Analytic-linguistic approach on enhancing English language pronunciation among junior high school students

Abstract

English pronunciation plays a critical role in language acquisition. It can be quite demanding for non-native English speakers in Ecuador due to scarce pronunciation resources in its educational system. This research project aimed to enhance the English pronunciation skills of high school students attending a private school in Cuenca, Ecuador, by using the analytic-linguistic approach. The study followed an action research model spanning five weeks and included both pre- and post-test assessments. Participants took part in learning sessions aimed at tackling pronunciation challenges such as vowel sounds (/ɪ/, /i:/), clusters starting with /s/, and stress and intonation patterns. The results showed enhanced pronunciation skills as the average score increased from 5.47 during the assessment to 9.04 after the sessions. The study concluded that the analytic approach offers a structure for improving pronunciation skills. However, further research is necessary to assess its lasting effects and wider usefulness.