PDF #172 – How Well do General-Skills ESL Textbooks Address Pronunciation?
Pronunciation on ESL Textbooks – Many instructors are reluctant to teach pronunciation in adult ESL classrooms, often because of lack of formal training. However, significant numbers of ESL students want pronunciation instruction. Although stand-alone pronunciation courses for second-language (L2) learners exist, many students cannot gain access to them.
One approach to meeting the needs of both instructors and students is
for general-skills L2 textbooks to include pronunciation activities. We examined 12 ESL general-skills textbook series (48 texts in total) and six accompanying teachers’ manuals to determine to what extent these popular books include pronunciation activities and how consistent the texts are across individual series.
We also recorded which aspects of L2 pronunciation are the focus of the lessons. Task types were examined in a subset of five series. We found striking variability in the concentration of pronunciation activities both across and within series. Similarly, whereas some textbooks used several task types, others relied heavily on a limited range.
Furthermore, some texts offered little in terms of explicit explanations. In some instances teachers’ manuals provided instructors with guidance; others included little more than repeated admonitions to remind the students
to monitor their L2 pronunciation. The implications for teachers of general ESL
courses are discussed.
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