The Impact of Explicit Pronunciation Instruction on Iraqi EFL Learners’ English Vowel Production and Pronunciation Intelligibility

Abstract

This study examined the impact of explicit teaching of pronunciation on Iraqi EFL students' English vowel production and pronunciation intelligibility. It followed a quasi-experimental design. Sixty undergraduate EFL students from Al-Qadisiyah University participated in the study. After completing the Oxford Quick Placement Test, the participants were divided into an experimental (n = 30) and a control (n = 30) group using the convenience sampling method. The experimental group experienced eight weeks (16 one-hour sessions) of explicit pronunciation instruction involving direct explanation of vowel articulation, teacher modeling, guided listening, controlled practice, and immediate corrective feedback, while the control group received conventional pronunciation instruction. Data were collected through pre- and post-tests of pronunciation intelligibility. The recorded speech samples were analyzed using the AI-assisted pronunciation assessment system of Pearson Versant which considers pronunciation norms, fluency, and comprehensibility as the intelligibility criteria.  The data were analyzed using version 29 of SPSS software. The findings showed that the experimental group achieved significantly greater improvement in English vowel production and pronunciation intelligibility (t = 11.79, p = 0.001) than the control group. These findings indicate that explicit pronunciation instruction is more effective than traditional teaching methods in developing the linguistic and communicative aspects of pronunciation learning. The study concludes that integrating explicit pronunciation instruction into English language curricula can enhance Iraqi EFL learners’ oral communication skills and recommends that pronunciation be given greater emphasis in EFL classrooms.