Improving English Pronunciation Among Doteli-Speaking Students

Abstract

English pronunciation is important for the development of communicative competence of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. However, learners from linguistically diverse communities of Nepal experience considerable difficulties in pronunciation due to interference from their first language, limited exposure to English, and limited instructional resources. I have conducted this qualitative action research on the effectiveness of collaborative multimodal instructional strategies in improving the English pronunciation of Doteli-speaking students of a community school of Doti District, Nepal. I conducted it with 34 students of grades 8- 10 who speak Doteli.  I collected data using classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, students’ written work, and the researcher’s reflective journal. Moreover, the action research cycle of problem identification, planning, intervention, observation, and reflection. I analyzed data using thematic analysis supported by triangulation and member checking to enhance the credibility of the data. The analysis revealed three interrelated themes. The students continued to have pronunciation problems mainly because of mother-tongue interference, limited exposure to English, and low confidence in oral communication. Secondly, lack of teaching resources and limited opportunities for meaningful interaction restricted pronunciation development. Thirdly, the use of collaborative multimodal instructional strategies, i.e pronunciation modelling, peer-assisted learning, vocabulary puzzles, phonetic reinforcement, and visual learning materials, led to significant improvements in students’ pronunciation accuracy, classroom participation, and confidence in speaking English. The findings suggested that contextually appropriate, learner-centered instructional interventions can effectively support pronunciation development in resource-constrained educational settings and illustrate the value of action research as a reflective approach to enhancing classroom practice. English pronunciation learning by Doteli-speaking students through collaborative learning and action research.