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Online Resources to Improve Pronunciation in English Language Teaching

Do online resources improve pronunciation of English learners? The utilization of appropriate computer technologies enhances the pronunciation quality on English levels (Gilakjani, Sheikhy, Montashery, & Alizadeh, 2019). The correct pronunciation is an elementary part to speak another language in order to avoid misunderstandings. Therefore, the correct acquisition of pronunciation represent a priority in English Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. The teacher must focused on applying all the necessary resources to promote and improve the students' pronunciation. The internet has become an important tool for teachers nowadays because it allows them to achieve a favorable understanding of the students. Accordingly, online resources used in EFL classroom improve the pronunciation of the students by the use of electronic dictionaries, music platforms, and digital pronunciation software.

The use of electronic dictionaries allows students to hear different kinds of pronunciations while improving their own by imitating. The use of electronic dictionaries gives students the opportunity to instantly listen to correct pronunciation (Metruk, 2017). The usage of online dictionaries engages the attention of advanced students who are interested in the acquisition of proper pronunciation (Metruk, 2017). The implementation of electronic dictionaries provides students with a wide and varied list of different kinds of pronunciations that students easily hear and compare with a simple click. Considering that the access to internet is available to almost all the population the use of online dictionaries is applicable in the different levels of EFL classrooms. Hence, online dictionaries provide students with the necessary tools to identify certain aspects of pronunciation and improve it by repeating and modeling the words as they were using music.

Music platforms enhance students pronunciation because music promotes the correct pronunciation of the words through melodies that students are able to remember. The use of songs on the classrooms allows the acquisition of the target language by stimulating unconscious mental repetition while it is promoting the retention of words (Moradi & Shahrokhi, 2014). Listening to music allows EFL students to retain the correct pronunciation of the words in the target language by the constant repetition and the imitation that students apply when they sing. Learners are able to improve their knowledge and understanding in pronunciations with English lyrics where they will recognize and differentiate stress and syllables of the words (Chen, 2016). The use of music platforms benefits students who want to acquire a second language owing to this electronic tool provides students with lyrics of songs where EFL learners are able to identify and differentiate the words and its sounds. Currently, students have access to many websites where EFL are able to access for practice lyrics of different songs, likewise the use of training platforms where students can achieve the acquisition of the English language.

Digital pronunciation software helps students to keep practicing their pronunciations while it improves. Through the use of digital pronunciation software students have the opportunity to listen to clear pronunciations that software providers at the same time that they practice and learn the correct articulation sound of the words (Gilakjani & Sabouri, 2014). The implementation of pronunciation software in ELT classrooms function as a beneficial tool that develops on students a better comprehension and increases their knowledge while they learn how to move their mouths to produce the correct sound of the words. Pronunciation programs allow students to have the accessibility to a varied input where they are provided with individual feedback (Gilakjani & Sabouri, 2014). Therefore, the use of this software permits improves the student's pronunciation by indicating them the mistakes that students made and presenting the specific aspects that they need to reinforce.

Through the use of electronic dictionaries, pronunciation software and music platforms pronunciation of EFL students are able to improve their pronunciation. The correct use of online resources is beneficial for enhancing the proper acquisition of English pronunciation. Electronic dictionaries, music platforms and pronunciation softwares are resources that provide students with correct and understandable pronunciations accessible meanwhile students model their own by imitating the words sound. Therefore, the implementation of the online resources in English classrooms further the achievement of pronunciation in the target language because students keep in touch with the proper sound of the words while they retain and practiced it.

References

Chen, A. (2016). Perspectives upon integrating music into freshman english pronunciation training classroom. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 2(1), 16-22. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?q=Use+of+music+to+improve+pronunciation&id=EJ1148345

Gilakjani, A. P., Sheikhy, R., Montashery, I., & Alizadeh, M. (2019). A mixed method study of teachers' attitudes towards computer pronunciation software in teaching english pronunciation. International Journal of Instruction, 12(1), 821-840. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1201189