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Date Published:
11/05/2026
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Le, T. A. T., & Le, T. N. A. (2026). English as a Foreign Language Teachers’ Pronunciation Teaching Strategies in High Schools. Dong Thap University Journal of Science, 15(02S), 251-265. https://doi.org/10.52714/dthu.sch.3350.1959
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English as a Foreign Language Teachers’ Pronunciation Teaching Strategies in High Schools
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Abstract
Teaching English pronunciation is not a new issue; however, it continues to play an essential role in English language teaching in non-English-speaking countries, particularly in Vietnam. This study was conducted to investigate English as a Foreign Language high school teachers’ perceptions and strategies regarding the teaching of English pronunciation in actual classroom settings. A qualitative research design was employed, using semi-structured interviews to explore the objectives of the study. Thirteen English as a Foreign Language teachers from four high schools in a province in the Mekong Delta region of South Vietnam voluntarily participated in the study and responded to the interview questions. The findings revealed that although the teachers recognized the importance of pronunciation instruction in helping students communicate naturally and intelligibly, their teaching strategies were implemented ineffectively both inside and outside the classroom. The teachers were aware of their students’ difficulties in learning pronunciation, including anxiety, low motivation, and limited English proficiency. However, they lacked effective solutions to address these challenges.
Keywords
English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, high school, perception, strategy, teaching pronunciation.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
References
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Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., & Goodwin, J. M. (2025). Teaching Pronunciation: A Course Book and Reference Guide (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Chun, D. (2002). Discourse Intonation in L2: From Theory and Research to Practice. John Benjamins Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.1
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage publications. https://byvn.net/k74k
Darcy, I., & Rocca, B. (2022). Comprehensibility improvements in integrated pronunciation instruction: A comparison of instructional methods and task effects. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 8(3), 328-362. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.21035.dar
Derwing, T., & Munro, M. (2005). Second language accent and pronunciation teaching: A research-based approach. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 379-397. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588486
Fathi, J., Rahimi, M., & Teo, T. (2025). Applying intelligent personal assistants to develop fluency and comprehensibility, and reduce accentedness in EFL learners: An empirical study of Google Assistant. Language Teaching Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251317786
Fazira, A., Gustiana, D., & Lubis, Y. (2023). English vowels. Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Sastra Inggris. https://doi.org/10.55606/jupensi.v3i2.2007
Gordon, J., & Darcy, I. (2016). The development of comprehensible speech in L2 learners: A classroom study on the effects of short-term pronunciation instruction. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 2(1), 56-92. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.2.1.03gor
Harmer, J. (2015). The Practice of English Language Teaching. Pearson Education Limited
Isbell, D. R., & Lee, J. (2022). Self‐assessment of comprehensibility and accentedness in second language Korean. Language Learning, 72(3), 806-852. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1111/lang.12497
Kochem, T. (2022). Second language teacher cognition development in an online L2 pronunciation pedagogy course: A quasi-experimental study. Doctoral dissertation, Iowa State University). Iowa State University Digital Repository. https://byvn.net/r6q7
Levis, J. M. (2005). Changing contexts and shifting paradigms in pronunciation teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 369-377. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588485
Liu, H. (2020). Teachers' beliefs and practices towards teaching English pronunciation among EFL senior high school teachers in Yunnan province, China. Master’s thesis, Chulalongkorn University. https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1105&context=chulaetd
Levis, J. M., & Wu, A. (2018). Pronunciation—Research into practice and practice into research. The CATESOL Journal, 30(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.5070/B5.35962
Llompart, M., & Reinisch, E. (2021). Lexical representations can rapidly be updated in the early stages of second-language word learning. Journal of Phonetics, 88, 101080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wocn.2021.101080
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Mroz, A. (2020). Aiming for advanced intelligibility and proficiency using mobile ASR. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 6(1), 12-38. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.18030
Nguyen, L. T., & Newton, J. (2020). Pronunciation teaching in tertiary EFL classes: Vietnamese teachers’ beliefs and practices. TESL-EJ, 24(1). http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume24/ej93/ej93a2/
Reid, E., & Mihaľová, D. (2025). Exploring pronunciation teaching: A case study of practices and perceptions in an English classroom. Athens Journal of Education, 12, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.X-Y-Z
Saito, K. (2021). What characterizes comprehensible and native‐like pronunciation among English‐as‐a‐second‐language speakers? Meta‐analyses of phonological, rater, and instructional factors. Tesol Quarterly, 55(3), 866-900. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3027
Strachan, L., Kennedy, S., & Trofimovich, P. (2019). Second language speakers’ awareness of their own comprehensibility: Examining task repetition and self-assessment. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 5(3), 347-373. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.18008.str
Sun, W. (2023). The impact of automatic speech recognition technology on second language pronunciation and speaking skills of EFL learners: a mixed methods investigation. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1210187. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1210187
Thomson, R. I. (2018). High variability [pronunciation] training (HVPT) A proven technique about which every language teacher and learner ought to know. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 4(2), 208-231. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.17038.tho
Tran, D. P. T., & Nguyen, H. B. (2020). EFL teachers' beliefs and practices of teaching pronunciation in a Vietnamese setting. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(12), 7022–7035. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.081270
Uchida, Y., & Sugimoto, J. (2019). Non-native English teachers' confidence in their own pronunciation and attitudes towards teaching: A questionnaire survey in Japan. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 30(1), 19-34. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12253
Umaroh, A. C. (2024). An EFL teacher’s cognition in teaching pronunciation practice in a senior high school in Yogyakarta [Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Islam Indonesia]. https://dspace.uii.ac.id/bitstream/handle/123456789/49947/18322070.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training. (2018). Circular No. 32/2018/TT-BGDĐT. https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/EN/Giao-duc/Circular-32-2018-TT-BGDDT-promulgating-general-education-program/519827/tieng-anh.aspx
Vocroix, L. (2021). Morphology in micro linguistics and macro linguistics. Macrolinguistics and Microlinguistics, 2(1), 1-20. Retrieved from https://mami.nyc/index.php/journal/article/view/11
Vu, N. N. (2016a). An investigation of Vietnamese students’ learning styles in online language learning. Journal of Science, Ho Chi Minh University of Education, 79(1), 16-24. https://journal.hcmue.edu.vn/index.php/hcmuejos/article/view/333/0
Vu, N. N. (2016b). Mobile learning in language teaching context of Vietnam: An evaluation of students’ readiness. Journal of Science, HCMC University of Education, 7(85), 16-27. https://journal.hcmue.edu.vn/index.php/hcmuejos/article/view/431
Vu, N. N. (2024). Computational Linguistics: From Theory to Practice. Ho Chi Minh City University of Education Publishing House
Wichmann, A. (2000). Intonation in Text and Discourse: Beginnings, Middles and Ends. Longman.
Winters, S., & O’Brien, M. G. (2013). Perceived accentedness and intelligibility: The relative contributions of F0 and duration. Speech Communication, 55(3), 486-507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.specom.2012.12.006
Almusharraf, A. (2024). Pronunciation instruction in the context of world English: Exploring university EFL instructors’ perceptions and practices. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, 11, 847. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03365-y
Bui, M. C., & Nguyen, T. Q. (2022). The correlation between high school students’ phonological awareness and their pronunciation of English inflectional morphemes–ed and–s: A case in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. European Journal of English Language Teaching, 7(4), 34-52. https://doi.org/10.46827/ejel.v7i4.4394
Cantarutti, M., & Szczepek Reed, B. B. (2021). Stress and rhythm. In J. Setter & R.-A. Knight (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Phonetics (pp. 159-184). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108644198.007
Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., & Goodwin, J. M. (2025). Teaching Pronunciation: A Course Book and Reference Guide (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Chun, D. (2002). Discourse Intonation in L2: From Theory and Research to Practice. John Benjamins Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.1
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage publications. https://byvn.net/k74k
Darcy, I., & Rocca, B. (2022). Comprehensibility improvements in integrated pronunciation instruction: A comparison of instructional methods and task effects. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 8(3), 328-362. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.21035.dar
Derwing, T., & Munro, M. (2005). Second language accent and pronunciation teaching: A research-based approach. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 379-397. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588486
Fathi, J., Rahimi, M., & Teo, T. (2025). Applying intelligent personal assistants to develop fluency and comprehensibility, and reduce accentedness in EFL learners: An empirical study of Google Assistant. Language Teaching Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251317786
Fazira, A., Gustiana, D., & Lubis, Y. (2023). English vowels. Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Sastra Inggris. https://doi.org/10.55606/jupensi.v3i2.2007
Gordon, J., & Darcy, I. (2016). The development of comprehensible speech in L2 learners: A classroom study on the effects of short-term pronunciation instruction. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 2(1), 56-92. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.2.1.03gor
Harmer, J. (2015). The Practice of English Language Teaching. Pearson Education Limited
Isbell, D. R., & Lee, J. (2022). Self‐assessment of comprehensibility and accentedness in second language Korean. Language Learning, 72(3), 806-852. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1111/lang.12497
Kochem, T. (2022). Second language teacher cognition development in an online L2 pronunciation pedagogy course: A quasi-experimental study. Doctoral dissertation, Iowa State University). Iowa State University Digital Repository. https://byvn.net/r6q7
Levis, J. M. (2005). Changing contexts and shifting paradigms in pronunciation teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 369-377. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588485
Liu, H. (2020). Teachers' beliefs and practices towards teaching English pronunciation among EFL senior high school teachers in Yunnan province, China. Master’s thesis, Chulalongkorn University. https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1105&context=chulaetd
Levis, J. M., & Wu, A. (2018). Pronunciation—Research into practice and practice into research. The CATESOL Journal, 30(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.5070/B5.35962
Llompart, M., & Reinisch, E. (2021). Lexical representations can rapidly be updated in the early stages of second-language word learning. Journal of Phonetics, 88, 101080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wocn.2021.101080
Madzo, D. (2021). Teachers’ attitudes towards teaching English pronunciation. https://byvn.net/1rj2
McCrocklin, S. (2019). ASR-based dictation practice for second language pronunciation improvement. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 5(1), 98-118. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.16034
Mora, J. C., & Mora-Plaza, I. (2023). From research in the lab to pedagogical practices in the EFL classroom: The case of task-based pronunciation teaching. Education Sciences, 13(10), 1042. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13101042
Mroz, A. (2020). Aiming for advanced intelligibility and proficiency using mobile ASR. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 6(1), 12-38. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.18030
Nguyen, L. T., & Newton, J. (2020). Pronunciation teaching in tertiary EFL classes: Vietnamese teachers’ beliefs and practices. TESL-EJ, 24(1). http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume24/ej93/ej93a2/
Reid, E., & Mihaľová, D. (2025). Exploring pronunciation teaching: A case study of practices and perceptions in an English classroom. Athens Journal of Education, 12, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.X-Y-Z
Saito, K. (2021). What characterizes comprehensible and native‐like pronunciation among English‐as‐a‐second‐language speakers? Meta‐analyses of phonological, rater, and instructional factors. Tesol Quarterly, 55(3), 866-900. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3027
Strachan, L., Kennedy, S., & Trofimovich, P. (2019). Second language speakers’ awareness of their own comprehensibility: Examining task repetition and self-assessment. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 5(3), 347-373. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.18008.str
Sun, W. (2023). The impact of automatic speech recognition technology on second language pronunciation and speaking skills of EFL learners: a mixed methods investigation. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1210187. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1210187
Thomson, R. I. (2018). High variability [pronunciation] training (HVPT) A proven technique about which every language teacher and learner ought to know. Journal of Second Language Pronunciation, 4(2), 208-231. https://doi.org/10.1075/jslp.17038.tho
Tran, D. P. T., & Nguyen, H. B. (2020). EFL teachers' beliefs and practices of teaching pronunciation in a Vietnamese setting. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(12), 7022–7035. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.081270
Uchida, Y., & Sugimoto, J. (2019). Non-native English teachers' confidence in their own pronunciation and attitudes towards teaching: A questionnaire survey in Japan. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 30(1), 19-34. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12253
Umaroh, A. C. (2024). An EFL teacher’s cognition in teaching pronunciation practice in a senior high school in Yogyakarta [Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Islam Indonesia]. https://dspace.uii.ac.id/bitstream/handle/123456789/49947/18322070.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training. (2018). Circular No. 32/2018/TT-BGDĐT. https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/EN/Giao-duc/Circular-32-2018-TT-BGDDT-promulgating-general-education-program/519827/tieng-anh.aspx
Vocroix, L. (2021). Morphology in micro linguistics and macro linguistics. Macrolinguistics and Microlinguistics, 2(1), 1-20. Retrieved from https://mami.nyc/index.php/journal/article/view/11
Vu, N. N. (2016a). An investigation of Vietnamese students’ learning styles in online language learning. Journal of Science, Ho Chi Minh University of Education, 79(1), 16-24. https://journal.hcmue.edu.vn/index.php/hcmuejos/article/view/333/0
Vu, N. N. (2016b). Mobile learning in language teaching context of Vietnam: An evaluation of students’ readiness. Journal of Science, HCMC University of Education, 7(85), 16-27. https://journal.hcmue.edu.vn/index.php/hcmuejos/article/view/431
Vu, N. N. (2024). Computational Linguistics: From Theory to Practice. Ho Chi Minh City University of Education Publishing House
Wichmann, A. (2000). Intonation in Text and Discourse: Beginnings, Middles and Ends. Longman.
Winters, S., & O’Brien, M. G. (2013). Perceived accentedness and intelligibility: The relative contributions of F0 and duration. Speech Communication, 55(3), 486-507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.specom.2012.12.006
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