Case Studies On English Pronunciation Teaching Of Primary English Education Majors

Pronunciation is an essential part of language and the base of language communication as well. Having a good command of pronunciation is not only the need of English language communication but the pre-condition of learning English well.For many years,we have reached a consensus that pronunciation teaching is an essential part of language courses.With the development and popularization of the communication approach,people begin to highlight the importance of English pronunciation in language teaching,especially in the normal school,pronunciation teaching is the topmost.In China,most of the primary English teachers graduated from English education major in normal schools,which requires them having good command of English language.Thus higher standards of English pronunciation have been raised for English majors.A primary English teacher must be good at pronunciation and intonation.That it to say,English education majors should have a good master of English pronunciation.However,the pronunciation teaching and learning is not so satisfactory in the normal school where the author performs teaching.For nearly all the English education majors,most of whom come from the rural area where the English teaching hasn't received its due importance,don't have correct pronunciation and intonation,which will prevent them from being qualified primary English teachers.This thesis is to seek an effective way to solve this school's English pronunciation teaching problems and to improve the students' pronunciation.The author first investigated English education majors' English pronunciation learning and teaching,by means of which the problems could be found out completely.Then analyzed what caused these problems.The author figured out four major influential factors:the talent for English pronunciation learning of the learners,the English pronunciation study motivation,the English learning atmosphere and the dialect's effect.Among them,the first factor can not be easily improved, while the last three ones can be with the effort of learners and teachers and with the effective method.Based on the analysis of these problems,under the guide of Cognitive instructional theory and the motivation theory,the author put forward to an effective English pronunciation teaching method, students-centered and exaggerating English pronunciation teaching mode.This teaching mode has its own advantages.It combines phoneme segment teaching and suprasegmental phoneme teaching, with clear teaching objectives.It will greatly increase the learners' self-confidence and interests in English pronunciation learning,which will be of much use to learning pronunciation more effective. Furthermore,this teaching method will provide a lot of vivid communication practice which can help the learners have a better understanding of English pronunciation and intonation,and improve their communicative competence in the pronunciation classes as well.There are six steps to carry out the teaching:sensitization,discussion and explanation,imitation,practice activity,communication activity,and assessment.The author implemented this teaching mode for one term.The practice proved it effective to improve the pronunciation learning and teaching quality,and it was of great use to solve the actual pronunciation learning and teaching problems for the English education majors of this normal school. This paper gave reasons for successful performance,and some directions for would-be mode users. Due to the limited time and the limited ability of the author,the students-centered and exaggerating English pronunciation teaching mode needs practicing more and improving better.