Phonetic transcription as a technique for teaching pronunciation to advanced EFL learners in the EFL classroom

The aim of this study is to stress the prominence of using phonetic transcription as a technique for teaching pronunciation to advanced EFL learners in the EFL classroom. Eighty five students from the English Language Teacher Training Department of Akdeniz University were taught English pronunciation through using the technique of phonetic transcription as part of a specific course entitled Listening and Pronunciation I in the Fall Semester of 2011-2012 Academic Year. After a four week 50 minute phonetic transciption training, these eighty five students were given a pronunciation test consisting of three parts. In Part A, the students were asked to transcribe ten English words by using phonetic symbols. In Part B, they were asked to look at ten words given in transcription and write them down in their ordinary spelling. In Part C, they were asked to pronounce five English words by attributing importance to the accurate articulation of problematic English consonants and vowels. The results of the study revealed that students were successful in transcribing the given English words by using phonetic symbols, that they were successful in writing the ordinary spelling of the words given in transcription and that they exhibited a good performance in pronouncing the given English words accurately. Throughout the study, the students showed a positive change in their comprehension of phonetic transcription skills and their accurate sound production abilities. The students’ own words written on a piece of paper also provided concrete evidence for their viewing phonetic transcription as a beneficial tool for improving their pronunciation in the target language