Phonetics and Phonology Within the Expanding Circle: Saudi Arabia as an Example

Abstract

Phonetics and phonology instruction have held a pivotal position in recent research in the field of language learning. Notably, many attempts have been made to discover the relationship between phonetics and phonology instruction and learners’ pronunciation skills. The current study sought to contribute to the growing body of evidence by observing and analyzing how the instruction methods employed in a course on phonetics and phonology, undertaken in the Expanding Circle setting, impacted students’ pronunciation skills development. Adopting qualitative research principles, the convener of a phonetics and phonology course in the English Department at a university in Saudi Arabia was observed for 10 weeks, with observation notes on his instruction methods recorded. Data analysis revealed that the phonetics and phonology instruction did not meet the general aim of the course to develop students’ pronunciation skills. Several issues emerged to negatively impact the learning outcomes of students primarily related to the course content and the instruction strategies employed by the teacher. The current study has also revealed several issues in need of further investigation.