Teaching English pronunciation in Croatian elementary schools

Abstract

This chapter explores learners’ and teachers’ attitudes towards English pronunciation in elementary schools in Croatia, as well as the relationship between pre-service education and pronunciation teaching methods and techniques. The participants included 152 learners and 31 teachers. The results show that teachers feel inadequately trained, and that both teachers and learners have positive attitudes towards pronunciation and believe that language exposure greatly contributes to improving pronunciation. Classroom practices include teaching word and sentence stress, use of listen-and-repeat activities and teacher-led corrective feedback. Some learners are motivated to improve their pronunciation, while others wish to express their Croatian identity. We consider the pedagogical implications of these findings and propose recommendations that can make pronunciation teaching more effective in this context.