The Effects of Teaching Phonetics to EFL Students

Abstract

Instructing students of a foreign language in phonetics is an extremely important topic in the field of teaching English as a foreign language. As phonetics is closely related to pronunciation, this research synthesis has focused mainly on analyzing the effects that this instruction can have, both positive and negative. According to what has been observed in the studies considered for the development of this analysis, the results present positive effects on the students' pronunciation. In addition, other important factors that are considered in this research synthesis are the methodologies and tools used for teaching phonetics to students of a foreign language, where the results showed that explicit instruction of phonetics is mostly used, and that the main tool is technology, since the analyzed studies use software and a mobile application. Finally, in this research synthesis, the perspectives of both students and teachers regarding teaching and learning phonetics in EFL classes are also considered, showing approval and acceptance of it.