Teaching EFL Pronunciation in Algerian Middle Schools: Teachers’ Perceptions and Classroom Practices Case Study of EFL Middle School Teachers in El-Kal

Abstract

The principal goal of our research is to investigate EFL middle school teachers’ perceptions and their instruction approaches regarding teaching English pronunciation. For this aim, we have put forward two hypotheses to be tested: EFL teachers have positive perceptions and attitudes regarding TP to MS pupils. For this reason, they do incorporate different approaches and methods to practise language pronunciation in class. The present study was composed of four chapters. The first chapter was the theoretical part, while the last three chapters were the practical part of the study. In this research, the data were collected by means of a self-completion questionnaire and a classroom observation. The observation results were used to support and complement the questionnaire’s results. The results obtained revealed that EFL middle school teachers have positive attitudes regarding TP. Yet, when it comes to their teaching practices, they often used the traditional methods to practise EP. Also, there are some aspects that negatively affect their teaching or practicing pronunciation such as: the lack of training, the insufficient time allotted to teach English language, the lack of technology, and the inappropriate curriculum. Last but not least, the researcher proposed some recommendations for both the educational system and teachers in order to raise their awareness about the importance of TP in MS. Yet, further studies incorporating a similar design and a larger size of data and respondents are needed in order to verify the conclusions we have advanced here.