English Pronunciation Teaching and Research

-Rodney H. Jones, University of Reading, UK

"This book makes a valuable contribution by connecting research and practice while providing a comprehensive scope. This is much appreciated given the extensive amount of research in the field as well as in related areas."

-Jose Antonio Mompean Gonzalez, University of Murcia, Spain

This book offers contemporary perspectives on English pronunciation teaching and research in the context of increasing multilingualism and English as an international language. It reviews current theory and practice in pronunciation pedagogy, language learning, language assessment, and technological developments, and presents an expanded view of pronunciation in communication, education, and employment. Its eight chapters provide a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of pronunciation and the linguistic and social functions it fulfils. Topics include pronunciation in first and second language acquisition; instructional approaches and factors impacting teachers' curriculum decisions; methods for assessing pronunciation; the use of technology for pronunciation teaching, learning, and testing; pronunciation issues of teachers who are second-language speakers; and applications of pronunciation research and pedagogy in L1 literacy and speech therapy, forensic linguistics, and health, workplace, and political communication. The chapters also critically examine the research base supporting specific teaching approaches and identify research gaps in need of further investigation. This rigorous work will provide an invaluable resource for teachers and teacher educators; in addition to researchers in the fields of applied linguistics, phonology and communication.

Martha C. Pennington is Professorial Research Associate in Linguistics at the School for Oriental and African Studies and a Research Fellow in Applied Linguistics and Communication at Birkbeck College, both of the University of London, UK.