Enhancing efl speaking and pronunciation skills: Using explicit formal instruction in a kurdish university

• Published in: Issues in educational research Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 1421 - 1440
• Main Author: Rizgar Qasim Mahmood
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Perth, WA Institutes for Educational Research in NSW, SA and WA 01.12.2023
• Subjects: Accuracy; Classroom Communication; College students; Communication; Cultural Context; Educational Facilities Improvement; Educational Strategies; English; English (Second Language); English as a second language; English as a second language instruction; English language; English Learners; Fillers; Fluency; Higher education; Interpersonal Relationship; Intonation; Kurdish language; Language acquisition; Language Skills; Language Usage; Learning; Literature Reviews; Methodology; Native Speakers; Oral English; Oral Language; Pauses; Phonemes; Phonetics; Phonology; Pronunciation instruction; Researchers; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Sentence structure; Skills; Social aspects; Social Problems; Speaking; Speech rate; Students; Study and teaching; Teaching
• ISSN: 0313-7155; 1837-6290

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of explicit formal instruction (EFI) on speaking and pronunciation skills among a Kurdish university's first-year EFL students. The researcher was teaching a communications unit, where the focus was on speaking skills and pronunciation: speech rate (words per minute), fluency (number of pauses and fillers), and accuracy (sound production, accurate word pronunciation, grammar, and sentence structure). During two semesters (24 weeks) learners received EFI and explicit pronunciation training (EPT). The data were collected through video recordings at two points in time: at the beginning of the course and the end of it and an interview. The results revealed that EFI and EPT had significant effects on learners' speech rate and fluency improvement, whereas their accuracy was affected but not as much as speech rate and fluency. This study offers several pedagogical and theoretical implications.