What is teaching pronunciation? Mention some of the recent problem in teaching pronunciation in Nepalese context being based on those problems. Suggest some activities and techniques.
Pronunciation is one of the aspects of a language which is particularly related with speech i.e. spoken form of the language. Pronunciation is particularly the way a word or a language is spoken or the manner in which someone utters a word. Pronunciation is also the act or result of producing the sounds of speech including articulation, stress, and intonation. Pronunciation is the most vita; aspect of a language as until and unless one does not speak or utter a word, other cannot understand what he/she mean. Being related with speaking, it refers to listening as well. It is believed that if there is no pronunciation means there is no language. There is a belief that language is vocally pronounced means if vocally pronounced means if vocally a word pronounced, it is language. For instance we do not regard the sounds produced by animals as uttered from the vocal cord is pronunciation.
Teaching pronunciation means teaching the most prominent aspect of a language. It is the way of teaching the basic aspect of the language without which no language exists. Teaching of pronunciation is related with teaching of the sounds of a particular language. Not only the sounds. It also refers to teaching of the multiple aspects which could be included as below: 1. Teaching of sound system of language 2. Teaching of segmental: teaching of vowels and their production and use, teaching of consonants, their production and use and also the phonemes and allophones of the particular phonemes. 3. Teaching of supra segmental features: stress system, Tone, intonation, juncture, length, rhythm etc.
Teaching the paralinguistic features as well where it includes kinaesthetic feature i.e. nodding, shaking,