THE IMPORTANCE OF PHONETIC SYMBOLS, STRESS AND INTONATION IN THE TEACHING OF PRONUNCIATION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TO SAUDI STUDENTS

The learning/teaching of English language pronunciation is considered a great challenge for both the teacher and Saudi students due to multiple factors. Some of these factors are weird and confusing spelling patterns of English vocabulary, mother tongue (Arabic in our case) effects in the process of learning second language (that is English in our case), and a lack of general awareness with regards to stress and intonation among Saudi students. Few sounds, that are a vital part of English language and are totally missing in Arabic language, can also be a major factor in the learning process of English language pronunciation at initial stages. In this article we are aimed to discuss some of these factors and will also try to move forward for a possible and practical solutio