Pronunciation Practice as a Feature of English Education in Japan: Perspectives from Japanese University Students

概要

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Recent decades have seen a movement away from the teacher-centered method forms of foreign language instruction to learner-centered approaches of curriculum and syllabus design which emphasize communicative competence. Classroom research has gained favor in English as a foreign language instruction as it offers a window from which practicing teachers may gain insight into their learners, and the learning process itself. Much of this research involves the collection of qualitative data based upon student perspectives. The point is not to commiserate with students' whims about how they would like to see a class operate, but on the contrary, to engage them as a resource for an ongoing evaluation of the techniques, approaches and materials used in the classroom which in turn may improve the foreign language learning process. This paper presents the results of a survey of Japanese university student perspectives on pronunciation as a feature of English as a foreign language courses. The results suggest an interest in increasing the amount and variety of pronunciation content in English courses, as well as commentary on when that instruction might best begin and how native and nonnative teachers may best assist their learning.
奈良教育大学教育学部附属教育実践総合センターの論文