period of time. When listening to real
English and receiving feedbacks on their pronunciation, they can improve their own
English sound systems. Gradually, they can perform English successfully.
However, not everyone who learns English can luckily live in a real spoken English
country. As compensation, they fulfill their English environment by listening to
native speakers more often. A practical way making up English shortage is listening
to English, chatting with English speakers on internet, as an example. In brief, the
learners can improve their pronunciation if they spend more time on interchanging
spoken English.


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1.5.4 Phonetic ability

The learners’ phonetic ability pays more success on acquisition of good
pronunciation. Kenworthy (1987) presented that every human being has ability to
imitate sounds, but some people are capable of seeing the difference between them
than other people, which means that they own good phonetic ability than other.
Therefore, they can imitate spoken English more accurately. More interesting, many
learners can speak like famous English speakers, Bill Clinton, as an example. In
short, everyone has phonetic ability but various.
1.6 Pronunciation teaching methodologies

Language teaching methodology has developed dramatically. English now is taught
mainly through communicative approaches. Consequently, many teachers of
English have paid more attention to spoken English not written one and learners
need to spend more time on listening and speaking English than before. In old
grammar translation method, the learners can be considered as deaf and mute
English learners. In matter of English speaking, they were not able to pronounce
English correctly. If the teachers want their students perform good spoken English,
their teaching pronunciation methodology needs more consideration.
Having good teaching pronunciation methodology, the teachers initially need to
perfect their important roles of teaching pronunciation. The most crucial role of the
teachers is to help their learners perceive the sounds because “learners will have
strong tendency to hear the sounds of English in terms of the sounds of their native
language”, according to Joanne Kenworthy (1987, p1). Since the teacher is the
magic powerful controllers in class, they help the learners with enormous things
such as helping those making sounds by explaining the sounds or giving some hints,
providing feedbacks on their pronunciation, pointing out what is going on,
establishing priorities, devising activities, assessing progress. When the teachers can
manage these stuffs successfully, they will be able to help their students a lot.
No matter what methods and approaches the teachers use to teach English


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pronunciation, they aim that their students can produce intelligible pronunciation,
which means that their students can speak comprehensible English at a given time
in a given situations. As a sequence, the keys of pronunciation teaching is that the
teachers have to be smart to decide when to teach pronunciation, what
pronunciation techniques they employ, what models of pronunciation they follow.
In short, teaching pronunciation is hard task. And teachers are the crucial factor

helping the learners to learn pronunciation. Methodologies of teaching
pronunciation are important but how the teachers use them, which is much more
important.

CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY
This chapter provides the general description of how the study has been conducted.
The chapter comprises five sections: research questions, research participants, data
collection instruments, research procedure, and techniques of data analysis.
2.1 Research questions
The study makes great efforts to seek the answers to the three following questions:
(1)What problems can the students and teachers at Thanh Binh 2 high school face
when learning and teaching /θ/ and /ð/?
(2)What phonemes the students replaced /θ/ and /ð/ with?
(3)What solutions to the problems for both teachers and the students?
2.2 Research participants
2.2.1 The researcher
The researcher is Nguyen Van Sang Em, a fourth year student of English
DHSANH08A Class, at Foreign Language Department, Dong Thap University.
2.2.2 The participants of the study
2.2.2.1 The students


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There are 427 students (320males and 107 females) in Thanh Binh 2 High School.
The teachers all commented that most of the grade 10th students were not good at
English, particularly at speaking. In fact, there were only 2.35% of the students
getting over 5 marks in English in the school’s entrance exam. This is shown in the
figure below.
The students ' score of English in the entrance exam in

2011
2.35%
8.67%

Above 5
23.89%
65.11%

Above 4 to 5
Above 3 to 4
Below 3

Figure 2.2.2.1 The students’ scores of English in the entrance exam in 2011
2.2.2.2 The teacher
There are five teachers of English, who are teaching English 10 at Thanh Binh 2
High School. Two are male, and three female. Their teaching experience ranges
from 2 to 10 years. In general, they are experienced teachers. The five all teachers
are researched.
2.3 Data collect instrument
In the process of doing the study, three research methods: classroom observation,
questionnaire, and experiment, which were used to secure relevant information.
First, listening experiment was carried out to check how well the students perceive
/θ/, /ð/ and distinguish them with other English sounds. Then, pre recording
experiment was carried out to check how well the students can pronounce /θ/, /ð/, to
find out what English sounds and Vietnamese ones they students replace /θ/, /ð/,
with. Next, classroom observations were employed to examine the realities of


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teaching and learning /θ/, /ð/. Following that teachers’ questionnaires were
delivered to check realities of teaching /θ/, /ð/, to analyze the textbook the textbook
as well. Coming after that, the students’ questionnaires delivered to check realities
of learning /θ/, /ð/. After that, the researcher performed teaching experiments on
unit 14, lesson E language focus lesson focusing teaching /θ/, /ð/. Finally, postrecording experiment was carried out to check how proficient

the students

pronounce /θ/, /ð/, to compare the students’ proficiency of the classes taught by the
teachers and of the classes taught by the researcher.
2.3.1 The questionnaire
Questionnaires are believed to help researchers save a lot of time since “They are
self-administered and can be given to large groups at the same time” (Salinger &
Elena, 1989). The information can be obtained easily without the researcher’s
presence. Moreover, respondents including teachers and students may feel free to
answer the questions since their anonymity is assured. Because of the above
reasons, the questionnaires were employed in the study.
2.3.1.1 The questionnaire for teachers
The questionnaire (see appendix 2) consisting 22 items was designed for five
teachers of English. The aims of the questionnaire are described as follows:
Items 1, 2 are to find out the teachers’ attitudes towards the teaching pronunciation.
Item 3 is to find out how much time which the teachers use to teach fricatives /θ/
and /ð/ of language focus lesson.
Item 4, 5 are to discover teachers’ opinion about teaching /θ/ and /ð/ in language
focus lesson.
Item 6, 7, 8 are to investigate teachers’ opinions about bettering textbook.
Item 9, 10, 11 are to figure out the teachers’ combination with other lessons to teach
/θ/ and /ð/.
Item 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 are to investigate the teachers’ hints of
teaching /θ/ and /ð/.