A Genre-Based Approach to the Teaching of Pronunciation

Abstract

Pronunciation teaching hasn’t been paid enough attention by teachers regarding ESL contexts. In particular, segmental and suprasegmental features through genre-based approach may be an opportunity on how to integrate pronunciation into a more meaningful learning practice. Therefore, the aim of this project was to carry out a survey on some aspects related to English pronunciation that Brazilian students consider more difficult to learn, thus enabling the discussion of strategies that can facilitate the development of oral skills in English classes by integrating the teaching of phonetic-phonological aspects into the genre-based approach. Notions of intelligibility, fluency and accuracy were proposed by some authors as an ideal didactic sequence. Basic learners should be exposed to activities focused on the notion of intelligibility as well as intermediate students to the notion of fluency, and finally more advanced ones to accuracy practices. Data were collected during three high school English classes at Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG), in Brazil, through questionnaires and didactic activities, which were recorded and transcribed for further analysis. The genre ‘debate’ was chosen to facilitate the participants’ oral expression in a more flexible way, making them answer questions and give their opinion about a previously selected topic. Students demonstrated more difficulty with some aspects than others. Many of the intelligibility aspects analyzed had to be listened to more than once for a better understanding. Intermediate students’ speeches were considerably easier to understand, but they found it more difficult to pronounce the words fluently. Lastly, more advanced learners seemed to express their ideas more fluently, but still subtle issues related to accuracy were perceptible, thereby confirming the proposed hypothesis. It was also seen that using genre-based approach to promote oral communication in English classes might be relevant, considering the socio-communicative function inherent to the approach.