Vietnamese English-major students’ views and practices on English pronunciation

Abstract

English pronunciation competence is important in learning English as a foreign language. The present study aimed to provide insights into English-major students’ views and practices for this competence. To its end, the study investigated (1) relevant values of English pronunciation competence perceived by English-major students, (2) specific pronunciation errors they attend to for improvement, and (3) practices they undertake to improve this competence. For data collection, an interview survey was conducted among 16 students majoring in English from a university in Vietnam. The results reveal that all students endorsed the valued English pronunciation competence for their confidence in English communication and learning success as an English major in college. They also cited their common pronunciation errors (which stemmed from phonological discrepancies between English and Vietnamese and other relevant causes) and self-initiated practices for improvement; however, only a few students had developed effective self-improvement strategies. Accordingly, pedagogical implications are addressed and further studies are recommended to advance our understanding in this regard.