Difficulties in learning pronunciation met by the first year students of English major at Hanam Teachers Training College = Khó khăn trong việc học phát âm của .PDF

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSTIY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES





ĐÀO THU PHƯƠNG




DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING PRONUNCIATION ENCOUNTERED BY
THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH MAJORS
AT HANAM TEACHERS’ TRAINING COLLEGE

(KHÓ KHĂN TRONG VIỆC HỌC PHÁT ÂM CỦA SINH VIÊN CHUYÊN
TIẾNG ANH NĂM THỨ NHẤT TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG SƯ PHẠM HÀ NAM)



M.A. Minor Thesis





Field: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
Code: 60.14.10

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Hanoi, 9 - 2011

ii

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSTIY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES





ĐÀO THU PHƯƠNG




DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING PRONUNCIATION ENCOUNTERED BY
THE FIRST YEAR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH MAJOR
AT HANAM TEACHERS TRAINING COLLEGE

(KHÓ KHĂN TRONG VIỆC HỌC PHÁT ÂM CỦA SINH VIÊN CHUYÊN

TIẾNG ANH NĂM THỨ NHẤT TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG SƯ PHẠM HÀ NAM)



M.A. Minor Thesis






Field: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
Code: 60.14.10
Supervisor: PHÙNG THỊ KIM DUNG, M.A





Hanoi - 2011

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Declaration…………………………………………………………………………….
i
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………
ii
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………
iii
Table of contents……………………………………………………………………

iv
List of charts and tables……………………………………… ……………………….
vi
PART I: INTRODUCTION……………………………… ………………………
1
1. Rationale of the Study………………………………… ……………………………
1
2. Aim of the Study…………………………………………………………………….
1
3. Research Questions…………………………………………….……………………
2
4. Methods of the Study…………………………………… ………………………….
2
5. Scope of the Study ……………………………………….…………………………
2
6. Significance of the Study………………………………… ………………………
2
PART II: DEVELOPMENT………………………………………………………….
3
Chapter 1: Literature Review ………………………………………………………
3
1.1. Place of Pronunciation in Communicative Competence and Foreign Language
Learning………………………………………………………………………………

3
1.2. Approaches to Pronunciation Teaching –Pronunciation Teaching
Methodologies …………………………………………………………………………

3
1.3. Factors Affecting Pronunciation Learning …………………………………………

5
1.4. Differences in the Sound Systems of the Two Languages: English and
Vietnamese .…………………………………………………………………………….

7
1.5. Some Common English Pronunciation Problems Met by Vietnamese
Learners .………………………………………………………………………………

8
Chapter 2: Methodology ……………………………………………………………
12
2.1. Context of the Study .………………….…………………………….……………
12
2.2. Participants of the Study …………………………………………………………
12
2.3. Instruments ………………………………………………………………………
13
2.3.1. Survey Questionnaire ……………………………………………………………
13
2.3.2. Interview ………………………………………………………………………
13
2.3.3. Classroom Observation …………………………………………………………
14

v
Chapter 3: Data Analysis and Discussions …………………….…………………….
15
3.1. Data Analysis and Discussions …………………………………………………….
15
3.1.1. Students’ Evaluation of the Importance of Pronunciation ………………………

15
3.1.2. Students’ Difficulties in Learning English Pronunciation ……………………
15
3.1.3. Students’ Difficulties with English Vowels ……………………………………
17
3.1.4. Students’ Difficulties with English Consonants ………………………………
18
3.1.5. Students’ Difficulties with Stress, Intonation and Rhythm ……………………
22
3.1.6. Causes of Difficulties in Learning English Pronunciation …………………
24
3.1.7. Teachers’ Suggestive Teaching Techniques …………………………………….
26
3.2. Summary of the Findings
26
Chapter 4: Recommendations ………………………………………………………
28
4.1. Amount of Exposure ………………………………………………………………
28
4.2. Attitudes and Motivation ………………………………………………………….
28
4.3. Suggested Teaching Techniques …………………………………………………
29
PART III: CONCLUSION ………………………………………………… ……….
37
1. Conclusions of the Study……………………………………………………………
37
2. Limitations of the Study……………………………………………………………
37
3. Suggestions for Further Study.……………………………………………… ……

37
REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………
39
APPENDICES ……………………… ……………………………………………….
I-VII

















SUMMARY OF THE STUDY
Despite the full recognition of the importance of English pronunciation in developing students’
communicative competence, students at Hanam Teachers’ Training College do encounter a
number of difficulties in their pronunciation learning process. This case study aims at
investigating what difficulties the first year students majoring in English at Hanam Teachers’
Training College meet when learning English pronunciation and what are possible causes of such
difficulties. The data was collected by means of survey questionnaire, interview and class
observation. Results indicated that the first year students at Hanam Teachers’ Training College

shared common difficulties in pronouncing English with most of Vietnamese learners. However,
due to the local accents, they do make other typical mistakes with certain vowel and consonant
sounds. Different causes of these difficulties were also presented in the data analysis and
discussion. The findings of the study then were used as the bases for applicable pedagogical
implications about the techniques of teaching pronunciation to facilitate the first year
students in their English pronunciation learning.