The pedagogy for teaching suprasegmental features

Abstract

Suprasegmental (prosody) deficiencies seriously affect English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ comprehensibility and intelligibility. Among suprasegmental features, the most problematic for Iranian learners is rhythm, due to fundamental differences between English and Farsi language timing patterns. To improve learners’ pronunciation, computer-assisted pronunciation training (CAPT) is commonly applied to provide a private, individualized learning environment with unlimited input and visual, instant, and precise feedback. In our previous study, a specific kind of CAPT application, (MyET™) was used to enhance suprasegmental features of five Iranian EFL learners. The results showed that CAPT helped them improve their pronunciation skills. They also had positive attitudes toward taking this approach. In this short paper, we describe how prosody teaching actually occurred in the classroom, how we used the material, and how we reported the results. Suggestions and recommendations for further research are also presented.