A STUDY OF PROPER PRONUNCIATION AS A FACTOR OF SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION

Abstract

Speaking as a productive skill is one of the very first obstacles that foreign language users face when using the language. Knowledge of a language does not refer to the correct and proper pronunciation however, being able to produce sounds, words or utterances in their proper way does not refer to proficiency of a language nor can it assess the overall level of the user of that particular language. The aim of this study is to present the components of speaking as a productive skill emphasizing the role of acquiring proper pronunciation as a factor for effective communication. The study also presents the most significant "common core" of English pronunciation as a lingua franca, details of the requested phonological competence as knowledge set by the Common European Framework of Languages: Learning, Teaching and Assessment and viewpoints of EFL teachers and authors. Additionally, the study includes data from EFL self- assessments from University students in Macedonia regarding their speaking and pronunciation skills and overall evaluation from their assessor –an English language instructor.