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ERIC Number: ED476746
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2002-Apr
Pages: 12
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Insights into English Pronunciation Problems of Thai Students.
Wei, Youfu; Zhou, Yalun
This paper investigates problems with English pronunciation among Thai students, identifying key reasons for the pronunciation problems and recommending solutions. It begins by discussing the value of intelligible pronunciation and reviewing the relevant literature. Next, it focuses on Thai students' pronunciation problems with consonants and vowels (e.g., words with transcriptions ended with a consonant; consonant clusters; words with /ei/, usually pronounced as /e/; words with /r/, usually pronounced as /l/; words with /v/, usually pronounced as /f/; and words with /z/, usually pronounced at /s/ or voiceless); intonation problems (yes-no questions and wh-questions); and stress problems. Finally, it examines the causes of these problems (e.g., words directly borrowed from English into the Thai language are pronounced in Thai ways; the Romanization of the Thai language influences English pronunciation; Thai intonations are applied into English pronunciations; speakers may be shy to speak in a native speaker's way; and Thai final consonants are always unaspirated and unvoiced). Suggested solutions include the following: provide pronunciation training courses to language teachers, have teachers lecture in English, and provide students with articulatory descriptions of the mother tongue and target language. (Contains 26 references.) (SM)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Thailand
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A