Overcoming Pronunciation Hurdles in EFL Settings: An Evaluation of Podcasts as a Learning Tool at Qassim University Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Pronunciation is a major hurdle in the language competence of a non-native language user. The Saudi EFL learners are particularly concerned about picking the right pronunciation as natural inhibition acts as a limiting factor in the trial and error method which can otherwise be used to learn the correct pronunciation of English. The current study used the audio-visual MP3 option that the learners can carry on their smartphones and coupled these with innovative, challenging yet engaging activities to check if it brought about a change in the learners’ pronunciation skills. Of the two groups that were engaged in the study, the experimental group of college going EFL major participants showed a remarkable improvement of group mean in pronunciation tests by almost 50 percent in the post-test after the intervention of podcasts over a period of three months. The study concluded that podcasts are a popular learning tool among the Saudi EFL learners and should be exploited in their benefit.

Keywords: Pronunciation, Podcast, Speaking Learning Tool