Pedagogical Strategies Based on Phonetic Instruction for Segmental Pronunciation Difficulties in A2-Level EFL Learners: A Didactic Proposal

Abstract

The development of segmental pronunciation skills is an important phonetic factor in improving speech among students of English as a foreign language, especially when they have difficulty perceiving and producing phonemes that do not have an equivalent in the phonological system of their native language. The main objective of this research was to design a teaching proposal based on phonetic instruction to address difficulties related to the perception and production of consonant and vowel phonemes in A2-level EFL students at the Southern Manabí State University. Methodologically, the study adopted a propositional, documentary-contextual approach, grounded in a review of the specialized literature on phonetics, segmental phonology, pronunciation acquisition, and the teaching of English as a foreign language. The proposal was structured around a pedagogical sequence beginning with diagnostic assessment, auditory discrimination, articulatory instruction, controlled practice, and recognition of phonetic symbols. Data analysis, research, and a review of the literature confirmed the influence of the mother tongue on the selection of phonetic content. As a result, a five-month program was designed, featuring activities aimed at the gradual development of segmental accuracy and intelligibility. It is concluded that the proposal offers a teaching framework that is easy to implement and empirically evaluate in university EFL contexts; however, its effectiveness must be determined through further studies using pretest-posttest measurements and well-defined samples.