Integrating Pronunciation into Oral Communication

The usefulness of pronunciation teaching is a widely debated subject in the language teaching world. Some of the current research would suggest that teachers can make little or no difference in improving their students'pronunciation. In contrast, there is research that indicates that the teacher can make a noticeable difference if certain criteria, such as the teaching of suprasegmentals and the linking of pronunciation with oral practice, are fulfilled. This paper intends to address the practical challenges related to integrating pronunciation into oral communication. First, the central difficulty in integrating pronunciation into the speaking classroom is described. Next, all-skill principles to guide the incorporation of pronunciation into oral communication courses are suggested. Finally, possible implementation strategies that can be applied to a wide variety of instructional settings are explored.