In this study, I propose the contents and methods of pronunciation education for training teachers at overseas Korean language schools. To this end, a survey was conducted with teachers from Korean schools in the United States, with four descriptive q...
In this study, I propose the contents and methods of pronunciation education for training teachers at overseas Korean language schools. To this end, a survey was conducted with teachers from Korean schools in the United States, with four descriptive questions aimed at understanding the current state of pronunciation education and the difficulties teachers face when teaching pronunciation. Based on the survey results, this study suggests the following contents and methods for pronunciation education for Korean language school teachers: First, pronunciation education for Korean language school teachers should include knowledge of Korean phonology. The phonological knowledge presented should be highly applicable in practice and focused on pronunciation issues that students commonly struggle with or that teachers find challenging to teach.
Second, pronunciation education methods should be tailored to the age of the learners. Since younger learners, unlike adults, can acquire pronunciation simply by listening and repeating, there is no need to teach pronunciation analytically to learners under the age of early teens. On the other hand, adult learners require explanations for both understanding and articulation.
Third, explanations of predictable types of errors and their causes should be provided. The types of errors should be presented differently depending on the language group and region.
Fourth, repetitive and cyclical methods for teaching pronunciation should be suggested. However, given the limited class hours in many Korean language schools, it is important to assign homework that allows learners to be exposed to and practice Korean pronunciation outside the classroom.
Fifth, it is necessary to guide teachers on the available resources that have already been developed. In particular, many online instructional videos for pronunciation education are available, and teachers should be informed about these resources and how to use them effectively.