A Linguistic Analysis Study for Teaching American-English Pronunciation: A Case Study Research

Abstract

This linguistic case study research investigates the process stages of a language learner’s pronunciation errors through speech analysis detection techniques. The purpose of this study is to detect and analyze the pronunciation errors for internalizing the unique and individual pronunciation error patterns that vary from one individual to the next. A speech analysis technique, a method of applied linguistics, is used in combination with the case study method reveals a thorough evaluation map for the language learner’s pronunciation error characteristics. In this case study, the participant of the study is a native Chinese speaker. Within the scope of this research study, both the theoretical literature review and the data collection process uncover that pronunciation, unlike other domains of language teaching areas, requires specific and individualized attention for effective teaching and learning strategies. The data collected in this research study is analyzed in terms of phonetic linguistic features, and a personalized pronunciation improvement plan is proposed based on the linguistic features and characteristics of the research participant’s errors. A larger scale research study can be conducted for future research by verifying the findings of this research study with more language-specific research participants in order to develop individualized and learning-style focused pronunciation lesson plans for larger learning groups.