Revisiting Fossilised Pronunciation Errors: An Exploratory Study with Turkish EFL Teachers

Abstract

Intelligible pronunciation is essential to effective communication in the target language. However, segmental and suprasegmental pronunciation features might pose difficulty at varying degrees for non-native speakers, including Turkish EFL learners. Investigations into this phenomenon might illuminate targeted pedagogical interventions for enhanced learner pronunciation. Since teachers are assessors, evaluators, and mediators of student interaction and involvement in language classrooms, exploring their perceptions might provide practical insights into implementable classroom activities for better learning outcomes. To this end, this mixed-methods study reports on Turkish EFL teachers’ perceptions of fossilised pronunciation errors from quantitative and qualitative perspectives. The quantitative data were collected from 40 participants via an online survey, whereas the qualitative data comprised semi-structured interviews with 10 participants. The survey results indicated the prevalence of fossilised pronunciation errors at segmental and suprasegmental levels. The qualitative findings yielded valuable insights into teachers’ perceptions and observations of pronunciation errors, their causes and challenges, teaching strategies and methods for tackling them, and recommendations for improvement. Further research is needed to understand fossilised pronunciation errors better from diverse perspectives.